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Diabetic US Open winner Alexander Zverev has credited sweet potatoes for maintaining optimal blood sugar while playing tennis.
The professional athlete has 26 career titles and an Olympic gold medal and is ranked number two in the Men’s Tennis ATP Rankings. This year, Zverev won both the US Open and the French Open.
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In a post on social media by the Alexander Zverev Foundation, which the tennis player founded to support children with diabetes, Zverev explained how he manages his blood sugar while playing professionally.
“For sport, and especially for a professional match, you really need to know your body as well as possible,” Zverev said. “You need to know which foods work best for you. For me, there are certain foods where I know my blood sugar stays stable. That’s what I try to eat before a match, so I can stay as stable as possible throughout.”
When asked if he has an example, Zverev said, “Sweet potatoes. Probably the best food in the world for diabetics, in my opinion.”
Sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates, which can elevate your blood sugar. However, serving sweet potatoes with a healthy plant-based fat can reduce the likelihood of a spike in blood sugar. Leaving the skins on, which are rich in fiber, can also reduce their impact, as can boiling them instead of baking or frying. Studies have shown that eating sweet potatoes may support better glycemic control.
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What makes sweet potatoes so good for you?
Sweet potatoes are extremely nutritious. They are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, copper, B6, and manganese. As reported by Healthline, sweet potatoes have anti-cancer properties and may promote immune function.
Okinawa, Japan, has one of the largest populations of people over 100 years old in the world, and complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes make up around 85 percent of the region’s macronutrient consumption. A 2023 study published in Nutrients found that following a traditional Okinawa diet for 12 weeks resulted in gut health improvements as well as reduced blood sugar, insulin, and cholesterol levels.
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