Are Potatoes Bad For Weight Loss?

Are Potatoes Bad For Weight Loss?

Potatoes are many times disregarded as a weight reduction food. This is associated with their high level of starch, carbs, and calorie content. Nevertheless, when eaten with other nutritious food, potatoes are a healthy diet.

Below is the nutritional profile of potatoes per 100 grams. This also shows why the intake of potatoes should not be feared due to their high carb content.

From the table above, we notice that sweet and white potatoes are nutritionally similar in terms of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat content but they have a slight variation in their micronutrient content namely vitamin A.

However, both sweet and white potatoes are dense sources of nutrients each providing a wide variety of minerals and vitamins. While sweet potatoes contain more, vitamin A and Vitamin C. White potatoes contain more potassium and folate.

Potatoes are often discredited due to their high carbohydrate content. They contain a type of carbohydrate called resistant starch which cannot be processed by digestive enzymes. Research shows that health improvement within the gastrointestinal tract and digestive system has been linked to this resistant starch. They are healthy carbohydrates needed by the body for effective functioning.

The calcium in potatoes is important in bone structure and essential in balance.

Potato lacks cholesterol and contains vitamin C, potassium, and Vitamin B6 which support heart health. Potatoes also contain fibers which help to lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Dietary fibers are contained in potatoes and this is important in weight management and weight loss. They help in reducing appetite and increasing satiety thereby enabling one not to consume many calories.

Vitamin C is also contained in potatoes which acts as an antioxidant that prevents cell damage and promotes healthy digestion.

Alpha Lipoic Acid: Potatoes contain alpha lipoic Acid which helps the body convert glucose to energy. It also helps to protect diabetic patients against retinopathy.

You might be accustomed to potatoes’ character of spiking blood sugar. The glycemic index of potatoes largely depends on factors like processing, preparation, origin, variety, maturation, and associated food consumed with it. The addition of proteins, healthy fiber, and fats and the portions consumed are a great way one can enjoy potatoes and also keep the blood sugar stable.

Most times people tend to consume potatoes in non-healthy processed forms like fries, and chips. Research proves that baking, roasting, steaming, or boiling potatoes helps in preserving their nutrients and reduces the possibility of rising blood sugar. Also, research shows that it is best to eat potatoes with the skin left on because most of the minerals, vitamins, and fiber contained in potatoes are on the skin.

Both white and sweet potatoes are nutritious when eaten as part of a balanced diet. Potatoes lower blood pressure thereby helping in weight loss and is also a healthy source of carbohydrate.