Sweet potato...

[Aghu]

Hi everyone,

I have recently had quite some trouble with, i believe, sweet potatoes. It’s said that a certain amount of these cause anyone d. But it’s said that this critical limit can be lower for compromised guts. Reason is the polyols.

It was in my ‘safe list’ and only thing i’ve changed in my diet was the quantity (significantly) and cooking method of sweet potatoes i eat.

I had started to cook them in the oven in thick slices instead of on the pan (fewer, thin slices until they get crisp). It’s not that i ate them undercooked but i was taken them out while there’s still some frothing liquid on them and all, nice and soft though they were.

Question is if we cook them till they get crisp and lose their moisture, might it have an impact on the amount of polyols they contain. Or were my troubles all down to the quantity i consume. Couldn’t see anything about it on the net. And, just wondering is there anyone who’s had problems with sweet potatoes?

Thank you

[Penel]

Hi Aghu

As you have guessed, it’s the quantity of sweet potato that’s the problem and not the way you cook it.

If you have a look for the low Fodmaps diet designed by the Monash University, you will see recommended amounts. About half a cup I think, (American measure) is suggested as a limit, but everyone’s tolerance is different.

[Aghu in reply to Penel]

I’ve regularly eaten sweet potato noodles (the sole ingredient is sweet p) quite abundantly. They don’t seem to cause any problem. Some polyols must be removed in the process perhaps. Thanks for the answer.

[Penel in reply to Aghu]

I’ve not come across ready made sweet potato noodles. Perhaps a large amount of noodles may not weigh very much and so not contain too much in the way of polyols?

[Aghu in reply to Penel]

A pack (how much i’ve always eaten in a course) is 100 gr (88% sweet potato starch and water). But it started to have consequences -it seems to me- when i started to have, in the same course, perhaps more than a half of sweet p roasted , that must be give or take a 250 gr or something. But because the sweet potato was in my safe list, couldn’t make much of it for quite a while. Being alert of polyols now, i realize every single item on this ‘foods high on polyols ‘ list cause me problem. Maybe only except sauerkraut, which i’ve always eaten in small quantities. It does make sense a bit now. Now, right after that though i’m struggling probably with dairy and can’t be sure of anything at the moment.

[Penel in reply to Aghu]

About 90 grams of sweet potato gives you a moderate amount of polyols, according to my book. I have found that I can only tolerate a smaller amount.