Potatoes: useful properties and contraindications

The benefits and harms of potatoes are very important for every person - this food product belongs to the category of the most popular and inexpensive. To decide whether to leave potatoes in your diet, you need to familiarize yourself with the properties of the tubers.

The history of the origin of potatoes

For the first time, potatoes began to be cultivated in South America, and it happened about 8 thousand years ago. For a long time, the product was not known on other continents, but after the conquest of South America by European seafarers, the potatoes entered the territory of the Old World - this happened in the 16th century. At first, the product was considered the food of the poor, but then the nobility tasted its taste, and since then they began to use potatoes everywhere.

As for Russia, potatoes were brought into it under Peter I - and at first, the spread of tubers was literally forced. After they learned how to process potatoes correctly, it became a favorite not only for peasants, but also for noble people. The great advantages of the culture are still the ease of cultivation, the availability and the existence of a large number of varieties.

Vitamins and minerals in potatoes

Potatoes are a product useful for human health. Nondescript tubers contain many valuable substances. Namely, in the composition of potatoes you can find:

• an abundance of B vitamins - among them B9 and B6, B2 and B1, B5;
• vitamins E and K;
• ascorbic acid;
• PP acid;
• beta carotene and choline;
• mineral components iron, potassium, magnesium, copper and calcium;
• sodium, zinc, phosphorus, manganese and selenium;
• antioxidants;
• ash and fiber.

Nutritional value and calorie content of potatoes

Basically, potatoes are represented by carbohydrates - there are about 16 g of them in the product. There are only 2 g of proteins in potatoes, almost no fat - no more than 0.4 g. The calorie content of 100 g of the product is 77 kcal - it is rather difficult to get better on potatoes.

Why potatoes are useful for the body

The product not only perfectly saturates and replenishes energy reserves, but also has beneficial properties. Potatoes are capable of:

• increase the tone of the body and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system;
• reduce pressure and protect blood vessels from atherosclerosis;
• help in the treatment of heartburn, gastritis with high acidity and ulcers;
• fight cold symptoms - potatoes are often used for compresses and inhalations;
• relieve inflammation and promote healing of mucous membranes;
• eliminate swelling and headache.

The highest concentration of nutrients is present in yellow potatoes, it contains an increased amount of beta-carotene, which is useful for eyes, skin and hair.

Raw potatoes

The health benefits of raw potatoes are great. It retains all the initially present useful substances, while during cooking or baking, some of them are inevitably lost.

Raw potatoes are effective in strengthening the immune system and relieving inflammation in the joints. Tubers help get rid of edema and speed up metabolic processes, improve skin condition and stop hair loss. The benefits of fresh potatoes are manifested in inflammation of the oral cavity, as the product quickly heals teeth and gums.

baked potato

The benefits of potatoes in the oven are highly appreciated by culinary experts and nutritionists. When baked, the tubers are soft and crumbly, very pleasant to the taste. At the same time, quite a lot of valuable substances are preserved - the product remains useful for digestion, is well absorbed, neutralizes acids and helps the liver.

The benefit of baked potatoes is their low calorie content. The product can be used on a diet, but in small portions.

Jacket potatoes

Since the peel of potato tubers also contains a lot of valuable substances, sometimes the product is baked or boiled unpeeled. The finished dish is very useful for the stomach and blood vessels, it brings a lot of vitamins to the body. The advantage of jacket potatoes is that they are supplied with a large amount of vitamin C - with conventional cooking methods, most of the vitamin is lost.

Boiled potatoes

The most popular way of processing the product is cooking. True, at the same time, many useful properties contained in the potatoes are lost, but the tubers are boiled very quickly and become soft and pleasant to the taste. Boiled potatoes are well absorbed by the intestines and are suitable as an addition to most dishes.

Boiled potatoes also benefit from the reduced starch content of the product after processing. Because of this, boiled potatoes become especially dietary.

Can I eat potatoes

The health benefits and harms of potatoes are not the same for different ailments. You need to know what action a product can produce in certain situations.

When losing weight

Diet food does not require a complete rejection of potatoes. Boiled, steamed or baked tubers without the addition of vegetable oil will not harm the figure. Only fried potatoes should be excluded from the diet, they have a high calorie content and contribute to a set of extra pounds.

In addition, during the diet, it is recommended to eat potatoes only during the daytime. In the evening, potatoes will be harmful as calories will be stored in adipose tissue.

Pregnant and lactating women

During pregnancy, the product helps to replenish the reserves of potassium, folic acid, calcium and phosphorus - this is the benefit of potatoes for a woman's body. However, tubers can only be eaten boiled or baked - there will be harm from fried or stewed potatoes. Also, raw tubers can cause harm if they turn out to be greenish or sprouted; solanine is very dangerous for the mother and the fetus.

During lactation, potatoes can be returned to the diet as early as 2 months after childbirth. Boiled or baked, it will not harm the body and will be well received by the baby.

With diabetes mellitus

With elevated blood glucose levels, potatoes are an undesirable food. It is too high in calories and has a rather high glycemic index, so it can lead to a sharp increase in sugar.

Fried potatoes, mashed potatoes and fries, as well as chips are strictly forbidden for diabetics. If you have permission from a doctor, you can use a boiled product - but not more than 200 g per day. At the same time, sugar indicators must be carefully monitored.

With gastritis and pancreatitis

Potatoes have anti-inflammatory properties and are well absorbed by the stomach, so it is allowed to use it for gastritis. There are even special treatment regimens based on fresh potato juice - they help to quickly relieve exacerbations of gastritis and ulcers.

The benefits and harms of potatoes for inflammation of the pancreas are ambiguous. In general, the product is allowed, but only after acute pain subsides. The potatoes need to be boiled or baked, then it will have a positive effect on the secretion of the pancreas. The fried product will have to be excluded from the diet - in this case, the potatoes will harm, provoking an exacerbation.

With gout

Potatoes contain a lot of potassium, calcium, phosphorus and amino acids, which is very useful for patients with gout. Animal protein is not recommended for use in case of illness, but the vegetable protein present in potatoes will help strengthen joints and at the same time will not contribute to the deposition of harmful salts.

You can eat potatoes in the presence of gout in all forms, except fried. The beneficial properties of potatoes will help remove excess toxins from the body and improve metabolism.

With diarrhea

Potatoes have light fixing properties and do not provoke frustration. Therefore, with diarrhea, you can use it. There are also healing recipes based on the product - fresh potato juice helps to quickly cope with intestinal upset.

At what age can potatoes be given to children

It is possible to introduce potato dishes into the baby's diet already from 6-8 months - the potatoes are steamed in a chopped form, and mashed soups are prepared from it. The beneficial properties of potatoes for children are that the product supplies potassium, calcium, phosphorus and other substances to the child's body, promotes the formation of muscles and bones, strengthens the immune system and the nervous system.

At the same time, potatoes should appear in complementary foods after other products and make up only a small part of the diet. Tubers contain a lot of starch, therefore, in large quantities, they can cause constipation and colic in the baby. It is better not to give potatoes to children with a tendency to overweight.

Therefore, before adding a product to a children's diet, you should definitely consult a pediatrician.

The use of potatoes in traditional medicine

The benefits of potatoes for the human body are often used to treat certain ailments. And the effectiveness of folk recipes is confirmed by practice.

Cough treatment

Potatoes are effective in treating lingering wet coughs. There are two ways to treat the symptoms.

1. For colds and bronchitis, inhalation with potatoes is carried out. The benefits of breathing over potatoes when coughing is that the healing steam warms up the airways and relieves inflammation. It is enough to boil a few potatoes in a liter of water, and then sit for ten minutes with your head bent over the pan.
2. Grind the baked potatoes in mashed potatoes, spread them on a piece of gauze and apply a compress to the chest, closer to the collarbones. You need to keep the compress until the potatoes cool, in total it is recommended to do about 7 procedures daily for a week.

For headache relief

Potatoes help eliminate migraines - you need to take 50 ml of fresh potato juice daily on an empty stomach. The remedy primarily normalizes blood pressure, so the headaches quickly subside.

From mastitis

Mashed potatoes are diluted with half a glass of vegetable oil, mixed properly, spread on a piece of gauze and a compress for a sore chest is made. You need to keep it for about an hour, so it is more convenient to fix the compress with a handkerchief or towel. The procedure should be done until the symptoms subside.

For burns and eczema

Useful potato juice helps to restore the skin and relieve inflammation. The tool needs to wipe sore spots several times a day, then healing will occur faster.

Joint treatment

In case of arthritis, osteochondrosis and radiculitis, it is recommended to mash boiled potatoes in mashed potatoes and mix it with a small amount of iodine. For medicinal purposes, it is better to take tubers of pink varieties. The resulting mass is applied with a compress to sore spots, fixed with cling film and bandages and left overnight. The medicinal properties of potatoes effectively relieve swelling, soothe pain and reduce inflammation.

For ear pain and high fever

For pain in the ears, nasal congestion and sore throat, it is recommended to do, first of all, inhalation with potatoes. To do this, boil several tubers, and then breathe hot steam over the pan for 10 minutes.

Sometimes fresh potato juice is used to treat otitis media, it is instilled into each ear with a few drops of warm.

You can also make compresses from the temperature - fresh potatoes should be grated, mixed with 1 large spoonful of vinegar and put on cheesecloth. The compress is kept on the forehead for about half an hour, if necessary, repeat the procedure, and the heat quickly subsides.

From hemorrhoids

The healing properties of potatoes will help cure hemorrhoids and cracks. From a raw potato it is necessary to cut a small oblong candle with blunt ends, insert it into the anus at night. In the morning, the candle leaves the body on its own during the bowel movement.

For insect bites

It is recommended to treat bite sites with raw potato compresses. The tuber needs to be grated, mixed with a little olive oil and applied on a piece of gauze to the sore spot. The tool will eliminate swelling and relieve itching and burning if you repeat the procedure several times a day.

Cleansing the body of toxins and toxins

Cleansing the stomach, intestines and blood vessels from accumulated toxins is carried out with fresh potato juice. To do this, you need to drink a glass of healing juice in the morning for 1.5 weeks. After the procedure, it is recommended to lie down for a while, and an hour after taking the product, you can have breakfast.

How potatoes are used in home cosmetology

The beneficial properties of tubers are highly valued in folk beauty recipes. Potatoes noticeably improve skin condition and have a strong anti-aging effect.

Potatoes for bruises under the eyes

The benefit of potatoes for the face is that it removes dark circles under the eyes and puffiness. It is necessary:

• mix a teaspoon of raw grated potatoes with a large spoonful of chopped parsley;
• add a large spoonful of olive oil;
• dilute the mixture with oat or wheat flour to give it a viscous consistency.

The mask is applied to a washed face and kept for about a quarter of an hour. It improves blood circulation under the skin and helps to fade under-eye bruises.

Anti-wrinkle potato mask

To eliminate fine wrinkles and tighten the face, you need to grate one raw potato, mix with a teaspoon of rice flour and add 2 teaspoons of milk. The mixture is spread over the face and kept for a standard time - about 15 minutes. It is recommended to carry out the procedure weekly.

Acne potato mask

The cleansing and anti-inflammatory properties of potatoes will help get rid of acne. It is necessary to dilute a teaspoon of honey with fresh potato juice, apply the mask to the skin and hold for a quarter of an hour. If you do the procedure every 3 days, then the result will be noticeable in a week.

Nourishing mask with sour cream

To nourish the skin with vitamins, improve its tone and increase elasticity, you can make the following mask:

• 1 boiled potato is mashed and mixed with a teaspoon of sour cream;
• add a teaspoon of olive oil;
• applied to the face in a double layer, smoothing the skin along the massage lines, and left for a quarter of an hour.

You need to do the mask regularly, at least twice a week, then it will have a quick effect.

The benefits and harms of potato peel

The properties of potato flowers and the benefits of tubers are widely known. But there are a lot of valuable elements in the peel - it is not necessary to remove it during cooking.

In particular, it contains large quantities of potassium and zinc, which are necessary for the healthy functioning of the heart and blood vessels. The peel contains important enzymes that improve the absorption of starch, so jacket potatoes are digested faster and easier than peeled potatoes.

But the peel can also be harmful. It contains the substance solanine, which is dangerous to human health, especially in the greenish areas of the tuber. In addition, it is the peel that accumulates the most pesticides, which are often used for growing tubers.

The healing properties of potato sprouts

Despite the fact that solanine is present in young potato sprouts, they have a lot of useful properties. The sprouts are used to make medicinal products that help with vision and joint ailments, fungal infections and dermatitis, and inflammatory diseases. Sprouts are used both for compresses and for the preparation of infusions and decoctions.

Solanine is not harmful in small doses. If you follow the proven dosages when using medicinal products, the properties of the sprouts will have a positive effect on health.

How many potatoes can you eat per day

The benefits and harms of potatoes for the body are largely determined by the dosage. The recommended daily allowance for a healthy person is no more than 300 g of tubers, boiled or baked. This portion contains enough vitamins and nutrients.

Harm of potatoes and contraindications

With all the unconditional benefits, the product can be harmful for certain diseases. Consuming potatoes is contraindicated:

• with obesity;
• with urolithiasis;
• with acute intestinal diseases;
• with venereal diseases.

With caution, potatoes should be approached for gastritis with high acidity and diabetes mellitus.

How to choose potatoes when buying

The benefits and harms of potatoes for human health largely depend on their quality.

1. You should not buy green or heavily sprouted potatoes, they have been stored for too long, and harmful substances have accumulated in the peel.
2. The poor quality of tubers is evidenced by rough areas, growths or ulcers on the peel.
3. Potatoes with rotten sides are not suitable for eating.

Good potatoes should have a clean skin and a uniform color.

It is also recommended to pay attention to the variety. Yellow potatoes are considered especially sweet, they contain a lot of carotenes, and they boil well. In potatoes of white and red varieties, the content of starch and fiber is reduced. In addition, there is less starch in young potatoes - you can distinguish them from old ones by their thinner skin.

How to store potatoes

When storing potatoes at home, it is important to observe several conditions. Tubers will retain their beneficial properties for several months if kept in a dark place at a temperature of 2 to 7 degrees.

Under the sun's rays, harmful solanine begins to be produced in it. Also, the product does not like high humidity.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of potatoes depend on the careful selection of tubers and on compliance with storage rules. Ripe and healthy potatoes are good for the body and even help heal ailments.

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