On Wed, 6 Feb 2002, Dean Pistilli wrote:

> I had 2 questions:
> 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.

They are just a kind of sweet potato.

> 2) If polysaccharides and di's are all broken down into simple sugars
> anyway, how can it be that only starches restore glycogen levels??

Actually, some fructose is converted to glucose, but not much.
Fructose, a monosaccharide, is preferentially converted to
triglyceride.  It's not the case that only starches restore
glycogen levels, since glucose does the job, and glucose is a
monosaccharide.  Fruits are a combination of fructose, glucose,
and sucrose (which is half fructose and half glucose).

> I have to disagree here and say that from others and my own experience,
> glycogen seems to be replenished from any carb. I read of one body
> builder who was basically low cab, who only ate one high carb meal a day
> consisting of bananas,raisins etc. so restore glycogen levels.

Bananas have significant amounts of starch, and raisins have lots
of glucose and sucrose, so this would work.

> So i can't see how starches whether root vegetables or
> other(grains,potato etc.) are necessary.. ?

They're probably not necessary, but they are a good way to get
the job done for those of us who can eat them, and the root
vegetables and at least some tubers are clearly paleo.

Todd Moody
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