Top 15 Health Benefits of the Potato
Potatoes are one of the most common staple food in Europe, it is widely recognized and eaten because of its diversity, good taste and nutritional benefits, potatoes can be eaten in different forms, it could be boiled, fried, baked, mashed, or added as a recipe of the main dish.
Every part of a potato are nutritionally dense and loaded with a lot of health benefits, including the skin of the potato. It has been discovered through research that pediatrics loves potatoes. This staple food is very important, especially for people with poor food choices, and individuals that eat the low quantity of fruits and vegetables.
Potatoes are very healthy staple foods and could be included in any type of diet, without sacrificing your nutritional benefits and fitness goals.
Nutritional Facts About Potatoes
Potatoes are nutritionally dense foods, they serve as a reliable source of glucose, vitamins, and minerals. They contain the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for essential body growth and functions/ it helps to power our body through a hectic day and rigorous exercise or training routine/ it is one of the best foods to start your day, The fast source of glucose that potato provides, makes ci a good choice of option, when deciding your breakfast options.
Potato skin is very rich in fluids and minerals such as potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. The concentration of the potassium is at its peak under the sk9n of the potato. Eating the potato together with its skin could solve various medical conditions such as hypokalemia, potato skin can also be used for treating nutritional deficiencies disorder such as muscle cramps.
Potato water can be used as a quick source of nutrients, during fasting or prolonged starvation. Potatoes are also rich in vitamin c, which can use to treat various medical conditions such as scurvy. It is advisable to eat a lot of potatoes, due to its high vitamin c content. 17mg of vitamin c can be found in each 100gm of potatoes. Potatoes are also rich in vitamin A. vitamin B and Vitamin P.
Can Potato Make me Overweight or Fat?
70- 80 percent of potato consists of water, which makes it a healthy option for any diet regimen, Potato, itself cannot make you add excessive weight or calories, it is a nutritionally dense food, that contains a lot of water, The only way you get excess calories from your potato is through the eyes dressing. The types and fat content of your butter, oil, and toppings served with your potato, determines the overall calories content, not just the potato itself.
The misconception of adding weight due to overindulgence in potato eating is wrong, eating potato doesn’t make you fat, the quality and types of toppings and servings are responsible for the overall calorie content of your food. If you have an unhealthy diet habit, or cant avoids junks or fast foods, especially fried products, you are prone to eating excess calories and adding excess weight. Potatoes are safe for your diet and have low-calorie content when compared to other conventional foods.
Potatoes are one of the best sources of natural starch, it saves us from the stress of trying to take a various starch supplement to complement our diets. However, sprouted potatoes are low in starch, because the majority of its starch contents are already converted into sugar. Most of the nutrients derived from potatoes, can be found on its skin, eating potatoes together with its skin, is one of the best ways to benefits from this nutrient dense food
Top 15 Health Benefits of Eating Potato
There are a lot of benefits, that comes with eating potato, especially when the potato is eaten together with its skin, some of the most common benefits include:
- Healthy weight gain: potatoes can replace your weight gaining supplements, because of its richness in carbohydrates and vitamins. The carbohydrates serve as an energy reserve and help in healthy weight gain. The vitamins(B,C,and P),aids in digestion. This healthy attribute is the reason why potatoes are the most common foods eaten by sump wrestlers, or ectomorphs trying to gain weight.
- Easy digestion: The vitamins in potatoes make it easy to digest, especially for babies that cant eat solid food yet, this is one of the healthiest food for your baby. It contains a lot of fibers, which helps in treating various gastrointestinal conditions such as constipation and
- Dermatological benefits: The vitamin C found in potatoes can be used in the treatment of skin disorders, such as cracked lips, pimples, burns and mouth ulcers, especially when mashed with honey
- Scurvy treatment: Scurvy is caused by deficiency of vitamin c which is abundant in potatoes
- Rheumatism: The water from boiled potatoes can help in easing the pain and muscle stiffness caused by rheumatism
- Anti-inflammatory: Potatoes has a lot of anti-inflammatory benefits due to its high vitamin contents
- Anti-carcinogenic: the high contents of flavonoids, carotenes, and zeaxanthin found in potatoes makes it anti-carcinogenic.
- Treat hypertension: Potatoes can reduce tension- related hypertension
- Increased brain function: potatoes are very rich in calcium and omega fatty acids, which increases brain function.
- Cardiological benefits: potatoes are very rich in carotenoids which are essential nutrients in keeping the heart healthy and efficient.
- Treatment of renal stones: The magnesium components of potatoes helps in the reduction of kidney stones, which is the leading cause of kidney stones.
- Eliminate diarrhea: Potatoes contains a lot of fibers and roughages that aids digestion and help in the treatment of various gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea.
- Boosts immunity: Potatoes are very rich in vitamins and minerals, this boosts our immune system and helps in fighting
- Weight loss: potato can be a good food for weight loss, especially Irish potatoes.This type of potatoes increases the basal metabolism of the body and helps in losing weight.
- Enhance athletic performance: Irish potatoes are rich in electrolytes and help in maintaining electrolyte imbalance. It helps in replacing electrolytes lost during sweating.
Potatoes are one of the best and easily accessible foods, due to its high nutritive value and beneficial effects, add this marvelous food to your diet to enjoy its benefit. If you notice any unusual reaction, contact your doctor.
References
Anon, (2017). [online] Available at: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-potato. [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
Healthline. (2017). Potatoes 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects. [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/potatoes [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
krismariani, f. (2017). 16 Health Benefits of Eating Irish Potatoes and How to Cook It – Dr. Heben. [online] Dr. Heben. Available at: https://drhealthbenefits.com/food-bevarages/vegetables/health-benefits-of-eating-irish-potatoes [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
Lifehack. (2017). 10 Health Benefits of Potatoes. [online] Available at: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-health-benefits-potatoes-you-didn’t-know-about.html [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
Super), 7. (2017). 7 Health Benefits of Baked Potatoes (No.3 Super) – Dr. Heben. [online] Dr. Heben. Available at: https://drhealthbenefits.com/food-bevarages/vegetables/health-benefits-of-baked-potatoes [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
