GUELPH — Some people may think research is conducted in a vacuum, by scientists with no real connection to the outside world. But that’s not true.
Take Stephanie Bach for example. She’s working in the University of Guelph’s Department of Plant Agriculture, trying to develop low-starch potatoes for the 2.7 million Canadians suffering from diabetes.
Canadians such as her father and grandparents are among those with the disease who face little choice in dietary decisions, which is why this study hits so close to home for Bach.
“Being diabetic was a big dietary change for my dad,” says Bach. “We want to help ease that transition for anyone, in any way we can.”
Working with Prof. Al Sullivan, Bach is part of a research team field testing new varieties that are healthier for diabetics, or anyone concerned about their blood sugar levels. To do this, they’re tailoring the potato’s starch and fibre profiles to develop varieties with a lower glycemic index than those currently on the market.
By eating such foods, diabetics don’t have to rely on insulin as a levelling tool, the pancreas doesn’t have to work as hard during insulin surges and people feel more satisfied and “full.”
The reasoning is that high glycemic index foods are quick to break down their starch stores into glucose, causing a surge in blood glucose levels. Comparatively, low glycemic index foods, such as the potatoes eyed by Bach, release glucose into the body at a steadier rate, allowing energy to be used up as needed.
In their field work, Bach and her team established 14 test sites throughout Manitoba, New Brunswick and Ontario where their goal was to breed these new varieties for yield. They saw widely successful results in identifying several different high fibre, slow-starch release potato varieties that yield well.
Once Bach and her team have determined the best low GI potato varieties, they’ll grow them with the marketplace in mind. Variety registration and release in Canada can take as long as about four years and between proving consistency within varieties and developing a marketing plan, the researchers are in the midst of starting to tackle the lengthy process.
Then they plan to look into how these healthier potatoes can be used as tablestock varieties, and possibly for chipping and frying so that the general public will be able to enjoy healthier potato products.
“I think about how tough it would be to have diabetes and to not be able to eat things such as potatoes anymore,” says Bach. “I really like potatoes. That’s why these varieties are so important to us and why we’re working so hard to create a healthy alternative.”
Collaborators include food science professor Rickey Yada, Department of Animal and Poultry Science’s professor Ming Fan, University of Toronto’s nutritional sciences professor Thomas Wolever and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s research scientist Dr. Benoit Bizimungu.
This research is funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program.
This article was written by a participant in the Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge (SPARK) program at the University of Guelph.