Let’s just skip the drama and call it what it is – we love to dichotomize vegetables, fruits, and meals as bad and good. Oats are good. Burger, bad. Lettuce, is good. Sweets, bad.
Though bad and good foods tend to keep changing, potatoes have been labeled as the bad boy since the big Atkins craze.
Due to their poor reputation, you may wish to say goodbye to potatoes. However, guess what? According to specialists, they can be eaten in an acceptable quantity without leading to increase in weight.
Since the beginning of time, potatoes have received a negative reputation for being unhealthy and inducing weight gain.
But are they truly the perpetrators? Continue reading to discover!
The potato is not the cause of your increased weight. Therefore, quit playing the blame game and ensure that your diet is balanced.
Everything About Potatoes
According to dietitians, there is no single element that may assist a person gain or lose weight.
Regarding potatoes, the manner in which they are consumed makes all the difference.
If you eat it once a day in the form of a vegetable, it is acceptable. However, if you start consuming potatoes in the form of loaded fries or any other processed/junk food and then claim that the potato fries made you fat, then you are horribly wrong.
Yes, potatoes contain carbohydrates and have a high glycemic index, but everything may be included in a diet if consumed in moderation.
Here are some health advantages of potatoes that you should be aware of:
To begin with, potatoes are rich in fiber, which can help you feel full for longer, and they are also known to promote digestive health.
- This popular vegetable has a high potassium and magnesium content, which helps to decrease blood pressure. When the body does not receive enough potassium, it retains sodium, which is believed to increase blood pressure.
- Potatoes are rich in antioxidants, which means they can protect free radicals from damaging cells and causing disease. Leave the peel on potatoes to maximize their nutritional value.
- Potatoes include a type of fiber known as “resistant starch” that provides the benefits of both soluble and insoluble fiber, hence aiding in the improvement of digestive health.
You could also try a different potato kind. Guess which one?
We are talking about sweet potatoes! They contain little calories and are rich in dietary fiber and water.
Since fiber requires time to be digested, consuming them can keep you full and prevent unwarranted hunger pangs.
In addition, a recently published study in a reputed journal unearthed that sweet potatoes can significantly diminish fat cells. Sounds incredible, right?
Furthermore, another study suggested that sweet potatoes are abundant in anti-inflammatory antioxidants such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids.
But is there any need to fear potatoes (or carbohydrates in general)? Should we continue munching on potatoes without remorse or scale back?
We examine the research that debunks the top potato myths and debunk the top potato myths.
POTATO MYTH #1: SWEET POTATOES ARE GOOD, BUT WHITE POTATOES ARE BAD
Here we go again with the good versus evil food doctrine.
Both sweet potatoes and white potatoes have redeeming features, so you may (and should) alternate between the two for a more balanced nutritional profile.
In conclusion, they are not that dissimilar.
Yes, sweet potatoes contain significantly more vitamin A and white potatoes include slightly more iron, but they are too comparable to be placed on opposing extremes of the good food/bad food continuum.
POTATO MYTH #2: PEELING POTATOES ELIMINATES ALL NUTRIENTS!
Avoid being theatrical. Potatoes are an outstanding source of vitamin C, potassium (yes, even more than a banana), vitamin B6 and carbohydrates.
There are approximately 110 calories in a small (5.3 oz) potato, which, no matter how you slice it, seems quite excellent to me.
The only thing you sacrifice by peeling those potatoes is a small amount of fiber (down from 2 g to 1 g).
In other words, being unable to tolerate eating the peel is not a deal-breaker.
POTATO MYTH #3: POTATOES CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN AND RISE IN BLOOD SUGAR BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN CARBS!
As stated numerous times earlier in the blog, carbohydrates are not the enemy.
In truth, our brain runs completely on carbohydrates, and we require a minimal amount of them to maintain clear thinking. Carbohydrates do not make us fat, and avoiding them does not make us slim.
According to research, low carbohydrate diets are not more effective than high carbohydrate diets for weight loss.
It was determined that there was insufficient evidence to suggest a link between potato consumption and the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, or cardiovascular disease.
Regarding the blood sugar reaction, yes, potatoes are higher on the glycemic index (GI), which indicates they do increase blood sugar and insulin levels.
Since insulin promotes fat synthesis, in theory, high GI meals (such as potatoes) should cause weight gain and low GI foods should cause weight loss.
However, studies have not found a difference in weight control between diets with a high GI and those with a low GI.
In reality, we (generally) do not consume mashed potatoes by themselves.
By adhering to a moderate portion (about 1 cup) and pairing it with protein (such as chicken or steak) and fiber (such as vegetables), we may slow down the blood sugar response and create a more healthy plate.