Do sweet potatoes raise blood sugar levels quickly in diabetic patients?
Disease description:
I really enjoy eating sweet potatoes, but every time I go to the hospital for a check-up, my blood sugar levels are very high. I would like to ask, do sweet potatoes cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels for diabetic patients?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Diabetic patients may experience a relatively rapid increase in blood sugar after consuming sweet potatoes, so moderate consumption is recommended.
Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and moderate intake is beneficial to health. However, sweet potatoes also contain relatively high levels of sugar, with approximately 15 grams of sugar per 100 grams of sweet potato. For diabetic patients, due to impaired pancreatic function, the body cannot promptly secrete sufficient insulin to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Therefore, when consuming foods high in sugar, such as sweet potatoes, blood sugar levels may rise relatively quickly.
Diabetic patients need to control their intake to avoid excessive consumption. Sweet potatoes can be included as part of the staple food in meals, while correspondingly reducing the amount of other staple foods consumed. When cooking, sweet potatoes can be steamed or boiled and consumed together with foods rich in protein and dietary fiber, which can help slow down the rise in blood sugar levels.
Therefore, sweet potatoes may cause a relatively rapid increase in blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, and intake should be strictly controlled.
