Potatoes are a delicious and beloved American staple that scientists say can even help you lose weight when made right.
Most Americans consume an average of 55 pounds of potatoes each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The tubers are often fried, mashed or hash browned, but research from Louisiana State University shows that switching out protein for healthily-cooked potatoes helped people shed nearly 6 percent of their body weight over the course of eight weeks.
The potatoes were boiled instead of fried, ensuring the potatoes have less fat and calories. A medium-sized spud provides 110 calories.
“Our study showed that a healthy eating pattern, including potatoes, reduces body weight and moderates the blood glucose response,” Candida Rebello, an assistant professor at LSU explained.
The findings were also partially due to the satisfying starchy vegetable’s crucial nutrients. When not fried or smothered in sour cream, the potatoes can be quite healthy, experts say.
“It's true that potatoes are high in starch or carbohydrates, the nutrients that cause spikes in blood sugar,” said the Clinic. “But pairing them with foods high in protein, fiber and unsaturated fats can slow digestion and lead to a steadier release of glucose into the bloodstream.”
A medium-sized potato provides significant amounts - at least 26 grams - of the carbohydrates the body needs in a day. The daily recommended amount is 130 grams, according to the Mayo Clinic.
But the vegetable’s benefit weight loss is largely due to their high starch and fiber content.
A medium potato provides two grams of gut-healthy fiber, which is about the same as a carrot or half a grapefruit, according to Washington Potatoes.
That’s about 8 percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber, which is between 25 and 30 grams to maintain optimal health.
Most American adults only get around 15 grams of fiber a day, which helps to keep people feeling fuller longer.
Potatoes also have nearly three grams of resistant starch, which has also been shown to reduce appetite. Resistant starch is not absorbed and used as calories or blood sugar, and leads to smaller blood sugar spikes after you eat it, registered dietitian Kristine Dilley explained.
“On average, resistant starch has a little more than half the calories per gram than regular starch. Per gram, resistant starch has about 2.5 calories versus four calories per gram in regular starches,” she said.
Potatoes are also packed with antioxidants and other nutrients that support a healthy metabolism, such as the inflammation-fighting plant compounds flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins, the University of Maine notes.
Potatoes also have 35 percent of peoples’ daily recommended immune-guarding vitamin C and 30 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin B6, which strengthens the brain and nervous system, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The tubers have 25 percent of the daily recommended value of potassium, too. The essential mineral and electrolyte works to offset the blood pressure-raising effects of sodium, relaxes blood vessels and prevents muscle cramps.
Women should get 2,600 milligrams a day, and men should get 3,400 milligrams, experts say.
Just make sure you’re preparing your potatoes the right way to reap all of the rewards. That likely means avoiding fries, frozen aisle tater tots and spiral-cut tornado potatoes on a stick. Lightly roasting them in olive oil or baking potatoes without all the fatty toppings can help you reach your weight loss goals.
“Energy, micronutrients, versatility and just plain deliciousness make the case for potatoes to become part of a healthy diet,” the Mayo Clinic says. “That's especially true when they're paired with foods high in protein and fiber and prepared in ways that capitalize on their zero-fat content.”
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