Sweet potatoes can be good for people with diabetes. After all, these tubers are one of the most nutritious vegetables grown in the subtropical and tropical areas of the world. However, you still should eat them in moderation.
Although sweet potatoes may be high in carbohydrates, they may not cause blood sugar to skyrocket. Their glycemic index—how quickly they make blood sugar rise—can change depending on how you prepare them.
While people with diabetes don’t need to steer clear of sweet potatoes altogether, it’s important to keep in mind the amount, type, preparation, seasoning, and accompanying side dishes when eating sweet potatoes.
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Types of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoesgrown in the United States come in five basic types, depending on color:
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How Sweet Potatoes Affect Blood Sugar
Sweet potatoes do have a high level ofcarbohydrates, but they generally have a lowglycemic index.
The glycemic index is a ranking system for how different carbohydrates affect blood sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index cause blood sugar to spike and then crash. Foods with a low glycemic index give you sustained energy because they are digested and absorbed slowly.
Sweet potato is known to be beneficial to individuals with type 2 diabetes due to the high levels of magnesium and fiber, which can aid in reducing insulin resistance and stabilizing blood sugar.
White-Flesh Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes with white flesh can have complex carbohydrates and high amounts of dietary fiber. These two things can help slow the time it takes for your body to turn carbohydrates into glucose, which helps prevent spikes in blood sugar. They may create a better response to insulin in people withtype 2 diabetes.
Purple-Flesh Sweet Potatoes
Purple sweet potatoes are known to have many health benefits. The color is due to theanthocyanins, a water-soluble element that is also known for pigmenting other fruits and vegetables that are purple, red, and blue.Anthocyanin is known for its antioxidant properties.
Anthocyanin is known for its high level of antioxidants and also known to:Help reduce the risk of certain diseasesImprove visionTreat diabetes
Anthocyanin is known for its high level of antioxidants and also known to:
A 2020 study comparing purple potatoes to yellow potatoes found that the polyphenol-rich purple potatoes lowered glycemia, inflammation, and insulin.Purple sweet potato has a high glycemic index of 77.0.
Orange-Flesh Sweet Potatoes
Though these are colloquially referred to as yams in the U.S., true yams belong to a different botanical family.Orange sweet potatoes are the most common sweet potato and are known for containing:
They also have beta-carotene and a high glycemic index.
Diabetic-Friendly Meals
Other Benefits for Diabetes
Sweet potatoes contain many vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that are helpful for your overall health. They are rich in the following vitamins and minerals:
Vitamin Ais an important vitamin for vision. It can help with eyesight, including in low light. It also produces pigments in the retina, part of the eye that sends the visual information to the brain.
Dietary fiberis good for you because it helps make you feel full. It also helps with digestion and can prevent constipation.
Also important to your health is Vitamin C. This powerful vitamin may be able to help reduce inflammation in people with obesity who have diabetes and/orhypertension(high blood pressure).
Although starch is sometimes considered bad, some starches are better than others. Some sweet potatoes, like the purple sweet variety, have resistant starch. Resistant starch is only partially broken down in the body and helps prevent spikes in glucose.
How to Prepare Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are known to be high in fiber and have a low glycemic index, which results in a less immediate impact on blood glucose levels. This can help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels in check.
Sweet potatoes can be:
One study on purple potatoes found how the potatoes were prepared affected the glycemic index. The lowest glycemic index was found in noodles made from sweet potatoes. Boiled purple sweet potatoes came in with a high glycemic index of 83.75.Look for sweet potato pasta at the grocery store.
As with any food, it’s important to be mindful of serving size and cooking methods. Eating boiled or steamed sweet potatoes in moderation is your safest bet. Baking, roasting, or frying sweet potatoes increases their glycemic index, which can create havoc on your blood sugar levels.
Summary
People with diabetes may find some benefit in adding sweet potatoes to a meal or snack—in moderation. The powerful nutrients contained in these colorful tubers may be able to prevent blood sugar from spiking after eating.
It is important to speak with your healthcare provider to understand the proper way to consume sweet potatoes when you have diabetes. The way you prepare them can also affect how blood sugar levels will respond.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Sweet Potato Council.About sweet potatoes.Bennett AA, Mahood EH, Fan K, Moghe GD.Untargeted metabolomics of purple and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes reveals a large structural diversity of anthocyanins and flavonoids.Sci Rep. 2021;11:16408. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-95901-yCalifornia Sweetpotato Council.Types of sweetpotatoes.Giri NA, Sakhale BK.Effect of protein enrichment on quality characteristics and glycemic index of gluten free sweet potato (Ipomoea batatasL.) spaghetti.J Food Sci Technol. 2022;59(6):2410-2419. doi:10.1007/s13197-021-05257-4Glycemic Index Foundation.Low GI explained.Amagloh FC, Yada B, Tumuhimbise GA, Amagloh FK, Kaaya AN.The potential of sweetpotato as a functional food in Sub-Saharan Africa and its implications for health: a review.Molecules. 2021;26(10):2971. doi:10.3390/molecules26102971Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits.Food Nutr Res. 2017;61(1):1361779. doi:10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779De Souza EV, de Brito Alves, JL.Mechanism of anti-diabetic activity from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): a systematic review.Foods. 2023;12(14):2810. doi:10.3390/foods12142810Jokioja J, Linderborg KM, Kortesniemi M, et al.Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men.Food Chem. 2020;310:125797. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125797Ramdath DD, Padhi E, Hawke A, Sivaramalingam T, Tsao R.The glycemic index of pigmented potatoes is related to their polyphenol content.Food Funct. 2014;5(5):909-15. doi:10.1039/c3fo60395dU.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Sweet potatoes, orange flesh, without skin, raw.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Sweet potatoes.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Vitamin A.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Dietary fiber.Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or obese adults: a randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-3412. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144Zheng Y, Wang Q, Li B, et al.Characterization and prebiotic effect of the resistant starch from purple sweet potato.Molecules. 2016;21(7):932. doi:10.3390/molecules21070932Nurdjanah S, Nurdin SU, Astuti S, Manik VE.Chemical components, antioxidant activity, and glycemic response values of purple sweet potato products.Int J Food Sci. 2022;2022:7708172. doi:10.1155/2022/7708172Owusu-Mensah E, Oduro I, Ellis WO, Carey EE.Cooking treatment effects on sugar profile and sweetness of eleven-released sweet potato varieties.J Food Process Technol. 2016;7(4). doi:10.4172/2157-7110.1000580
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Sweet Potato Council.About sweet potatoes.Bennett AA, Mahood EH, Fan K, Moghe GD.Untargeted metabolomics of purple and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes reveals a large structural diversity of anthocyanins and flavonoids.Sci Rep. 2021;11:16408. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-95901-yCalifornia Sweetpotato Council.Types of sweetpotatoes.Giri NA, Sakhale BK.Effect of protein enrichment on quality characteristics and glycemic index of gluten free sweet potato (Ipomoea batatasL.) spaghetti.J Food Sci Technol. 2022;59(6):2410-2419. doi:10.1007/s13197-021-05257-4Glycemic Index Foundation.Low GI explained.Amagloh FC, Yada B, Tumuhimbise GA, Amagloh FK, Kaaya AN.The potential of sweetpotato as a functional food in Sub-Saharan Africa and its implications for health: a review.Molecules. 2021;26(10):2971. doi:10.3390/molecules26102971Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits.Food Nutr Res. 2017;61(1):1361779. doi:10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779De Souza EV, de Brito Alves, JL.Mechanism of anti-diabetic activity from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): a systematic review.Foods. 2023;12(14):2810. doi:10.3390/foods12142810Jokioja J, Linderborg KM, Kortesniemi M, et al.Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men.Food Chem. 2020;310:125797. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125797Ramdath DD, Padhi E, Hawke A, Sivaramalingam T, Tsao R.The glycemic index of pigmented potatoes is related to their polyphenol content.Food Funct. 2014;5(5):909-15. doi:10.1039/c3fo60395dU.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Sweet potatoes, orange flesh, without skin, raw.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Sweet potatoes.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Vitamin A.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Dietary fiber.Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or obese adults: a randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-3412. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144Zheng Y, Wang Q, Li B, et al.Characterization and prebiotic effect of the resistant starch from purple sweet potato.Molecules. 2016;21(7):932. doi:10.3390/molecules21070932Nurdjanah S, Nurdin SU, Astuti S, Manik VE.Chemical components, antioxidant activity, and glycemic response values of purple sweet potato products.Int J Food Sci. 2022;2022:7708172. doi:10.1155/2022/7708172Owusu-Mensah E, Oduro I, Ellis WO, Carey EE.Cooking treatment effects on sugar profile and sweetness of eleven-released sweet potato varieties.J Food Process Technol. 2016;7(4). doi:10.4172/2157-7110.1000580
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Sweet Potato Council.About sweet potatoes.Bennett AA, Mahood EH, Fan K, Moghe GD.Untargeted metabolomics of purple and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes reveals a large structural diversity of anthocyanins and flavonoids.Sci Rep. 2021;11:16408. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-95901-yCalifornia Sweetpotato Council.Types of sweetpotatoes.Giri NA, Sakhale BK.Effect of protein enrichment on quality characteristics and glycemic index of gluten free sweet potato (Ipomoea batatasL.) spaghetti.J Food Sci Technol. 2022;59(6):2410-2419. doi:10.1007/s13197-021-05257-4Glycemic Index Foundation.Low GI explained.Amagloh FC, Yada B, Tumuhimbise GA, Amagloh FK, Kaaya AN.The potential of sweetpotato as a functional food in Sub-Saharan Africa and its implications for health: a review.Molecules. 2021;26(10):2971. doi:10.3390/molecules26102971Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits.Food Nutr Res. 2017;61(1):1361779. doi:10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779De Souza EV, de Brito Alves, JL.Mechanism of anti-diabetic activity from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): a systematic review.Foods. 2023;12(14):2810. doi:10.3390/foods12142810Jokioja J, Linderborg KM, Kortesniemi M, et al.Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men.Food Chem. 2020;310:125797. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125797Ramdath DD, Padhi E, Hawke A, Sivaramalingam T, Tsao R.The glycemic index of pigmented potatoes is related to their polyphenol content.Food Funct. 2014;5(5):909-15. doi:10.1039/c3fo60395dU.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Sweet potatoes, orange flesh, without skin, raw.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Sweet potatoes.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Vitamin A.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Dietary fiber.Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or obese adults: a randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-3412. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144Zheng Y, Wang Q, Li B, et al.Characterization and prebiotic effect of the resistant starch from purple sweet potato.Molecules. 2016;21(7):932. doi:10.3390/molecules21070932Nurdjanah S, Nurdin SU, Astuti S, Manik VE.Chemical components, antioxidant activity, and glycemic response values of purple sweet potato products.Int J Food Sci. 2022;2022:7708172. doi:10.1155/2022/7708172Owusu-Mensah E, Oduro I, Ellis WO, Carey EE.Cooking treatment effects on sugar profile and sweetness of eleven-released sweet potato varieties.J Food Process Technol. 2016;7(4). doi:10.4172/2157-7110.1000580
U.S. Sweet Potato Council.About sweet potatoes.
Bennett AA, Mahood EH, Fan K, Moghe GD.Untargeted metabolomics of purple and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes reveals a large structural diversity of anthocyanins and flavonoids.Sci Rep. 2021;11:16408. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-95901-y
California Sweetpotato Council.Types of sweetpotatoes.
Giri NA, Sakhale BK.Effect of protein enrichment on quality characteristics and glycemic index of gluten free sweet potato (Ipomoea batatasL.) spaghetti.J Food Sci Technol. 2022;59(6):2410-2419. doi:10.1007/s13197-021-05257-4
Glycemic Index Foundation.Low GI explained.
Amagloh FC, Yada B, Tumuhimbise GA, Amagloh FK, Kaaya AN.The potential of sweetpotato as a functional food in Sub-Saharan Africa and its implications for health: a review.Molecules. 2021;26(10):2971. doi:10.3390/molecules26102971
Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits.Food Nutr Res. 2017;61(1):1361779. doi:10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779
De Souza EV, de Brito Alves, JL.Mechanism of anti-diabetic activity from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): a systematic review.Foods. 2023;12(14):2810. doi:10.3390/foods12142810
Jokioja J, Linderborg KM, Kortesniemi M, et al.Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men.Food Chem. 2020;310:125797. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125797
Ramdath DD, Padhi E, Hawke A, Sivaramalingam T, Tsao R.The glycemic index of pigmented potatoes is related to their polyphenol content.Food Funct. 2014;5(5):909-15. doi:10.1039/c3fo60395d
U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central.Sweet potatoes, orange flesh, without skin, raw.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Sweet potatoes.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Vitamin A.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Dietary fiber.
Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or obese adults: a randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-3412. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144
Zheng Y, Wang Q, Li B, et al.Characterization and prebiotic effect of the resistant starch from purple sweet potato.Molecules. 2016;21(7):932. doi:10.3390/molecules21070932
Nurdjanah S, Nurdin SU, Astuti S, Manik VE.Chemical components, antioxidant activity, and glycemic response values of purple sweet potato products.Int J Food Sci. 2022;2022:7708172. doi:10.1155/2022/7708172
Owusu-Mensah E, Oduro I, Ellis WO, Carey EE.Cooking treatment effects on sugar profile and sweetness of eleven-released sweet potato varieties.J Food Process Technol. 2016;7(4). doi:10.4172/2157-7110.1000580
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