Potato Nutrition
Although low in fat, high in fiber and full of valuable nutrients, potato rarely got the praise it deserved. But it is still the most popular and widely used vegetable in the world.
• 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 foodoverall, 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:
⁃ Energy: 87 kcal.
⁃ 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:
• Potato is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper, manganese, and dietary fiber.
• 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.
• Potato is low in fat– but preparing and serving potatoes with high fat ingredients raises the caloric value of the dish.
• Raw potato juice is regarded as an excellent food remedy forrheumatism. 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.
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References:
Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988. PMID:15220.
http://www.whfoods.com/ genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48.
Fortin, Francois, Editorial Director. The Visual Foods Encyclopedia. Macmillan, New York 1996.
http://www.best-home-remedies.com/herbal_medicine/ vegetables/ potato nutrition .htm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato.
Brody, Jane E. (1985). Jane Brody’s Good food book: living the high-carbohydrate way. ?: Norton. p. 32.
