Potatoes Have Positive Role in Diet, Even for Diabetics

Potatoes Have Positive Role in Diet, Even for Diabetics

Potatoes Have Positive Role in Diet, even for Diabetics

I'm KayDee Gilkey with the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by Syngenta and the United States Potato Board. Listen carefully so you can answer the Spuds, Scales and Sleds Sweepstakes question.

Diabetes in the United States has increased dramatically over the last two decades. More than 25 million Americans or -- 8.3 percent of the population -- currently suffer from the disease. USPB Nutrition Consultant and Associate Professor at the University of Utah Kathie Beals says often potatoes as a starchy carbohydrate are disparaged in diabetics’ diets however.

Beals: “When you look at the management of Type 2 Diabetes it’s about portion control and it’s about weight control and potatoes can fit into both of those.”

Beals shares some interesting nutritional potato facts.

Beals: “As far as the nutritional value of potatoes goes, they are a no-fat food. So assuming that you aren’t putting high fat kinds of topping on there a medium size potato with the skin has about 110 calories and no fat. Potatoes are also a good source of potassium in fact a medium sized potato with the skin contains 620 milligrams of potassium which is significantly more than than an equal sized banana. So it’s also got 45 percent of your daily value of Vitamin C -- which a lot of people don’t know -- but potatoes are also very rich in vitamin C.”

That’s the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment. ? 

 

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