SELECTING LOW GLYCEMIC POTATOES: A STEP TOWARDS MITIGATING DIABETES

Our goals for the project are to examine different cultivars (new crosses between existing plants) of potatoes and determine if they are helpful in mitigating diabetes. How these plants store their starch can be an indication of how low glycemic they are. We will examine their starch granules and also feed these potatoes to obese diabetic rats and see if there is a change in their codition. We will also measure their insulin sensitivity and how they transport glucose which is different in obese/diabetic animals as well as in humans. Finally we will also allow members of the community to taste the potatoes and even learn how to grow them themselves.