Sweet Potato and Cassava Can Modify Cholesterol Profile in Humans with Moderately Raised Serum Cholesterol Levels

Trinidad P Trinidad,Aida C Mallillin,Marco P De Leon,Rosario S Sagum,Theressa F Aviles,Melissa S Borlagdan

doi:10.4236/fns.2013.45062

Abstract

Sweet potato (kamote) and cassava are good sources of dietary fiber and resistant starch and are staple foods in the Philippines. The objective of the study is to determine changes in glucose and lipid profile after consumption of sweet potato and cassava in humans with moderately raised serum glucose and lipid profile. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas, Super Taiwan variety), and cassava (Manihot esculenta) were used as test foods while white bread was used as the control food. Fifty-nine apparently healthy human adults were fed with the test foods for 90 days and grouped into three: Control, Sweet potato and Cassava. After an overnight fast, 10 mL blood samples were taken from the study participants for total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, glucose and hemoglobin A1C measurements. Height/weight and percent fat mass were also determined. The groups given sweet potato and cassava significantly increased HDL-C (P 0.05). There was a significant decrease in LDL-C in the cassava group (P 0.05). The group given slice bread significantly increased serum triglycerides (P 0.05). No significant results were observed with regards to BMI, percent fat, glucose, HbA1C, and total cholesterol. In conclusion, sweet potato and cassava increased HDL-C and decreased LDL-C in humans with moderately raised serum glucose and cholesterol levels. Sustainable intake of sweet potato and cassava may be promising in the prevention for risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Highlights

The Philippines is one of the major producers of root crops in Asia along with Thailand, Indonesia, India, China and Vietnam
10 mL blood samples were taken from the study participants for total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, glucose and hemoglobin A1C measurements
No significant results were observed with regards to body mass index (BMI), percent fat, glucose, Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), and total cholesterol

Summary

Introduction

The Philippines is one of the major producers of root crops in Asia along with Thailand, Indonesia, India, China and Vietnam. Root crops such as sweet potato (kamote) and cassava are used as staples of many people in the Philippines, e.g. Batanes, Cebu, Lanao, Zamboanga and Sulu. Dietary fiber comes from the family of carbohydrates, a non-starch polysaccharide, not digested in the small intestine but may be fermented in the colon into short chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as acetate, propionate and butyrate. SCFA contributes 1.5 - 2.0 kcal/g dietary fiber [1]. The dietary fiber present in root crops is mostly galacto-mannans and other fermentable fibers [2,3,4]

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Methods

Conclusion