An Aid to Diabetics

We're hoping that diet, particularly the consumption of sweet potatoes, will become a more widely used tool in the treatment of diabetes.

NC State University professor Dr. Jon Allen
The sweet potato peel has been used in Japan for years to help control blood glucose.

The sweet potato peel has been used in Japan for years to help control blood glucose.

By Suzanne Stanard, Department of Communication Services

For diabetics, the appeal of sweet potatoes may go beyond the peel.

The sweet potato peel has been used in Japan for years to make a dietary supplement to control blood glucose. Now, a North Carolina State University research team has found that the Beauregard variety of sweet potato has the same protein patterns as the dietary supplement.  Even better, the protein content of the Beauregard's flesh is higher than that of the peel. This finding suggests that the entire vegetable could play a role in lowering blood glucose.

Dr. Jon Allen, Dr. Van Den Truong, and Dr. Masood Butt, a visiting scientist from Pakistan, led the sweet potato study.  

While more research is needed, "it may be possible to recommend that people with diabetes or insulin resistance consume sweet potatoes or use extracts of North Carolina sweet potato to help control blood glucose," Allen said in the project report. "This therapy should cost less than conventional drugs, and it may have fewer side effects."

North Carolina leads the nation in sweet potato production and the Beauregard variety makes up about 85 percent of the state's production.

"We're hoping that diet, particularly the consumption of sweet potatoes, will become a more widely used tool in the treatment of diabetes," Allen said.  "It has the potential to be more cost-effective than drugs."