A Concentrated Form of Sweet Potato and Blood Sugar

Sweet Potato — มันเทศ (man-thet) — Ipomoea batatas.

One trial found that Caiapo, an extract from a white-skinned sweet-potato variety, improved blood-sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. The study tested the extract; the edible part is the tuber. Sweet potato is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and fiber. Fiber adds bulk to meals, can help with fullness, and can slow carbohydrate absorption as part of a mixed diet. Khanom Khai Nok Kratha are crispy, chewy deep-fried sweet potato balls traditionally served hot as a popular street snack alongside hot jasmine tea. Man Tom Khing features tender sweet potatoes simmered in a warm, sweet ginger-infused broth, commonly served after hot meals as a comforting palate cleanser. The young leaves are also edible and commonly eaten as a cooked green. Eat it with a little fat — a drizzle of oil or coconut helps your body absorb the beta-carotene that makes it orange, since that nutrient is fat-soluble. Grow from 'slips': sprout shoots from a tuber in water, snap them off once rooted, and plant them.

Khanom Khai Nok Kratha — ขนมไข่นกกระทา (kha-nom-kai-nok-kra-tha)
Man Tom Khing — มันต้มขิง (man-tom-khing)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, fiber

Research context

White sweet potato extract (Caiapo) improved blood-sugar control in type-2-diabetes trials — Diabetes Care, 2002

Sources

Source: Ludvik B et al. (2002). Ipomoea batatas (Caiapo) on glucose metabolism in T2DM: RCT. Diabetes Care 25(1):239-240. DOI:10.2337/diacare.25.1.239 (PMID 11772921)

Narration transcript

Opening

Despite the name, sweet potato grows on a sprawling morning-glory vine, and even its young leaves get cooked as greens. Sweet potato — มันเทศ, man-tet. You eat the sweet tuber, roasted, boiled, or fried, and the tender leaf tips wilted into soups.

Khanom Khai Nok Kratha (ขนมไข่นกกระทา)

Khanom khai nok kratha are crispy, chewy deep-fried sweet potato balls, traditionally served hot as a popular street snack alongside hot jasmine tea.

Man Tom Khing (มันต้มขิง)

This warm dessert, man tom khing features tender sweet potatoes simmered in a sweet, ginger-infused broth, commonly served after hot meals as a comforting palate cleanser.

Nutrition summary

That orange color means vitamin A, close to a full day's worth, with vitamin B6, manganese, and fiber too.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin and surface tissues.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

Potassium

Potassium helps with normal fluid balance and muscle function.

Manganese

Manganese helps the body use food for energy and maintain normal connective tissue.

Fiber

Fiber adds bulk to meals and can help with fullness.

Closing

Eat the tuber with a little fat, since a drizzle of oil or coconut milk helps you absorb the beta-carotene that makes the orange kinds orange. To grow more, sprout shoots from a tuber in water, snap off the rooted slips, and plant them. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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