The benefits and harms of potatoes for the human body

Long gone are the days when people staged potato riots to resist the imposition of an overseas vegetable. Now it is impossible to imagine an everyday table without this product. Russia is one of the three world leaders in crop cultivation, according to statistics, 130 kg of potatoes are eaten per year per inhabitant of our country.

In this material we will talk about the benefits and dangers of potatoes, their use in folk medicine and cosmetology. From the article you will find out how many carbohydrates are in potatoes and what vitamins are contained in potatoes.

The chemical composition and characteristics of potatoes

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant in the Solanaceae family. It is cultivated as an annual for the production of edible tubers.

The potato bush reaches a height of 0.6-1 m. The number of stems on one bush is 4-8. The seed size directly affects the number of stems.

The stems are ribbed, thick. The underground part forms stolons - lateral processes on which tubers appear.

Potato tuber cells are filled with starch. The tuber is covered with a thin cork tissue. On its surface there are eyes in the amount of 3 to 15 pcs. From them sprouts appear. The main peephole germinates first, the rest are in a state of suspended animation. If the main kidney is damaged, the sleepers wake up. Weaker seedlings emerge from them.

The shape of the tubers is round, oval, oblong. The peel of the potato is pink, yellow, red, purple. The pulp is creamy, white, yellow, purple.

What's in a potato? The tubers are rich in vitamins and minerals and have a high nutritional value. The table shows the chemical composition of raw potatoes (per 100 g).

How much sugar is in the product

100 g of raw tubers contain the following carbohydrates:

• starch and dextrins - 15 g;
• mono- and disaccharides (sugars) - 1.3 g;
• glucose (dextrose) - 0.6 g;
• sucrose - 0.6 g;
• fructose - 0.1 g

What determines the composition

The chemical composition of potatoes and nutritional value depend on:

• varietal characteristics (in Chervona rue potatoes 26% starch, in Sifra tubers - from 11 to 15%);
• fertilizers applied to the soil;
• the type of soil on which it was grown;
• digging period (young tubers have less starch and more vitamins);
• shelf life (closer to spring the tubers dry out, the amount of vitamin C decreases in them and toxic substances accumulate).

KBZhU and nutritional value of potatoes

Nutritional value of potatoes (per 100 g of raw tubers):

• proteins - 2 g;
• fats - 0.4 g;
• carbohydrates - 16.3 g;
• fiber - 1.4 g;
• water - 79 g.

The energy value of the product varies depending on the cooking method:

• raw - 77 kcal;
• boiled - 82 kcal;
• fried - 192 kcal;
• chips and dried potatoes - 292 kcal.

Slimming on potatoes

Previously, potatoes were included in the list of foods prohibited on the weight loss diet. The myth about the dangers of the product has been debunked by nutritionists in many countries. Bias were associated with high starch content and cooking errors. Frying in oil and adding heavy cream increases the glycemic index and calorie content of the dish. However, if you cook the tubers by baking, steaming or in water, you can only get benefits from using it.

Important! The data of the latest studies of world nutritionists show that despite the fact that the product is high in carbohydrates, the fiber contained in it slows down the absorption of sugars. By eating potatoes, you get a boost of energy, and the feeling of fullness lasts longer.

One medium-sized tuber contains ¼ ​​of the daily serving of potassium - twice as much as a banana. According to the American National Institute of Health, the mineral keeps blood sugar levels under control, promotes better bone mineralization, and reduces the risk of kidney stones.

Surprisingly, but potatoes help you lose weight, if you replace bread made from premium flour and pasta. This is due to the long absence of hunger after a portion of boiled and baked potatoes.

Useful properties of potatoes

What are potatoes good for? The product has a rich complex of vitamins, minerals and amino acids that distinguishes it from other crops. Its regular use has a positive effect on well-being and appearance.

Benefits for beauty and shape

Tubers are often used to make homemade cosmetics. Juice and pulp are included in face and hair masks. B vitamins and ascorbic acid relieve inflammation, regulate sebum secretion, restore the upper layer of the epidermis, nourish hair follicles. Hair after potato masks gains additional shine, becomes smooth and manageable. The skin is transformed, freckles and age spots disappear, turgor increases.

Burdock, sea buckthorn and olive oils are added to masks for normal skin, for combined and oily skin - extracts of chamomile, calendula, thyme, plantain.

Studies by foreign nutritionists, the results of which were published in the ToDay News Ufa magazine, showed that potatoes do not lead to excess weight. The experiment involved 90 people. They were divided into three groups: the participants of two of them sat on low-calorie diet, the subjects from the third ate baked and boiled potatoes without restrictions. After 3 months, the scientists recorded weight loss in all volunteers.

Other properties

The health benefits of potatoes:

• replenishment of the deficiency of phosphorus, potassium, plant proteins;
• normalization of the condition in case of kidney diseases, gout, metabolic disorders;
• reduction of painful sensations and healing of erosions and ulcers of the stomach and duodenum 12;
• improvement of the condition in case of poisoning;
• maintaining immunity;
• regulation of the transmission of nerve impulses, the synthesis of erythrocytes;
• prevention of anemia;
• increasing the strength of capillaries and vessels;
• strengthening the gums;
• regulation of water, acid and electrolyte balance;
• normalization of blood pressure;
• treatment of boils, burns, eczema, fungal skin lesions.

Application in folk medicine and cosmetology

How are potatoes good for health? Potatoes have long been used to prepare home remedies, include hair beauty masks and body. Freshly squeezed juice, raw and boiled pulp have healing properties. Cold compresses and poultices, tinctures are prepared from the product.

Raw

Raw tubers are used to make compresses. They help with acne, bruising, swelling, insect bites, burns.

The potatoes are washed and rubbed together with the skin on a medium grater.The gruel is applied to a painful place and wrapped with a bandage or gauze. With inflammation of the skin, sprinkle the gruel with soda. The compress is left for at least 12 hours, for a maximum of a day.

Chilled potato mass is used to treat conjunctivitis, redness of the mucous membrane of the eye, increased lacrimation. The compress is applied in the morning and in the evening, kept for 30-40 minutes. The duration of therapy is 2-3 days. After each session, the eyes are washed with a 20% boric acid solution.

To whiten freckles and age spots, increase the elasticity of the skin, take a raw tuber, thinly cut into slices and apply it on a cleansed face for 15-20 minutes. After the procedure, wash with warm water.

Juice

Potato juice is used to treat acidic gastritis. To prepare it, take a juicer or rub the tubers on a fine grater and squeeze the juice through cheesecloth. The liquid is left to stand for 23 hours, then taken 2 times a day, 100 ml 30 minutes before meals.

The juice is also used for the prevention of exacerbations of gastric and duodenal ulcers. To do this, once a year, a two-week course of juice intake is observed - 2 times a day, 100 ml.

The course of treatment with potato juice is prescribed for people suffering from dyspepsia and heartburn. The duration of therapy is 3 cycles of 10 days with a break of 10 days. In the morning on an empty stomach they drink 200 ml of fresh potato and take a lying position for 30 minutes. The first meal is in an hour.

With pharyngitis and sore throat, inflammation of the gums, rinse the throat and mouth with fresh juice 3-4 times a day.

Heat treated

To relieve tension, reduce inflammation in the muscles, heal skin lesions, reduce pain in arthritis, treat eczema, use boiled tubers... Cooked mashed potatoes are placed between two layers of gauze, applied to the sore spot while still warm, fixed with a bandage and left to cool completely.

Steam inhalation with boiled potatoes is used to treat colds, coughs, and bronchitis. Hot tubers are placed in a bowl, bend over it, cover their head with a towel and breathe in steam for 10-15 minutes.

Boiled potatoes in their uniforms are part of a Swedish face mask. Boil the tubers until tender, peel, knead, add 1-2 tbsp. l. warm milk and 1 chicken egg yolk. A warm mask is applied to clean skin of the face and neck and covered with a towel. The mask is washed off after 20 minutes, first with warm, then cold water. The cosmetic product is suitable for dry and aging skin. The mask nourishes, smoothes, makes the skin elastic and velvety.

A mask of crushed boiled potatoes with lemon juice relieves fatigue, reduces facial puffiness. 200 g of mashed potatoes are mixed with the juice of 1 lemon. The mask is applied to the face and neck, covered with a thin cloth and kept for half an hour. Then wash off with cool water.

In what form is it better to eat potatoes

The most useful potatoes are considered to be boiled or baked with skin. The peel contains the largest amount of nutrients. The only drawback of cooking is that B vitamins and ascorbic acid are destroyed in potatoes. Pre-soaking tubers removes 15% of water-soluble vitamins. The more oxygen in the water, the faster the process takes place. To preserve the maximum nutrient components in the tubers, it is recommended to put them in boiling water. Steam cooking preserves the vitamins in the potato, just like boiling in a jacket.

Attention! Fried potatoes are a favorite of many, but not the healthiest. Frying in hot oil destroys vitamins, promotes the accumulation of the carcinogen acrylamide, and increases the calorie content of the dish. One serving of potatoes (100 g) contains 300-400 kcal.

Contraindications

For people with severe diabetes mellitus, it is advisable to limit the use of potatoes or completely abandon it. Tubers contain starch and refer to foods with an average glycemic index. The breakdown of starch into glucose provokes a sharp release of sugar into the blood.

With pancreatitis and gastritis, it is advisable to abandon fried potatoes, replacing them with baked or boiled ones. In this case, starch is only beneficial, enveloping the walls of the stomach.

Product harm

Potato tubers are able to accumulate solaninecausing poisoning of the body. The poisonous substance appears when the product is stored in direct sunlight. Greening of the skin and the appearance of seedlings indicates an increase in solanine concentration.

Eating old or green tubers causes dizziness, nervous system upset, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, shortness of breath, convulsions. During pregnancy, women should be doubly careful, since the accumulation of solanine in the body causes congenital malformations in the fetus.

The toxic substance chaconin, akin to solanine, is concentrated in the potato eyes. If you eat unpeeled tubers, poisoning guaranteed.

Reference. Potato sprouts contain 30-100 times more solanine than unsprouted potatoes.

Conclusion

Despite the high carbohydrate content, potatoes are on the list of healthy foods. The rich chemical composition has a beneficial effect on well-being, saturates and even promotes weight loss. Potato tubers are used for the preparation of medicinal products, homemade cosmetic masks. With proper preparation and moderate use of the product, a harmful effect on the body is excluded.