By: Svetlana Pasarić |
Potatoes: useless vegetable or a gift of nature? |
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In our time, when potato has a bad reputation as an unhealthy food and junk vegetable that contains no vitamins, I have to stand up for it because that is just not true.
There is no other vegetable as versatile as the humble potato.
Equally tasty whether it is cooked, baked or fried, potato rarely gets the praise it deserves.
We forget that this humble food has played an important role in the history of mankind.
A lot of times potato saved the people from starvation during the war or in areas of poor climate.
In many countries it has promoted the population growth and the economic development.
Potatoes were first cultivated by Indians from Peru more than 4,000 years ago.
It came from America to Europe in the late 16th century; it was brought by Sir Francis Drake – a maritime explorer and military leader.
The Croatian name of the potato, krumpir, comes from the Bavarian word Gruntbir - "pear from the ground." The English name is derived from “batata”, an American Indian word.
11 facts you did not know about potato
- Potato is ecologically clean food. It is really cheap and easy to cultivate potato. You do not need to use fertilizer or pesticides to cultivate it (although many farmers do).
- Potatoes are good for health, provided they are not consumed raw.
- Potatoes are perfect crops for cultivation in poor countries. This cheap and nutritious food grows even in poor climatic conditions.
- Potato was the first food successfully cultivated in space.
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By the amount of phenolic compounds, potato can compete with broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts.
Flavonoids found in potatoes protect against cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and cancer. - English scientists found special ingredient in potatoes - kukoamine - which protects against high blood pressure.
- The year 2008 was declared the year of the potato. UN considers the potato to be the food for the future, a crop that could suppress hunger in the world.
- There are over 1,000 species of potatoes. Potato is the fourth most cultivated crops in the world. This vegetable is now used in every part of the world.
- Europeans consume twice as many potatoes as Americans.
- During the gold rush in Klondike, potatoes were used as currency. Potato was so revered for its high vitamin C content that it was exchanged for gold.
- Potato chips are the best-selling snack in the world.
Nutritional characteristics
- potato is one of the most nutritious plants in the world
- potato has fewer calories than bread, rice and pasta
- potatoes contain more potassium than bananas
- potatoes contain more usable iron than any other vegetable
- potatoes contain complex carbohydrates and healthy fiber
- potatoes are a good source of B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus and niacin
- potato contains no fat or cholesterol
- a few potatoes cover the daily required amount of vitamin C
Potatoes do not make us fat
Fitness gurus have declared potato as a food that makes us fat. They claim that due to the high glycemic index and the high content of starch, potatoes are not suitable food for weight loss.
However, this is not true. Studies have been conducted on the impact of potatoes on weight.
People who during 6 weeks consumed 7-9 potatoes every day actually lost their weight faster.
This is explained by the fact that potato causes a feeling of satiety, and contains relatively few calories. One potato on average contains 100-120 calories - 2.5 times less than bread.
But if you consume French fries or potato chips every day, you will definitely gain weight, because these foods contain a lot of calories due to having a high fat content.
French fries are not healthy!
When we say that potatoes are healthy, we do not mean French fries. French fries are the unhealthiest food on the planet!
- French fries contain a large amount of "bad" fats, which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, obesity and high cholesterol.
- Because they are fried in oil at high temperature, French fries contain acrylamide - a known carcinogen and neurotoxin. It is assumed that in the US alone acrylamide causes several thousand cases of cancer each year.
Potatoes as a remedy
Potatoes are used not only as a food but also as a remedy. Here are several examples of using potatoes for the purposes of treatment:
- wraps made of cooked potatoes are used against rheumatism, gout, frostbite
- washing with potato juice cures acne, eczema and spots on the face
- wraps made of raw potatoes are used for treating fevers, burns, headaches
- boiled potato peel lowers blood pressure
- if you suffer from gastritis, take 1 tablespoon of potato juice three times a day before meals
How to make potato juice
Wash and grate potatoes, put them in a linen cloth and squeeze out the juice. The juice can also be prepared by using juicer. Always use and consume freshly prepared juice.
Because of its affordability, great taste and a wealth of nutrients, potatoes certainly deserve to be included on the list of superfoods, foods that are friends of human health.
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