Top 5 Health Benefits Of Potatoes
- Nutritional value for money
Potatoes offer a more favourable nutrient-to-price ratio than many other vegetables, and are an important staple across the world. In the diet they make a useful contribution towards our vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, folate and fibre intake. Given a growing global population, potatoes are a good choice because they provide food quickly on less land.
Potatoes are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals.
One medium baked potato (6.1 ounces or 173 grams), including the skin, provides (2):
Calories: 161
Fat: 0.2 grams
Protein: 4.3 grams
Carbs: 36.6 grams
Fiber: 3.8 grams
Vitamin C: 28% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 27% of the RDI
Potassium: 26% of the RDI
Manganese: 19% of the RDI
Magnesium: 12% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 12% of the RDI
Niacin: 12% of the RDI
Folate: 12% of the RDI
- Low in Fat
Many people including health professionals take a negative view of potatoes, but it’s worth remembering that when boiled or baked, potatoes are virtually fat-free. Tubers are rich in starch, but contribute fewer calories than the equivalent portion of pasta or rice. What’s more, unlike pasta and rice, they contribute useful micronutrients, such as vitamin C, folate and potassium.
Potatoes are low in protein, but the protein they do contribute is of excellent biological value – this means it provides a good spread of the amino acids needed for health.
- Supports Gut Health
As well as being a good source of fibre, some of the starch in potatoes is particularly beneficial for our gut microbes. This is because it is ‘resistant starch’, meaning it’s resistant to our digestion but can be broken down by our gut bacteria, providing them with the fuel they need to function and thrive.
When we cook and cool potatoes, the starch granules lock together, making them more resistant to digestion. Studies suggest that when we include foods rich in resistant starch, we experience a host of health benefits, including more efficient digestion, less risk of some chronic diseases and a reduced risk of colon cancer.
- May Support Blood Sugar Management
Being rich in resistant starch, potatoes may benefit blood sugar control and help manage appetite. Animal studies have linked resistant starch from potatoes with better insulin sensitivity, lower fat accumulation and less weight gain. A study looking at the effects of 30 grams of resistant starch each day over a four week period showed this appears to be replicated in healthy humans. It’s worth remembering that you can increase the resistant starch content of potatoes by boiling, cooling and storing them in the fridge before eating.
Potatoes are also a useful source of a type of fibre called pectin, which helps slow stomach emptying, keeps you fuller for longer and helps lower the blood sugar effects of a meal.
- Source Of Protective Antioxidants
Potatoes are a useful source of plant compounds that have a protective antioxidant effect. The flesh of the potato is a source of carotenoids including lutein and zeaxanthin, which are beneficial for the eye. Potatoes are also a source of polyphenols, including chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids, the predominant of which are catechin and epicatechin.