Potato Nutrition

• In scientific terms, potato is called Solanum tuberosum.

• It is a native of South America, where it has been cultivated from ancient times. It originated in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia.

• It was introduced to Europe in the later-half of the 16th century and for about 100 years, it was looked upon as a poisonous food.

• In the US, potato products are the second most consumed food overall, trailing only dairy products.

• It is a versatile, carbohydrate-rich food highly popular worldwide and prepared and served in a variety of ways.

• Potatoes are environmentally friendly. They’re cheap and ridiculously easy to grow, and don’t require massive amounts of fertilizer and chemical additives to thrive.

Potato Nutrition Values- per 100g:

⁃ Water: 77g.

⁃ Fat: 0.1 g.

⁃ Protein: 2 g.

⁃ Carbohydrate: 20 g.

⁃ Iron: 0.3 mg.

⁃ Calcium: 5 mg.

⁃ Potassium: 380 mg.

⁃ Phosphorus: 44 mg.

⁃ Niacin: 1.5 mg.

⁃ Thiamin: 0.1 mg.

⁃ Vitamin C: 13 mg.

Potato Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits:

• Freshly harvested, it contains about 80 percent water and 20 percent dry matter. About 60 to 80 percent of the dry matter is starch.

• Potato skin contains fibre and flavonoids and other nutrients, so keeping them on if you boil or mash potatoes will give extra nutrition.

• Potato is the most efficient food for energy production. The energy produced through potato gets stored as glycogen in muscle and liver; it functions as a readily available energy during prolonged, strenuous exercise.

• The potato glycemic index value varies depending on the type, preparation methods and where it is grown. GI may be medium to low when potatoes are eaten cooled, rather than hot, and when boiled and consumed whole, rather than mashed.

• The juice of raw potatoes has proved valuable in clearing skin blemishes. This cleansing results from high content of potassium, sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine in the potato.

• Potatoes help to improve resistance to heart attack and stroke. The potassium content, available in potatoes, helps in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body cells.

• Raw potato juice is regarded as an excellent food remedy for rheumatism. One or two teaspoonful of the juice pressed out of mashed raw potato should be taken before meals. This will help eliminate an acid condition and relieve rheumatism.

• Potatoes are very rich in Vitamin B6, a substance needed for cellular renewal, a healthy nervous system and a balanced mood. Just  100g of baked potato contains 21 per cent of the daily value of the vitamin.

• They might help prevent cancer in glands and organs with epithelial tissue because of their high Vitamin A content.

• A few servings of potatoes may help lower blood pressure due to kukoamine molecules.

• They are also beneficial in hemorrhoid due to their high fiber content.

• Surprisingly rich in immune-boosting Vitamin C, a medium potato (150g) with the skin provides 27mg, almost half of the recommended daily intake.

*Here I'd like to tell you about a healthy diet program that uses a lot of the lower GI foods: Isabel de los Rios' 'The Diet Solution Program'.

The Diet Solution Program favours a long term health orientated approach to fat loss, but not offering anyone a quick fix to their weight troubles. It has loads of valuable data and research to support its approach. I personally investigated the program thoroughly and my mum has been using it for a while now. I have to say she got some great results.

The nutrition plan is one of the healthiest we have seen, a strong core focus on vegetables, fruits, vitamin dense foods, lean proteins, select dairy produce and a clear approach to not expecting one diet to work for all body types. So give it a try and let me know how you’re doing.*

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