HEALTH & FITNESS

Healthy Ways To Consume Potatoes

Potatoes may not be as nutritious as leafy greens and cruciferous vegies, but they can still be a healthy option, if prepared in a healthy way.

Are you avoiding potatoes because you think that they can make you gain more weight? Because potatoes are high in carbohydrate, people who are on low-carb or low-glycemic diets avoid eating this starchy vegetable. But potatoes are not as bad as it is believed to be.

A new study by Edith Cowan University (ECU) has said that while potatoes may not have the same health benefits as some other vegetables, they can still be a healthy option.

In previous studies, potatoes have been associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. But the new study suggested that it is not potatoes that’s unhealthy, but how you prepare them and how you eat them that causes a detrimental effect on your health.

“Health issues associated with potatoes may actually be due to how people are preparing them and what they’re eating them with,” the ECU study stated, as quoted by Science Daily.

Benefits of eating more vegetables

Nutritionists, dieticians and health experts encourage people to consume more vegetables. You know why?

The ECU study found that people who reported the highest consumption of vegetables were 21 per cent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who consumed the least number of vegetables. The risk of developing the condition was significantly lower among those who ate a lot of leafy greens and cruciferous vegies such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower.

Though potatoes didn’t have the same impact on Type 2 diabetes, this humble vegetable didn’t have any negative effect as well, the researchers said.

How you consume potatoes is something that one needs to pay attention to.

Healthy ways to consume potatoes

People prepare and consume potatoes in many different ways: boiled, mashed, fries or crisps.

In the ECU study, boiled potatoes had a null effect on diabetes risk. However, people who ate the most potatoes also consumed more foods that are known to increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes, such as butter, red meat and soft drink.

Eating fries and mashed potatoes was associated with diabetes because they are prepared with butter, cream, oil and the like, the researchers noted.

The study concluded that though potatoes may not offer the same benefits as other vegetables, in terms of lowering diabetes risk, they aren’t bad if prepared in a healthy way.

PhD candidate Pratik Pokharel, one of the researchers, suggested replacing refined grains such as white rice and pasta with potatoes to improve your diet quality as potatoes contain fibre and other nutrients, which are good for health. Boiled potatoes have a good quality of carbohydrate, compared to white rice.

So, it is Okay to eat potatoes, as long as you don’t add the unhealthy extras such as butter, cream and oil. Just boil them and eat; avoid fries or mashed potatoes with those unhealthy extras. ” and you don’t need to have it with red meat all the time,” Pokharel said, as quoted by Science Daily.

The Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study was published in Diabetes Care.

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