Potato is normally considered as a food that promotes weight gain. However, latest research shows that it can help fight obesity and prevent type 2 diabetes.
Experiments conducted on mice showed that polyphenols in potatoes were highly effective in preventing weight gain from a high- fat diet or a diet high in refined carbohydrates.
For a period of 10 weeks, the rodents were fed on an obesity-inducing diet. Animals that received a potato extract along with their diet gained 9g lesser than the animals that didn't receive the extract with their diet (16g).
"We were astonished by the results," study author Prof. Luis Agellon, from McGill University in Canada, said in a news release. "We thought this can't be right - in fact, we ran the experiment again using a different batch of extract prepared from potatoes grown in another season, just to be certain."
At least 30 potatoes are required to make a daily dose of the extract. As consumption of that many potatoes can add up to the calories, researchers revealed that they plan to introduce the potato extract as a dietary supplement or cooking ingredient.
"Potatoes have the advantage of being cheap to produce, and they're already part of the basic diet in many countries," principal author of the study, Stan Kubow said. "We chose a cultivated variety that is consumed in Canada and especially rich in polyphenols."
Kubow and colleagues are now planning to conduct more trials to analyse how the extract works on humans and to decide the best dose needed for men and women.
The findings have been reported in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Potatoes: Other Health Benefits
Data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that potato is native to Lake Titicaca region of the Andean Mountains near Peru and Bolivia.
It is the fourth- most consumed food crop in the world. The other three are rice, wheat and corn.
Each year, about 341 million tons of potatoes are produced across the world, according to Crop Nutrition. China is the largest producer of the vegetable in the world, followed by Russia, India, Poland, USA, Ukraine and Germany.
Following are some research-proven health benefits of potatoes as provided by Livescience and MNT:
- Help manage blood pressure
- Fight depression, ADHD
- Help maintain brain health
- Boost immunity
- Help in digestion
- Lower inflammation
- Keep heart healthy
- Help improve athletic performance
- Good for keeping skin smooth and beautiful
- Best for bones
- Protect against cancer
- Increase satiety, curb hunger
