How nutritious are potatoes
February 6, 2009
Potato is considered to be a versatile food all over the world. It is immensely rich in carbohydrate. Potatoes get cooked and served in a wide variety of forms. A freshly harvested potato mostly contains water. Eighty percent of such fresh potatoes are constituted by water, whereas the remaining twenty percent is dry matter. This dry stuff is mainly starch. Compared to its other tuber cousins, potato is high in its protein content as well.
Another beneficial aspect of potato is that it is relatively low in fat content. This does not mean that potato is devoid of nutritious vitamins and minerals. When eaten along with its skin, a single medium-sized potato has the potential of providing nearly half of the daily adult requirement of Vitamin C.
Other essential elements present in potato include iron, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. Being a rich source of Vitamin C, potatoes are found to enhance the pace of iron absorption by the body. Potatoes are also found to be abundant in Vitamin B1, B3 and B6. It is also rich in folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin.
The presence of certain dietary antioxidants in potatoes deserves special mention as far as its nutritional value is considered. These antioxidants are found to be beneficial in preventing certain diseases related to ageing.
The nutritive value of potato-based meals largely depends upon the components served with them. Mode of preparation also plays a decisive role in determining its caloric value. Boiling potatoes result in the loss of Vitamin C. Frying them in heated oil, as in the making of French Fries, results in the increased absorption of fat and thereby reduces mineral and ascorbic acid content.
Though potatoes are not fattening by themselves, preparing and serving them with high-fat ingredients increases the general caloric value of the dish. Though baking also decreases the Vitamin C content in potatoes, loss of other vitamins and minerals are found to be less during baking.
St.Botanica Cosmetics
Recent Articles
How nutritious is gooseberry
The words of elders are like gooseberry: bitter at first, then sweet. This analogy best describes the taste of translucent, nutritious and wonderful gooseberry.
How nutritious is bitter gourd
What comes first in your mind when you think of bitter gourd? Obviously, its strong and bitter taste. Although this vegetable tastes bitter
How nutritious is fenugreek
Fenugreek is a wonder herb and its no wonder that Jews customarily eat fenugreek on the occasion of the New Year. In Jewish mythology fenugreek signifies that merits will increase.
How nutritious is bottle gourd
Bottle gourd is a wonder vegetable that is curing people worldwide and more and more people are accepting it in their lifestyles after realizing the benefits achieved by its consumption.
How nutritious are pineapples
Do you know which fruit did Christopher Columbus introduce to Europe? No, you are wrong, it is not orange, its pineapple. Did you know that fresh pineapple
