The common potato has a terrible reputation. What was once a cheap mainstay of many nations’ diets has now been dubbed an “unhealthy” dish that should be avoided.
Eating an excessive amount of any food (such as carbohydrates) is unhealthy, but some evidence indicates an excessive amount of potato products may raise blood pressure. But often, it’s how we cook and eat potatoes—like frying them—that has a bad impact. Whereas, baking potatoes have various health benefits. It’s easy to bake and you can easily get baked potato recipe anywhere on the internet.
In actuality, potatoes are rich in vitamins and other nutritional elements that are crucial for good health. Here are six benefits of potatoes for your health.
1. Calcium
Vitamin C is frequently linked to oranges and other citrus fruits. However, potatoes were a significant source of vitamin C in the diets of the people for most of the 20th century. A tiny (150g) potato typically gives us approximately 15% of the vitamin C we need each day.
Vitamin C has a crucial part in the formation of connective tissue, which supports immune function, protects against free radical damage, and holds our teeth in place. It also supports immune function and contains antioxidants. This explains why scurvy, a vitamin C shortage, is associated with tooth loss.
2. B6 Vitamin
A vital co-factor (small molecule) in the body is vitamin B6. It supports the appropriate operation of more than 100 enzymes in the body, enabling them to break down proteins, which is essential for healthy nerve activity. The association between B6 and mental health may also be due to this.
A small potato typically contains around 25% of the daily required amount of B6 for adults.
3. Potassium
Our cells’ potassium content is crucial for controlling the electrical signaling in our muscles and nerves. Therefore, potassium imbalances can prevent our hearts from beating.
In comparison to boiled or mashed potatoes, potatoes that are roasted, baked, or fried have increased potassium content; a jacket potato has around one-third of the daily required allowance. This is because when diced potatoes are boiled, about half of the potassium can seep into the water.
People with kidney illness, who may have trouble excreting too much potassium from the body, may need to reduce their consumption of potatoes. Also, watch how much oil you use while roasting or frying potatoes.
4. Choline
A little substance called choline joins with fat to form phospholipids, which serve as the basis for cell membranes and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (which helps us contract muscles, dilate blood vessels, and slow heart rate). Potatoes have the second-highest concentrations of choline after meals heavy in protein, such as meat and soy.
Since choline is necessary for the health of the brain, nerves, and muscles, it is imperative to ingest enough of it. And minor genetic variations may explain why some of us naturally produce less choline than others. About 10% of a person’s daily choline needs are met by a jacket potato. Given that the developing infant is creating a lot of new cells and organs, choline is particularly crucial throughout pregnancy.
5. Beneficial To Our Tummies
Before consuming, potatoes should be cooked and cooled to allow resistant starch to develop. This beneficial grain functions as a prebiotic, among other ways it benefits our systems.
Cooked starches that are puffy collapse when they cool. This makes them more difficult to digest, but it also means that the bacteria in our colon ferment them, creating substances called short-chain fatty acids that resemble vinegar. These fatty acids maintain the health of our stomach by nourishing it.
Additionally, short-chain fatty acids can improve our metabolism by lowering blood fat and blood sugar levels. This makes boiled and steamed potatoes a low-calorie, nutrient-packed, and filling dish. They also have high water and low-fat content.
