On Wed, 6 Feb 2002 15:36:06 +1100, Dean Pistilli
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>1) when you (and others) refer to yams, what exactly do you mean?? I
>can't seem to find a definite vegetable called a 'yam' other than forms
>of sweet potato which you say are different.

yams isn't a precise name.
There are the dioscorea species a group of related plants,
which should share some similarity.

Thank you Erik for the link - I had it once, but couldn't find it again.
There are very different species of "yams to".
Tamus communis mentioned by
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/Food/RelatedPlantList.html

For Australia the yams daisy is added (microgeris scapigeris).
Alongside a couple of other roots and bulbs.
Some, "like a potatoe with 15-20% of carbohydrate, others more like a carrot
with much less carbohydrate , but more fiber".

There's a "wild potatoe" too ipomoea costata.
Sounds not related to the solanacea potatoe.

"Starch" is medium chan length polymerized sugars and is digested easily,
even by enzymes in the salvia. So, where is the problem?

>.. as many are aware, eating them
>with any other foods especially high protein/fat will do nothing for you
>except produce the effect of feeling like a basketball for a few hours.

Sounds like the problem comes from gut bacteria.
May not be an ideal mix, high protein and starches.
Mix with fat I don't see a problem.
Why mix anyway?
The lesser mixing the better.  (sorry, that sentence sounds not be very
english).

The USDA database has started to differentiate carbohydrate by adding
sugars. For some food items now I can make a starch to sugars comparison
list. If my notebook comes back from repair.
Richard Archers nice online USDA interface you can look at single items
( http://www.juggernaut.com.au/food/?f=carrot&n=11125 )
Unfortunately mostly in USDA there's no sugar data available.

Amadeus