Boiled potatoes - benefits and harm to the health of the body

The potato phenomenon does not cease to amaze even after centuries. The root crop introduced from overseas has taken root on the Eurasian continent so much that sometimes it is not believed in its “foreign” origin. Today it’s hard to imagine any menu at all, be it a gala dinner or an everyday meal without potato dishes. From this garden culture you can cook a lot of healthy and satisfying snacks, soups, main dishes. But, probably, even all gourmet dishes are more popular than simple boiled potatoes.

Potato myths and legends

Now it’s hard to believe that the path to the pinnacle of popularity with potatoes was long and thorny. At first, overseas vegetables were not very much favored in high society, and it was completely inaccessible to ordinary people. But, thanks to the art of the best chefs of that time, the vegetable gradually began to win the sympathy of people. He cultivated relatively quickly in different countries, where he began to be actively grown and served at the table in the homes of nobles and the poor.

But not everything went so smoothly. Myths about the negative impact of potatoes significantly spoiled its ratings. When it first appeared in Europe, some scientists of that time expressed the opinion that the vegetable contains poisons and can cause serious poisoning. A little later, already at the end of the 19th century, potatoes were accused of the fact that it contributes to weight gain. Proponents of this hypothesis are found today. Of course, there is some truth to this. But the cause of obesity is not in the product itself, but in the method of its preparation. Fried potatoes, flavored with fat sauce, are a source of extra calories. If you cook potato dishes according to all the rules, it will only benefit the body.

Potato benefits

Let's try to figure out what potatoes are useful for and how they can harm them.

Tubers of this unpretentious garden crop contain a lot of useful substances. First of all, these are antioxidants that are stored in the product even after its cooking. Young potatoes are considered the most useful, but tubers that are stored for a long time already have almost no such qualities.

Boiled potatoes are useful for blood vessels and digestive organs, with renal pathologies and problems of the genitourinary sphere. And its high starch content blocks the accumulation of cholesterol. In general, potato starch is an invaluable product because it:

• has a bactericidal property;
• promotes wound healing;
• reduces the acidity of gastric secretions;
• normalizes the work of the stomach and intestines.

Boiled potato tubers have many other advantages: a neutral taste, product availability, high nutritional value. In addition, in this form, the vegetable goes well with any meat and fish.

What elements are in boiled potatoes?

Contrary to the popular belief that boiled vegetables are only good in fiber, it has been scientifically proven that healthy elements are preserved when boiling potatoes. Most of them are contained in potatoes in their “uniforms”. But even in a peeled vegetable there are a lot of useful substances:

• vitamin group - K, C, E, A, B;
• mineral complex: potassium, sodium, magnesium and other elements;
• choline - a substance that reduces the concentration of fatty acids.

Well-boiled potatoes are recommended for patients after abdominal operations as a dietary dish to restore nutrition. It helps fasting people smoothly return to their normal diet.Traditional healers claim that boiled potatoes help with arthritis and other joint problems.

What diseases can be treated with potatoes?

Potatoes have many useful properties. The main thing is to cook it correctly. It must be remembered that during cooking a significant part of the starch remains in the broth. Many are accustomed to draining the liquid without even thinking about how beneficial it is for the body. After boiling potatoes, it is considered a valuable dietary product that has a positive effect on digestion.

Weight Loss Puree

Boiled potatoes help lose weight. To do this, cook mashed potatoes with dill, and then supplement the dishes with natural yogurt. The recipe is as follows: ½ kg of potatoes will require 100 g of yogurt and about 30 g of dill (it must be finely chopped). To make the mashed potatoes light and airy, it is better to pass it through a blender.

In addition to improving the shape of the figure, boiled potatoes are capable of:

• improve the elastic properties of blood vessels;
• reduce pressure (you need to drink potato broth regularly);
• cure cough and runny nose if you breathe steam over potatoes boiled in a peel;
• bronchitis can be quickly cured by applying potato cakes to the chest.

baked potato

A baked product is useful not only in that it has a low calorie content, it is also able to show its healing qualities. Traditional healers advise using mashed potatoes from potatoes prepared in this way to treat boils, carbuncles and other pustular skin diseases. For the therapeutic effect, it is enough to attach a potato cake to the inflamed place of heat. Potatoes baked in ash are also treated with bronchitis and laryngitis using a potato chest wrap.

Important! Warming compresses are not placed on the heart area. This rule also applies to other similar procedures.

What can a potato do?

Regarding the harmful properties of this wonderful vegetable, one thing can be said - this is a relative concept. Of course, if the diet does not consist of one potato. If you eat potatoes in boiled or baked form no more than 200 g per day, then you can not worry about weight at all. Do not cook dishes with potatoes for dinner, then calories in the form of fatty deposits will not accumulate. It is better to eat vegetables in any form for lunch.

If boiled potatoes do not pose any health threat, then this cannot be said of another popular dish - french fries. Unfortunately, manufacturers do not always change the oil in the fryer, which contributes to the formation of carcinogens. Chips are not recommended for people with diseases of the liver, stomach, kidneys. The dish is contraindicated for those who have problems with cholesterol.

An important point! Potatoes need to be stored correctly, otherwise tubers may acquire a greenish tint. This color indicates the formation of a component of solanine, which can cause severe poisoning.

Potato is a unique product that is always and in any form appropriate on the table. And so that it really brings maximum health benefits, you need to create optimal conditions for its storage and properly prepare dishes from it.

Video: the benefits and harms of potatoes