The aborigines of South America even grew potatoes up to 4,000 meters above sea level, and this extraordinary food was part of their daily diet, as is the case today in many parts of the world. Today, we know that potatoes are a food rich in starch (the way in which vegetables store glucose) and that, therefore, it provides us with carbohydrates of complex absorption, a macro nutrient that is essential in our diet, since in a healthy and balanced diet 55% of the calories we eat must come from carbohydrates.
We also know with certainty what the nutrients of the potato and potato are and thanks to this we have been able to verify that this food has multiple properties that are very important for our health and well-being. In this article we explain everything about raw potatoes and their properties.
Nutritional composition of the potato or potato
All the properties of the potato are due to its interesting nutritional composition, let’s see below what nutrients 100 grams of boiled and skinless potatoes contain:
- 86 calories
- 4 grams of water
- 20 grams of carbohydrates
- 2 grams of fiber
- 10 grams fat
- 328 milligrams of potassium
- 5 milligrams of sodium
- 40 milligrams of phosphorus
- 20 milligrams of magnesium
- 8 milligrams of calcium
- 26 milligrams of vitamin B6
- 3 milligrams of niacin or vitamin B3
- 4 milligrams of vitamin C
- 9 milligrams of folic acid or vitamin B12
As you may have observed, the vitamins of the potato are diverse, therefore, we are dealing with a food that provides us with a multitude of micronutrients and, next, we will see how these micronutrients confer various important nutritional properties for our body.
Food properties of potato
That the potato is part of the daily diet of multiple regions throughout our planet is not a coincidence, but because we are dealing with a very healthy and natural food, rich in important nutrients. Let’s see next what the fact of including the potato or potato in our diet offers us:
- They are rich in carbohydrates, from which our body ends up obtaining glucose, the cleanest and most accessible energy source for our body, since their use leaves very little toxic waste. In fact, neurons only use glucose as an energy source.
- Due to its fiber content and high percentage of water, they contribute to keeping our digestive tract in an optimal state, since they regulate intestinal transit. Furthermore, fiber is also responsible for this food causing satiety and helping us keep our control under control. Appetite.
- The potato is a tuber with a large amount of potassium and a practically zero sodium content, the foods that have this relationship between both minerals have a diuretic effect. Therefore, the potato helps us to increase the renal elimination of water and, therefore, to prevent and treat fluid retention, helping our body to get rid of toxins that it does not need.
- They contain vitamin C, an essential vitamin for our immune system to work in perfect condition. In addition, vitamin C helps us to maintain strong joints and firm skin, since it intervenes in the endogenous synthesis of elastin and collagen.
- In addition to vitamin C, the potato or potato also contains beta-carotenes, both substances act as antioxidants, that is, they are able to counteract the damage caused by free radicals, substances that are produced when we breathe and that are responsible for aging as well as multiple degenerative diseases.
- Containing B vitamins, the potato helps our body to better absorb all the macronutrients (carbohydrates, lipids and fats), in addition, these vitamins prevent the transformation of carbohydrates into fats.
- Potato is a food that helps us cover the amounts of micronutrients(vitamins and minerals) that our body needs daily.
Another aspect that is worth noting about the potato is that it is not fattening, since when boiled it provides us with a large amount of water, a moderate caloric value and a lot of potassium, which can help us decrease body volume.
How to consume the potato or potato?
To take advantage of all the properties that this edible tuber offers us, we must eat it fully cooked, preferably by cooking and not frying, since fried potatoes greatly increase their calorie content and, in addition, dehydrate.
It is very important that the potato is well cooked (although light cooking is recommended so as not to cancel all its nutrients), since the raw potato can be toxic to our body.
Healing properties of raw potato
Did you know that in addition to being an extraordinary food, the potato or potato also has medicinal properties? All the healing properties of potatoes are exploited by external application, either in the form of an ointment (with the juice obtained by crushing the potatoes), included in natural masks or with the raw slice on the skin.
These properties are mainly due to the starch content, since the starch acts as an emollient, that is, it softens the skin and reduces swelling and inflammation, and is also useful to calm pain.
Potato will help us improve the following conditions:
- Pain from trauma, sprains, strains, or bruises.
- Joints affected by rheumatism.
- Congested, tired or dark eyes.
- Skin attacked by sunburn.
- Oily or acne-prone skin.
The properties of the potato or potato are numerous, both at the food level and at the medicinal level, therefore, we recommend that this edible tuber that the potato gives us does not lack in your diet, since it undoubtedly contributes to following a healthy and balanced diet, in addition, that it is a very natural and accessible product, which only needs adequate co
