Over time potatoes have become a mainstay in most of our diets and are one of the most widely recognized foods on the planet. But did you know that their health benefits extend far wider than simply providing a rich source of carbohydrates and calories? Because they can be eaten in many different forms and are available throughout the year, they may an excellent addition to your diet plans. Keep reading to learn more about potato health benefits.

One of the reasons potatoes have become so popular is because they have so many nutritional benefits. They’re packed full of energy, vitamins, minerals and organic compounds which are essential for proper bodily function.

 

Health Benefits of Potatoes

1. Vitamin C

Potatoes are a rich source of vitamin C, providing approximately 45% of the recommended daily intake. Because vitamin C is water soluble it acts as an antioxidant and reduces the risk of damage by free radicals. As a result, it helps to prevent damage to your cells. It’s also important to the production of calcium and iron absorption. Furthermore, it helps to support your immune system and aid wound healing.

 

2. Fiber

Fiber is essential to maintaining healthy digestion and lowering blood cholesterol. That’s why it’s great that just one medium potato (with the skin left on) makes up eight percent of your recommended daily fiber intake. The large quantity of fiber will also help you to feel fuller for longer which can help with weight loss.

 

3. Vitamin B6

Another great health benefit of potatoes is that they’re a great source of vitamin B6. One medium sized potato provides ten percent of your recommended daily intake. Like vitamin C, vitamin B6 is water-soluble and plays a large role in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. This means it helps your body turn nonessential amino acids into the various proteins your body needs. For example, it’s crucial to the synthesis of hemoglobin – the component of red blood cells that’s responsible for carrying oxygen.

 

4. Iron

Iron is vital for blood circulation and production. A medium-sized potato contains six percent of your recommended daily intake of iron.

5. Potassium

One medium potato with the skin left on contains fifteen percent of your daily intake of potassium which is key for regulating the fluid and mineral balance in your body. It’s also key for transmitting nerve impulses so that your muscles contract properly.  

 

6. Boost Physical Performance

If you’re looking to boost your physical performance, potatoes could be the key. Potatoes provide the carbohydrate, potassium and energy levels you need to perform to your best capabilities. In fact, potatoes are more energy-packed than any other commonly consumed vegetable making them a great choice if you’re looking to beat a few personal bests!

 

7. Bone Health

Many of the health benefits of potatoes come from their rich iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and zinc content. One of the benefits these minerals provide is that they help to strengthen your bones and maintain the proper bone structure.

8. Blood Pressure

Having a low sodium intake is crucial to having healthy blood pressure, but increasing your potassium intake may be just as important. This is because potassium encourages your blood vessels to widen which eases your blood flow and helps to bring your blood pressure to a normal level. It’s not just the potassium in potatoes that helps to lower your blood pressure, their high calcium and magnesium content also help.

 

9. Heart Health

The high levels of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 in potatoes along with their lack of cholesterol are a great way to promote a healthy heart.  Consuming high levels of fiber helps to significantly lower the level of cholesterol in your blood and as a result, helps to improve the health of your heart and decreasing the risk of heart disease.

10. Inflammation

Choline is a nutrient found in potatoes that helps to improve muscle movement, learning capability, memory, and mood. It does this by reducing inflammation in your body and helping it to function properly.

 

11. Reduced Risk of Cancer

Potatoes also contain folate which is important for DNA repair and synthesis. As a result, it can help to prevent cancers by blocking DNA mutations.  The high vitamin C content of potatoes also has an antioxidant effect which protects your cells against damage caused by free radicals, thus preventing another common cause of many cancers.

12. Digestion and Regularity

The high fiber content in potatoes is one of its most widely known health benefits. It’s well known that getting plenty of fiber helps to reduce the risk of constipation and improve the regularity of your digestion by promoting a healthier digestive tract.

 

13. Metabolism

As a rich source of vitamin B6, potatoes can also help to improve your metabolism. They do this by breaking down carbohydrates and proteins to form glucose and amino acids. This makes those compounds much easier to absorb and use for energy.

 

14. Skin

Collagen is crucial for the support of your skin. The high vitamin C content works as an antioxidant to prevent damage to your skin cells and promotes the production of new collagen. This helps reduce the physical appearance of the damage caused by pollution and the sun whilst also helping to smooth out wrinkles.

15. Immunity

Numerous studies have found that vitamin C can reduce the severity and duration of a cold as it helps to support and boost your immune system. And as potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, they could be a great way to boost your immunity.

 

16. Water Content

Potatoes may look huge and pretty solid, but actually, they’re eighty percent full of water. This means they’re great for keeping your body hydrated plus, as long as you boil, steam or lighting roast them without smothering them in butter or oil, they could even help with weight loss. At the very least, they won’t cause a weight gain.

17. Treat Scurvy

Studies have suggested that the vitamin C content found in potatoes could help to prevent cases of scurvy. Although the disease, which often results in cracked lips, bleeding gums and frequent viral infections, isn’t that common in most areas of the world, it does still occur in some places. This means that this could be a really useful health benefit of potatoes in some areas of the world.

 

18. Treat Rheumatism

There are two reasons that potatoes can help fight rheumatism. Firstly, because they contain high levels of calcium and magnesium, which have both been shown to help relieve the effects of rheumatism. Secondly, the water that comes from boiling potatoes can be used to relieve the inflammation caused by the condition.

19. Proper Brain Function

To function properly, the brain needs a good supply of oxygen, glucose and vitamin B complexes. It also needs a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Potatoes can accommodate almost all of those needs. They’re a rich source of carbohydrates and therefore provide a good supply of glucose which prevents your brain from becoming tired and enables it to function better for longer.

Potatoes also contain high levels of iron which is needed to form hemoglobin, the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. Finally, potatoes are a great source of vitamin B complexes, they, therefore, provide your brain with much of the fuel it needs to function.  

 

20. Treat Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are usually caused by increased levels of uric acid in the blood. In these cases, foods which are high in protein should be avoided, which means skipping on meat, turkey, fish, milk, spinach, and beans! To treat kidney stones, you’ll need plenty of iron and calcium. Thankfully, potatoes are rich in both minerals! They also contain magnesium which helps to prevent calcification within the kidneys which prevent future kidney stones from forming.  

 

21. Treat Diarrhea

Not only can potatoes help to ease constipation, but they can also work the other way too! When suffering from diarrhea you need an energy-rich diet that’s easy to suggest so a few potatoes in your meal should help. Don’t overdo it though as the high starch content could make your condition worse if you have too many.  

22. Building Healthy Cells

A single medium potato contains over one-half of a milligram of Vitamin B6, which is a lot and makes potatoes a great heath-boosting food. Vitamin B6 is needed for over 100 enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body. One of these is the formation of proteins from amino acids and nucleic acids to synthesize new DNA strands.  As such an important part of cell formation, vitamin B6 is needed to create almost every cell in your body.

 

23. They Help You Feel More Satiated

When consumed as part of a well-balanced diet, potatoes can help create a feeling of fullness. They are a great way to satisfy your appetite and their high fiber content helps your body to process your meals more efficiently, slowing down digestion. This helps to manage your weight by making you feel fuller.

24. Remedy Bruising

Potatoes have been used to treat sprains, bruises, ulcers, and even burns for centuries as their juices have been known to help support the body’s healing process.

 

25.  Helps Calm You Down

White potatoes, in particular, are a rich source of tryptophan which the body uses to create serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which is responsible for boosting your mood and calming your nerves.

26. Relieve Premenstrual Symptoms

Some studies have suggested that potato juice helps to relieve many of the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. This is because the high carbohydrate levels in potatoes help to raise the level of tryptophan in your body which increases the production of serotonin. This helps to control the mood swings and anxiety you may experience as part of your premenstrual syndrome.

 

27. Reduce Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes

Peel and slice a lathe potato and then wrap it in a clean cloth or towel. You can then place this pack over your dark circles and let it sit for twenty minutes before washing your eyes with fresh water. Doing this several times a week should help to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffy eyes.

 

28. Removes Dead Skin Cells

Potatoes make wonderful exfoliants. Their peels are rich in antioxidants and can be applied directly to the skin to rejuvenate the skin and remove any dead skin cells. This should give your skin a smoother feel and more glowing appearance. You can also apply potato juices to your face and neck to help remove dead skin cells.

 

29. Reducing Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Because potatoes have a rich vitamin C content, they are able to help stimulate the production of collagen. This helps to plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can use potatoes for this purpose by applying a little potato juice or mashed raw potatoes to your skin and letting it sit for fifteen to twenty minutes. After this, you can wash your face with clean water. Do this twice a week for several weeks and you should start to notice an improvement.

30. Treats Dry Skin

Because they’re so rich in vitamin C, potatoes can help to moisturize dry skin. You can create a paste using grated, raw potato and half a teaspoon of curd. Apply this paste to your face and let it sit for twenty minutes before rinsing with cold water. Doing this on a regular basis should help nourish your skin and improve its quality.

 

31. Helps Treat Sunburns

Rubbing potato juice or a few slices of potato onto sunburnt skin could help to soothe it and heal the damaged skin. Ideally, you want the potatoes to be cold as these will be the most effective. Simply dab the juice or slices on the burnt patches of skin and let it soak in.

32. Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

Raw potato juice can also be beneficial in fighting the pain and discomfort that arthritis can cause.

 

33.  Promote Proper Nerve Function

The multiple B vitamins in potatoes are key to supporting proper adrenal function which helps to calm and maintain a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B6 is particularly crucial in the production of neurotransmitters which allow your brain to pass messages on to your nerve cells and for your nerve cells to send messages back to the brain, coordinating movement and feeling.

Which of these health benefits of potatoes do you like the most? Comment below!

 

References

https://www.ahealthblog.com/10-proven-health-benefits-of-potatoes.html/9#hbtoc-9-potatoes-for-the-nerves

https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/benefits-of-potatoes-14-incredible-benefits-of-this-super-vegetable-that-you-may-not-have-known-1773642

https://www.potatogoodness.com/nutrition/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280579.php

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-potato.html

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-health-benefits-potatoes-you-didnt-know-about.html

https://www.medicaldaily.com/4-health-benefits-potatoes-427054

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48