Health Benefits Of Potatoes
Baked or cooked, potatoes would help maintain a healthy gut. Discover more of its benefits in this article.
Potatoes are the fourth largest food crop after rice, wheat and corn that are part of the world cuisine. This being the case, it is a staple food used in many dishes. In this article we explain a few benefits of potatoes that you may not know about.
They would help you lose weight
Are you trying to lose weight? According to data from the Spanish Nutrition Foundation, potatoes contain carbohydrates and complex nutrients that would provide a feeling of satiety. This means that, instead of being harmful, a properly cooked small potato provides about 26 calories.
You should consider that this food has a high glycemic index, so it is advisable to combine it with other foods. Beyond this, it would be advisable to include potatoes in your diet, always combined with vegetables and in a moderate way, to take advantage of the feeling of satiety they provide.
They could help relieve stress
Potatoes are rich in vitamin B6, a substance necessary for cell renewal. According to some studies, this vitamin would help to have a healthy nervous system and a balanced mood. Just 100 g of baked potatoes contain 21 percent of the daily value for the vitamin.
Possible help against inflammation
If you suffer from chronic internal or external inflammation, it is believed that you could eat potatoes since they are soft and easy to digest when baked. Thus, you would avoid increasing the irritation of the digestive system.
They would improve brain functions
Among the benefits of potatoes are that they are rich in copper and iron, two minerals that some research suggests would boost brain activity. However, the data is not conclusive.
In addition, they are rich in manganese, potassium and vitamin B6 and C, nutrients known to promote brain functions. Similarly, nerve centers would respond positively to the fatty acids and amino acids found in potatoes, as a 2015 study points out.
Possibility of relieving kidney stones
Uric acid levels in the blood are the main contributor to kidney stones. Natural medicine holds that those who suffer from this disease may find benefits from ingesting the potato peel.
The potato peel is supposed to have potassium, starch, phosphorus, calcium, iron, alkaline, sulfur, copper, as well as vitamin C. Together they make up a set of nutrients that would help prevent kidney stones, helping to dissolve the stones in the kidney. It is worth noting that this belief has no scientific basis.
More benefits of potatoes: they would keep your gut healthy
The potato is a food rich in fiber. Just one baked potato provides nearly 12 percent of the recommended daily amount of fiber. These levels are similar to those of whole grains, pasta, and cereals.
Ideally, eat them baked or cooked. As mentioned, it would also be advisable to eat its skin. Avoid as much as possible to consume potatoes or French fries cooked in oil, since the fat in which they are cooked, clogs the arteries and leaves them full of unhealthy calories.
As you can see, the benefits of potatoes are several. Although not all have a scientific basis, we cannot deny that including potatoes in the usual diet, in a moderate way, can be healthy. So enjoy it!
