In recent years, many people have felt that sweet potatoes seem to be getting sweeter and sweeter. After being roasted, they are so sweet that they flow like honey. So how much sugar does it have? How to eat to slow down the rate of blood sugar rise? Research data shows that currently popular sweet potato varieties contain not only about 16% starch, but also soluble sugars ranging from 6% to 10%. This includes sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc. A study has found that the sugar content in sweet potatoes increases, especially after baking. This is because during the slow heating process of baking, a portion of starch will be hydrolyzed by enzymes into maltose. This naturally leads to faster digestion and absorption of sugar. Research has also found that compared to steamed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes have more quickly digestible starch. Generally speaking, the higher the content of fast digestible starch and soluble sugars, the faster the rate of blood sugar elevation. In addition, the blood sugar response of sweet potatoes is largely related to their texture. If the texture is tight and chewy, the release of sugar will be slower; If the texture is soft and even like syrup, it will inevitably absorb sugar quickly and raise blood sugar levels quickly. So, would purple sweet potatoes be better? In terms of blood sugar elevation, the blood sugar response of purple sweet potatoes is indeed lower than that of sweet potatoes. This is largely due to the high content of anthocyanins and total polyphenols in purple sweet potatoes, which have the effect of inhibiting starch digestion and delaying blood sugar rise. (New Press) Article/Fan Zhihong (Director of the Chinese Nutrition Society and Chief Expert of Science Communication appointed by the China Association for Science and Technology)