Although potatoes are not as healthy as leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, they can be healthy if they are prepared properly
Do you avoid potatoes because you believe they will make you gain weight? People on low-carbohydrate or low-glycemic-index diets tend to avoid potatoes because they are high in carbohydrates. Potatoes are not as bad for you as people think.
According to a new study from Edith Cowan University, potatoes are still a healthy choice even though they may not offer the same benefits as other vegetables.
Previous studies have linked potatoes to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The new study suggests that potatoes are not unhealthy. It’s how you cook them and how much you eat that is harmful.
Science Daily reported that the ECU study concluded, “Health problems associated with potatoes could be caused by how people prepare them and what they eat them with.”
Health benefits of eating more vegetables
Dieticians, nutritionists and other health professionals encourage people to eat more vegetables. Why?
According to the ECU study, people who ate the most vegetables had a 21 percent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Those who consumed a high amount of leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and lettuce, were at a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers found that even though potatoes did not have the same effect on Type 2 Diabetes, they had no negative effects.
You should pay attention to how you consume potatoes.
Healthy Ways to Consume Potatoes
The way people prepare and eat potatoes is varied: boiled or mashed, crisps, chips, or fries.
In the ECU research, boiled potatoes did not have any effect on diabetes. People who ate more potatoes consumed foods known to increase the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, including butter, red meat, and soft drinks.
Researchers noted that eating fries and mashed potatos was associated with diabetes, because they were prepared with butter and cream and other oils and fats.
The study concluded that potatoes are not as bad as they seem, if you prepare them in a healthy manner.
One of the researchers and PhD candidate Pratik pokharel suggested that you replace refined grains like white rice and pasta, with potatoes, to improve your diet. Potatoes contain fibre and nutrients which are beneficial for your health. The carbohydrate content of boiled potatoes is superior to that of white rice.
It is okay to eat potatoes as long as they are not topped with unhealthy ingredients like butter, cream, or oil. You can eat potatoes by boiling them. Avoid mashed or fries with unhealthy ingredients. Pokharel, quoted by Science Daily, said that you do not have to eat it every time with red meat.
Diabetes Care published the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study.
