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Boiled v mashed potato

SkinnyLizzie

Active Member
Messages
41
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Everyone, We're always being told that if we eat potatoes, boiled ones are better than mash because mashing breaks down the cellulose which releases the sugars more quickly. Surely though, if you have boiled potatoes they are 'mashed' when you chew them and so both kinds are mashed by the time they reach your stomach. Is there any scientific research about this? [Apart from some roasties on Sundays I only have sweet potatoes but the mashing problem has been bugging me for a while].
 
I the it's because the mashing effect releases the starch much quicker than chewing would, plus I don't think we mash the potato in our mouths to the same extent as mashing does............if that makes sense
 
Haven't done spuds for such a long time!
Why would anyone with diabetes want to eat spuds? There are far better options.
 
nosher8355 said:
Haven't done spuds for such a long time!
Why would anyone with diabetes want to eat spuds? There are far better options.
Click to expand...

I eat spuds 3-4 times a week (I'm type 1). It's personal preference whether you think there are far better options
 
 
It's ate my post again!
Help!
 
Nosher, it can be seen if you expand the quoted bit. I think you must be using the quote option wrongly somehow.
 
It does depend a lot on variety. The floury types of potato that you are more likely to use for mashed potato have higher GIs than the waxy type (even when eaten plain boiled)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16351768
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10334648
You can lower GI by adding fat and vinegar and also by cooling cooked potato so a salad made with a vinaigrette dressing and Nicola* potatoes is probably about the lowest GI way of eating them..

*GI 58 about the lowest for a potato
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What it is, is when I press the reply button which puts the quote into the posting box. I try to write my post and the 70% box bounces on my screen and my post is lost in the quote. I have done the introduce yourself bit and it won't disappear. So annoying.
So no more quotes!
 
If only potatoes did contain cellulose based carbs, humans generally don't digest cellulose. Potatoes contain alpha carbs which are mostly digestible.

A boiled new potato takes longer to break down than mashed potato. Mashed potato though is still better than pureed potato. It is true that chewing releases the ptyalin enzyme via the saliva. It is called alpha amylase or more usually mouth amylase and it starts to work whilst the potato is slipping down your throat on the way to more digestive enzymes waiting in the stomache. But, particle size is all important. Chewed boiled potato is still chunks and not fine particles and still takes much longer to break down.

The four things that affect the glycaemic response for potatoes are:

Ripeness
Processing (pressing, chewing, mashing)
Preparation Method - cooking and then allowing the potato to cool creates Resistant Starch which then acts more like fibre
Variety of potato.

In addition certain foods such as vinegar also reduces GI. Potato salad is often quite low and hardly ever affects me.
 
Yorksman said:
In addition certain foods such as vinegar also reduces GI. Potato salad is often quite low and hardly ever affects me.
Click to expand...

That must be why I can manage a few home made chips as I sprinkle quite a bit of vinegar on them. They don't spike me at all as long as I only have a few. (about 6, but better than none!)
 
Read somewhere .... the fresher the spud the better for diabetics.
The freshest you're going to get is from your garden.
You pull it prepare it and cook it there and then you're eating a living thing.
The ones from Tesco have been around a long time since being picked.
Then riddled for size.
Then stored bagged and stored again.
From tractor trailer to shed to trailer to truck to warehouse to truck to shop to shelves ... you'll be eating a dying product.
I know you can nit pick that one but ... you're eating a spud that has been breaking down ... turning to glucose so ... the fresher the better.
 
Thank you for your comments everyone, especially Phoenix and Yorksman for the scientific content.
 
Have not heard about the 'mashing' thing; here in Australia we have a Low Gi potato called Carisma with a GI of 55 and 9g carb per 100g. Don't eat that many spuds but nice to know I can if I want
 
I too don't eat much potatoes- just can't be bothered with them & I'm not fond of sweet potaotes either, but I will look to growing the Crisma variety, thanks everyone for the info
 
My scientific research is on a sample size of n =1.

Myself with my meter.

It told me that a golf-ball-sized scoop of mashed spuds has pretty much the same effect as a boiled or baked spud of similar size on my one-hour post-meal test result. It also told me that exceeding golf ball size would lead to exceeding acceptable post-meal spike levels.
 
Thank you Alan for being the human guinea pig ... so that's cleared that one up!
 
Lesleywo said:
Thank you Alan for being the human guinea pig ... so that's cleared that one up!
Click to expand...
The important point I did not mention is we are all a little different.

You need to do your own scientific experiment, with yourself as the subject. My own research project never ends. Nor will yours.
 
I also spike with any spuds. So I just don't bother.
Can't see any benefit in cooking them and eating them if there any chance of spiking! The alternatives are better.
 
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