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5 Great Reasons to Add Potatoes to Your Diet

April 09, 2019

Thank goodness! We can eat potatoes! Finally, something delicious is good for us! And surprisingly good, considering that potatoes have long been stereotyped as inert blobs of starch. Empty calories. But if you look under the hood, you’ll see they aren’t empty at all. Potatoes are looking pretty sweet.

Eat Potatoes: They’re Popping with Antioxidants

One study examined extracts from five types of potatoes. Researchers tested the extracts – in vitro, meaning in test tubes or petrie dishes – and found they inhibited cancer cells. They concluded that the factor most active against the cancer was chlorogenic acid.

Chlorogenic acid is also a beneficial component of coffee. Studies identify it as one of the compounds responsible for coffee’s effectiveness in reducing the risk of diabetes.

Eat Potatoes: They’re Loaded with Nutrients

Nothing against oranges, but a potato has vitamin C too – about a quarter of the RDI. Same for B6 and potassium. And 3.8 grams of fiber. And flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acids, all good for you. When it comes to nutrition, a spud is a stud, not a dud. (Too much?)

Eat Potatoes: They May Rev Up Your Blood Sugar Control

More research is needed, but there are two reasons to think they may:

They contain resistant starch. Studies show resistant starch to be healthy for your microbiome. And effective in lowering insulin resistance.
As mentioned above, potatoes contain cholergenic acid, which has been found to be associated with a lowered risk of developing diabetes.

Eat Potatoes: They’re Satiating

In a satiety study from 20+ years ago (but how much do our stomachs really change?), potatoes ranked first on the satiety scoreboard. They were voted seven times as satiating as croissants, the lowest ranked.

Eat Potatoes: Done Right, They Taste Good

It’s not quite the same thing as satiating. And we ought to consider pleasure more than we do on these kinds of lists. Potatoes don’t have to taste like wallpaper paste.