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The Spanish knew about the health benefits of potatoes for centuries. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizzaro landed in Seville in 1534 and unloaded the first sack of potatoes from Peru. Because they were easy to grow, potatoes soon spread throughout the old continent. The truth is, however, that potatoes were not well received. In Spain, they were scornfully referred to as “edible rocks.” The French rejected them under the false assumption that they carried the plague.
The Germans only used them to feed livestock, and the English rebuked them because they were not mentioned in the Bible. A couple hundred years would pass before the humble potato proved its ability to satisfy people’s hunger. The potato’s value as food became known in the years leading to the French Revolution. The French pharmacist Antoine-Auguste Parmentier was its principal promoter in Europe.
In 1785, four years before the great revolution, he gave a bouquet of potato flowers to France’s King Louis XIV, telling him, “Your Highness, this is the flower of a plant that can solve the dietary problems of the French people. From now on, famine is impossible.” The potato did not arrive in time to relieve the masses’ hunger, and because of that hunger, among other causes, the French Revolution exploded.
From then on, the potato has had a place on the European table and, by extension, has spread to all the earth’s inhabitants. With more than 1300 varieties, the potato is the most cultivated vegetable in the world today (approximately 270 million metric tons per year). In Germany, for example, each inhabitant eats an average of seventy kilos (about 150 pounds) of this tuber a year. Humble, scorned, and cheap, but always delicious and healthful, potatoes are essential to the dietary needs of today’s world.
Potato Nutritional Facts
The Agricultural Research division of the Department of Agriculture of the United States declares that a diet based on whole milk and potatoes provides all the nutrients needed to maintain the human body. The potato is complete as a food that offers high-quality carbohydrates and proteins. It is only deficient in the following nutrients: fats, provitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, and vitamin B12. Everything else is well represented:
CARBOHYDRATE – Potatoes contain 16.4 grams/100 grams (16.4 percent), most (approximately sixteen grams) of which is starch. The rest (0.4 grams) is glucose, fructose, and saccharose. The starch in potatoes digests quickly and does not produce flatulence. Digestive enzymes (primarily amylase from the pancreas) transform it into glucose in the small intestine. Glucose passes to the blood and provides energy to the cells. It must be remembered that the digestion of starch begins in the mouth with the enzyme ptyalin. Proper chewing ensures food is digested and assimilated into the small intestine.
PROTEINS – Potatoes are a reliable source of protein, although their level may seem modest from a strictly quantitative standpoint (2.07 percent). The proteins in potatoes have the following characteristics:
- They are of high biological value, providing all the amino acids the body needs in an adequate proportion to foster growth. The proof is that potatoes are used satisfactorily in the recovery of malnourished children because of their ease of digestion and the high quality of their proteins, remarkably like the casein in milk.
- Potato proteins are rich in lysine, an amino acid deficient in grains. Therefore, potatoes are appropriately combined with grains (corn) due to protein supplementation between plant-based foods to provide abundant proteins of high biological quality.
- Although the quantity of proteins in potatoes is low compared to their total weight (2.07 percent), they represent 10.3 percent of total calories, which is almost ideal. Nutritionists universally recognize that proteins should not represent more than 15 percent of the calories in the diet. The proportion of proteins in potatoes (10.3 percent) is much more balanced than that of meat, for example, at 25 percent of total calories.
VITAMINS—Potatoes are a reliable source of vitamin C, although some of this vitamin is lost during the cooking process. The least vitamin C is lost when potatoes are steamed and the most when fried. Potatoes contain virtually no provitamin A or vitamin E. On the other hand, they are rich in B-complex vitamins, particularly B1 and B6.
MINERALS—Potatoes are noted for their rich potassium and low sodium content, making them very appropriate for those suffering from high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. They are poor in calcium but quite rich in iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and other trace elements.
VEGETABLE FIBER – Potatoes contain about 1.6 percent soluble fiber. Two medium-sized potatoes (9,300 grams) have almost one-fifth of the daily fiber needed. Potatoes are a nutritious and quite balanced food in terms of their nutrients. When one wishes to create an almost complete meal, they may be mixed with cows or soy milk. A little vegetable oil may be added to compensate for the lack of fat. Vegetables rich in provitamin A, such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots, combine well with potatoes.
Health Benefits of Potatoes
This tuber is an excellent food for various disorders and diseases. Among these are:
STOMACH CONDITIONS – It has been said that the health benefits of potatoes are the stomach’s best friend because of the sense of well-being that you feel after consuming them. This favorable effect is thanks to at least three reasons:
- Antacid effect – Potatoes are an alkaline food that neutralizes extra acid. This alkalizing action is generated locally in the stomach, blood, and urine.
- Physical consistency – The potato’s soft texture reduces the need for digestive effort in the stomach and provides relative rest.
- Content of sedating substances – Various investigations carried out in the Hoffmann-La Roche laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, and at Gottingen University in Germany have discovered that potatoes comprise modest amounts of several benzodiazepines, sedative elements commonly used in pharmaceuticals. One of the materials found in potatoes is diazepam, the same practical component used in the recognized medication Valium. These natural sedatives may also act locally in the stomach, relaxing this organ.
These reasons make potatoes exceptionally prepared as puree, particularly beneficial in gastric hyperacidity, gastritis, stomach ulcer, gastric ptosis (stomach prolapse), gastric neurosis (nervous stomach), and any case of digestion problems or general stomach conditions. Of course, one must be cautious not to negate the healing effects of potatoes by improperly preparing them (fried with excess oil or condiments) or accompanying them with foods with adverse effects on the stomach (fried foods, meats, etc.).
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE—Because potatoes are low in fats and sodium, they are ideal in cases of arteriosclerosis, heart failure, angina or heart attack, and high blood pressure. The health benefits of potatoes are also rich in potassium (543 mg/100 grams), which reduces blood pressure.
KIDNEY DISEASE—These organs eliminate toxic waste acids from metabolism through urine. A protein-rich diet dramatically increases the production of metabolic acids, which results in decalcification (loss of calcium through the urine), uric arthritis (gout), and a propensity to suffer from degenerative diseases. The health benefits of potatoes alkalize the blood and urine, aiding the elimination of toxic acids.
In this manner, they relieve the kidneys’ work and purify the blood. A diet rich in potatoes, or the so-called “potato diet,” is beneficial in metabolic acidosis, excess uric acid, uric arthritis, and kidney stones. Because of their abundant potassium and low sodium levels, potatoes help relieve edema (excess fluid retention in the tissues) produced by heart or kidney failure.
DIABETES – The health benefits of potatoes include complex carbohydrates (starch) that slowly transform into glucose during the three or four hours of digestion in the intestine. Thus, they do not cause abrupt changes in blood glucose levels (as with simple carbohydrates or sugars) and are well tolerated by people with diabetes.
However, it must be said that according to certain studies, potatoes are not as well taken as beans, which are a better source of carbohydrates for people with diabetes. The Danderyd Hospital in Sweden showed that lunches based on fried potatoes were not detrimental to diabetic children, although boiled potatoes are better.
OBESITY – Potatoes alone do not cause obesity. Quite the contrary, they help combat it for at least two reasons:
- They produce a sense of satiety that reduces the desire to keep eating. For example, 350 grams (two medium potatoes) contain the same calories as a small hamburger (about 270 kcal) but are much more filling.
- The health benefits of potatoes include abundant B-group vitamins that help metabolize carbohydrates and minerals that prevent fluid retention in the tissues, contributing to obesity.
Of course, this refers to boiled or baked potatoes, not those cooked with fatty foods or fried potatoes. Fried potatoes are incredibly high in calories (up to seven times more than raw potatoes) and promote obesity because of their amount of oil and salt. Again, one must remember that it is not the potatoes themselves but that which accompanies them that is fattening.
MALNUTRITION—A potato-based diet may satisfactorily nourish children since this tuber provides up to eighty percent of the child’s protein needs. This confirms the high quality of the potato’s proteins. The health benefits of potatoes are an appropriate food in cases of child and adult malnutrition.
Potato Scientific Facts
- Scientific name – Solanum tuberosum L.
- Other names – White potato and Irish potato.
- French – Pomme de terre.
- Spanish – Patata, papa, criadilla de tierra.
- German – Kartoffel.
- Description—Tuber of the potato plant, an herbaceous plant belonging to the botanical family Solanaceae. These tubers are not roots but an underground thickening of the stalks. The weight and size of potatoes may vary from a few grams to more than a kilo.
- Environment – Potatoes originate in the Andes regions of Peru and Bolivia. Today, they are cultivated in temperate and cold areas around the world. The primary producing countries are Russia, Poland, the United States, and Germany.
How to Use and Prepare Potatoes
- STEAMED—This is the ideal preparation method because it preserves nutrients the most. If the vegetables have not been organically grown, they should be peeled.
- BOILED – alone or with other vegetables.
- BAKED – accompanied by onions or peppers.
- FRIED – This is the least suitable method of preparation.
- RAW JUICE – This is used as an antacid.
Loss of Nutrients When Cooked
Raw potatoes can be used therapeutically only occasionally. Animal experiments and later confirmation with humans show that the starch of the raw potato is not digested. Raw potatoes also contain protease inhibitors, toxic substances blocking the action of the enzymes that digest proteins in the intestine.
Cooking potatoes in water reduces their vitamin C and mineral salts by 25 percent. Unfortunately, this loss is more significant when the potatoes have been peeled since the peel provides insulation, keeping certain nutrients from dissolving into the water. Notwithstanding, peeling potatoes is recommended due to contamination.
Baked or steamed potatoes retain most of their nutrients. However, one must remember that the longer potatoes are cooked, the greater the loss of vitamin C.
Raw Potato Juice
Dr. Schneider recommends a popular German remedy: raw potato juice. Because it is rich in alkaline substances, a few Spoonfuls before a meal are sufficient to relieve an acidic stomach. Of course, the potatoes must be peeled before extracting the juice.
The Family Solanaceae and Solanine
Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and tobacco belong to the botanical family Solanaceae. The sweet potato, however, belongs to another family: Convolvulaceae. All members of the Solanaceae family contain the alkaloid solanine in certain parts of their plants. In potatoes, it is present primarily in the fruit and leaves.
The tubers (the edible portion of the potato plant) contain only tiny amounts of solanine when green or around their eyes. Solanine’s toxicity is low. Its ingestion provokes mild symptoms such as a tingling sensation in the mouth, stomach distress, and headache. Solanine disappears completely when the potatoes are cooked.
Potato Skins: Rich in Vitamins but also Toxins
Indeed, a sizable portion of the potato’s vitamins and mineral salts are concentrated just below the skin. However, unless they are guaranteed to have been organically grown, they should be peeled for the following reasons:
- Commercially grown potatoes are usually fumigated to keep them from sprouting.
- The peel contains a significant amount of cadmium, a toxic metal like lead that contaminates the air and soil, particularly close to industrial areas.
Potatoes should be peeled before cooking since any toxic substances present in the skin can contaminate them during cooking. Avoid contaminants using organically grown potatoes if one wants to enjoy a delicious baked potato with the peel intact.
Fried Potatoes
When potatoes are fried, they lose water through evaporation and gain oil. Fifteen to twenty percent of their weight is fat. Fried potatoes contain 500 to 600 kcal/100 grams (raw potatoes contain only 79 kcal/100 grams). They also tend to have too much salt. All of this makes them entirely unsuitable from a dietary standpoint.
To reduce the fat in fried potatoes, they can be sautéed in a bit of oil and then finished in the oven. The best oil for frying potatoes is olive oil, the most resistant to elevated temperatures. Still, care must be exercised not to overheat them. In other words, they must not smoke. Fried potatoes are tasty but not healthy.
Potatoes alone are a balanced and complete food. Adding whole milk is enough if one wishes for almost complete food. The milk supplies the fat, vitamin A, and calcium the potatoes lack. It is also possible to achieve a similar result by adding vegetable oil to potatoes to compensate for the lack of fat and a green vegetable such as spinach that is rich in provitamin A and calcium. The green leafy vegetable may be substituted by broccoli or cabbage (rich in calcium) and carrots (rich in provitamin A).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there specific varieties of potatoes that offer superior health benefits compared to others?
Yes, the health benefits of potatoes can vary slightly depending on the variety. For instance, purple potatoes contain more antioxidants like anthocyanins, which are known for their potential anti-inflammatory effects. Red potatoes also have antioxidants and are lower on the glycemic index (GI) than russet potatoes, making them a potentially better choice for blood sugar management.
How can the health benefits of potatoes be maximized through cooking methods?
The way you cook potatoes can significantly impact their nutritional value. Baking or boiling with the skin retains the most nutrients, including fiber and potassium. Avoid deep-frying, as it adds unhealthy fats and calories, diminishing the overall health benefits of potatoes.
Beyond vitamins and minerals, what other notable nutrients contribute to the health benefits of potatoes?
Potatoes are surprisingly good sources of antioxidants like vitamin C, flavonoids, and carotenoids. These compounds may aid in the protection of cells from damage and contribute to disease prevention. Additionally, potatoes contain resistant starch, a fiber that acts as a prebiotic, promoting gut health.
Can consuming potatoes regularly improve heart health?
Some research suggests that the potassium content in potatoes may help lower blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. However, more studies are needed to establish a direct link between the health benefits of potatoes and heart health. It’s crucial to note that cooking methods matter, as fried potatoes can negate potential heart-healthy benefits.
Are there any concerns about potatoes’ glycemic index (GI), especially for individuals with diabetes?
Yes, specific varieties of potatoes have a high GI, which can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. However, the GI can be lowered by cooling cooked potatoes before eating or choosing lower GI varieties like red potatoes. If you have diabetes, you must talk to a healthcare professional for personalized advice.
Considering their carbohydrate content, Can potatoes be included in a weight-loss diet?
Surprisingly, yes! Despite being a carbohydrate source, potatoes can be part of a weight loss regimen due to their high fiber and water content, promoting satiety and reducing overall calorie intake. Opting for boiled or baked potatoes and controlling portion sizes is critical to reaping the health benefits of potatoes while managing weight.
Are there any potential adverse health effects associated with excessive potato consumption?
While the health benefits of potatoes are numerous, excessive consumption of fried or processed potato products can contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of chronic diseases. Additionally, some individuals may experience digestive discomfort due to the starch content. Moderation and choosing healthier preparation methods are essential.
Can potatoes play a role in cancer prevention?
Some studies suggest that certain compounds found in potatoes, particularly colored varieties like purple potatoes, may have anticancer properties. However, more research is needed to determine the extent of potatoes’ potential cancer-preventive health benefits.
Are there any specific recommendations for pregnant women regarding the health benefits of potatoes?
Potatoes are a good source of folate, a B vitamin crucial for fetal development during pregnancy. However, cooking them thoroughly is essential to eliminate any risk of foodborne illness. Consult your doctor or a licensed dietitian for personalized nutritional advice during pregnancy.
Can potatoes be a superfood due to their numerous health benefits?
While potatoes offer many nutrients and potential health benefits, “superfood” is not a scientific classification. Instead, focus on incorporating potatoes into a balanced diet and other fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to optimize your overall health and well-being.
DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is presented solely for educational and informational objectives. Do not rely on the information provided as a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical expert. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any preexisting medical concerns, talk to your doctor before using any herbal or natural medicines.
REFERENCES
- George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. “Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power.” George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power. Trans. Annette Melgosa. Vol. 2. Chai Wan: Editorial Safeliz, 2005. 201, 202, 203, 204, 205. Print.
- Journal of Food Science and Technology: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4524505/
- Nutrients: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2204
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