Potatoes are one of the most
common and important food sources on the planet, and they contain a wealth of
health benefits that make them all the more essential as a staple dietary item
for much of the world’s population.
In Brief,
Some of the advantages of
potatoes nutrients:
1. Weight Gain: Potatoes are
primarily made of carbohydrates and contain very little protein.
2. Digestion: Since potatoes
predominantly contain carbohydrates, they are easy to digest and facilitate
digestion. This property makes them a good diet for babies or for those who
cannot digest hard food, but need energy. However, remember that eating too
many potatoes on a regular basis may cause acidity over time.
3. Skin Care: Vitamin-C and B-complex as well as minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc
are good for the skin. Apart from that, pulp obtained from crushed raw
potatoes, mixed with honey, can work well in skin and face packs. This even
helps to cure pimples and spots on the skin. Again, this pulp, if applied
externally on burns, provides quick relief and faster healing. Smashed
potatoes, and even water in which potatoes have been washed, are very good for
softening and cleaning skin, especially around the elbows, and the back of the
hands.
4. The vitamin-C present in
potatoes can help prevent this disease, caused by a deficiency of vitamin-C. It
is characterized by cracked lip corners, spongy and bleeding gums, and frequent
viral infections.
5. Rheumatism: There are two
parts to the effect of potatoes on this condition. Vitamins like the calcium
and magnesium in potatoes help to provide relief from rheumatism. Also, water
obtained from boiling potatoes can relieve the pain and inflammation of
rheumatism.
6. Potatoes are very effective
in reducing inflammation, both internal and external. Since it is soft, easily
digested and has a lot of vitamin-C (a very good antioxidant that repairs
tissue wear and tear), potassium and vitamin-B6, it can relieve any
inflammation of the intestines and the digestive system. It is very good
dietary element for those who have mouth ulcers as well.
7. The high levels of vitamin A
and C both have antioxidant qualities that can protect your body from of
cancer.
8. High Blood Pressure: Since
high blood pressure can occur for a number of reasons that include diabetes,
tension, indigestion, nutrient balance, food content and many others, different
treatments are required. Luckily, potatoes can alleviate multiple possible
causes; potatoes can be used to relieve high blood pressure due to tension.
9. Brain Function: Proper
functioning of the brain depends largely on the glucose level, oxygen supply,
various components of the vitamin-B complex and certain hormones, amino acids
and fatty acids like omega-3. Potatoes cater to almost all the needs mentioned
above. They are high in carbohydrates, and thereby maintain good levels of
glucose in the blood. This prevents the brain from letting fatigue creep in and
it keeps your cognitive activity and performance high.
10. Heart Diseases: Apart from
the vitamins (B-complex, C), minerals and roughage, potatoes also contain certain substances called Carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin). Carotenoids are
beneficial for heart health and the functioning of other internal organs.
11. Kidney Stones: Kidney
Stones, also known as Renal Calculi, are caused mainly due to increased levels
of uric acid in the blood. In such cases, foods high in protein should be
avoided, particularly animal proteins such as meat, turkey, shrimp, fish, eggs,
and milk, as well as spinach, raw plantain, black grams and certain beans,
which drastically increase the level of uric acid in the blood. Iron and
calcium also contribute to forming the stones. Potatoes are rich in both of
these so logically, they wouldn’t fit in as a preventative measure of kidney
stones, but they also contain magnesium, which inhibits the accumulation or
deposition of calcium (calcification) in the kidney and other tissues, thereby
proving beneficial for treatment of renal calculi.
12. Diarrhea: Potatoes are an
excellent component of an energy-rich diet for those suffering from diarrhea,
since it is very easy to digest.
Some Interesting Facts about
Potatoes:
1. Potatoes are America's most
used and favorite vegetable.
2. The world's favorite root
vegetable, the potato comes in innumerable varieties.
3. If you have food potato allergies
then best way to ignore it.
4. The potato was first
domesticated in the region of modern-day southern Peru and extreme northwestern
Bolivia between 8000 and 5000 BC.
5. Varieties include:
*Delaware: May have a gnarled,
ugly appearance due to growing conditions, but cooks quite well
*Nadine: Shiny, cream-skinned
with shallow eyes and is available in gourmet sizes but has little flavor and
due to high moisture content does not fry well.
*Ruby Lou: Pink-skinned with
white flesh and good flavor that performs very well in all cooking.
*Desiree: Pink-skinned with
yellow flesh and good flavor that performs quite well except in frying.
*Royal Blue: Long, oval-shaped
with purple skin and yellowy flesh that performs extremely well in all cooking.
*Kestrel: Creamy white skin
with pink blue eyes and cream flesh, it cooks well in all areas, fries well and
has good flavor.
*Carling ford: Creamy-white skin,
white flesh, excellent flavor and is best boiled but also good in other ways
except frying.(Source – wiki)
My Conclusion:
*Last week I went to my mother’s
home town I met one of my neighbor discussing about her beauty such as hair
fall, pimples and dandruff. So I suggested her to add potatoes in food diet immediately,
she started saying – “No swetha I should not eat potatoes. Potatoes cause heavy
over weight and kill the beauty of skin”.
*Now a day’s students are not concentrating
on food but giving more importance for beauty.
*I am not only suggesting her
and also you who are reading this article, potatoes are very good for health it
does not lead to overweight. And it will not damage the beauty of the skin.
*Even potatoes chips are also
good for health.
/
How To Make Homemade Potato
Chips In South Indian Style?
PREPARATION TIME: 10 mins
SERVE: 1 person only
ITEMS LIST:
Steel Plate – 1
Salt - as needed
Kadai – Medium Size
Medium Size Potato - 1
Stainless Steel Skimmer – 1
Vegetable Oil - to deep fry –
100ml
Pepper powder or chilli powder –
1 or 2 Pinch
STEPS:
1. Wash and peel the potato.
2. Slice the potatoes directly into
a plate and keep aside.
3. Immediately keep the Kadai in
medium pressure on stove slowly add Vegetable oil into it.
4. After 30seconds slowly pour potato
slices into the Kadi and fry it. Slowly it turns oil into bubbles.
5. Once the bubbles reduce
& potato slices turns crispy, reduce the flame and by using Stainless Steel
Skimmer remove it from Kadai, place the chips in a plate.
6. Immediately add salt and
chili powder or pepper powder.
*Is there any curries with potatoes
my answer is Yes; Here I am showing simple way of cooking Alu curry in south Indian
style.
/
The Famous South Indian Potato
Curry or Alu Curry( which I love to eat always):
PREPARATION TIME: 45mins
SERVE: 2 persons
ITEMS LIST:
3 or 4 - Medium sized alu (potato)
4 - Medium sized onions
4 - Green chilies
½ - Ginger
Coriander leaves – few leaves
Curry leaves – 6
Urad dal – ½ tsp.
Gram dal – ½ tsp.
Pinch of turmeric - ½ tsp.
PREPARATION:
Add half glass of drinking water
into small cooker.
Boil the alu in cooker, after
it cooked remove the skin, crush into small pieces and keep it aside in a steel
plate. Cut the onion into fine pieces. Cut green chilies into small Pieces,
chop coriander, curry and ginger into small pieces.
STEPS:
Put two tablespoon oil in pan,
when oil is hot add a small spoon of mustard seeds, then add gram dal and urad
dal, pinch of turmeric, ginger followed by green chilies. When this is done,
add onion and fry for 5-7 minutes in low heat. After the onion gets cooked add
cut coriander leaves and curry leaves. Then add crushed alu, salt to taste and
mix them on low heat for 5 minutes. Keep it aside and serve with hot white rice.
Enjoy the day by eating with the potato curry and potato chips.
..............................
Health Is Great!
Maddali Swetha, MBA(hr)
