Responses of Zucker Fatty Rats to a Sweetpotato [ <italic>Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam</italic> ] Starch Syrup

Astronauts experience body mass loss while in a microgravity environment. The consumption of sweetpotatoes [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] can provide nutritional stability to astronauts. The objective of this study was to incorporate sweetpotato starch syrup into rats' diets and measure metabolic responses over a five week period. Twenty-four zucker fatty rats were given four treatments (glucose, corn, maple, and sweetpotato syrup) to determine glycemic index values and then randomly assigned into three groups: standard diet; sweetpotato diet; corn syrup diet. Rats assigned the sweetpotato diet exhibited significantly (P<0.05) lower postprandial glucose peaks and triglyceride levels as compared to the standard.