Null-
Yes I am familiar with glycemic index.
And yes that predicts PEAK glucose
and yes-higher peaks mean a higher spike of INSULIN to counteract the high peak
BUT MY POINT is Hgb 1AC is more a reflection of TOTAL GLUCOSE CONSUMED over time-
since it is more a reflection of average blood glucose
slowly leaking glucose in "ain't great" for average serum glucose
and Hgb 1AC is more or less a reflection of average blood glucose

The Glycemic index was developed in the "old days"
when people adjusted their insulin intake and carb intake
BASED on glucose in their urine
If you ate large amounts of HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX foods-you would exceed 150mg (per 100 mls) blood glucose-
and 150mg was roughly when your kidneys's capacity to re-absorb glucose was exceeded
you would "spill glucose" it would be detected in your urine-and you would adjust your insulin and diet
So HIGH PEAKs mattered because you couldn't "measure" blood glucose and certainly not "average blood glucose"

Yeah Glycemic index isn't important now that we can cheaply quickly measure blood glucose and Hgb 1AC
It is a hold over from when we used urine glucose to "follow diabetes"

Total glucose intake-exercise etc-matter much more than the type of carbohydrate
Potatoes have a "worse glycemic index than sucrose or fructose" but no one would argue that table sugar or a coke is "better food" than potatoes.

Glycemic index is from another time-when urine glucose was important

Now-a-days a gram of carb is a gram of carb-
Now in general high glycemic index carbs-pasta polished white rice and bleached "not whole grain grain"-aren't as good-health wise-as lower glycemic index foods-but that is because some inherent nutrition has been scraped away.

Potatoes-high glycemic index- ARE GOOD FOOD- very good food per dollar pre unit of nutrition -especially compared to other "starches"
potatoes provide all the essential amino acids(granted not in completely adequate ratios)
Yeah Indians and Irish got it right(except relying on one type strain of potatoes-but it worked out for me)

We will just have to disagree on this one

Just eat good food-and eat carbs-total carbs-with restraint if you have diabetic tendencies
or perhaps hammer them with some extra insulin and exercise

PS Survivalists-if they had an ounce of sense-would plan to grow potatoes-they can grow in hilly areas that aren't great for grains-marginal soil too-I would bet some strains are somewhat salt resistant-since plenty of Micks lived on salty looking coasts-
Yeah potatoes are "hated" by the Glycemic Index Police-but they are the best bang for the $$ food and easy to grow-
taste good too-even without butter cheese etc