
Potatoes are a type of vegetable native to South America. It is a staple food in many parts of the world and is very nutritious, providing a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Sweet potatoes are low in calories and fat-free, making them a popular choice for weight loss and healthy eating. They are also a good source of energy, providing energy slowly and continuously. However, the way potatoes are prepared can greatly affect their health.
Although they may not have the benefits of other vegetables, potatoes can be a good choice if prepared properly.
In recent years, low- or no-fat diets have become popular, causing potatoes to be neglected in favor of other vegetables.
In fact, research has shown that potatoes can affect health, including the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
However, a new study by Edith Cowan University (ECU) has shown that spuds may not have any benefits like other vegetables – such as reducing the risk of diabetes Type 2 – problems related to potatoes may be due to the way people prepare them. they are what they are being fed with.
More than 54,000 people reported their dietary intake in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health survey.
The latest study of the research led by Dr. Nicola Bondonno from ECU’s Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute found that people who ate the most vegetables were 21 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least amount of vegetables.
Ph.D. Pratik Pokharel conducted a review and said that although potatoes did not affect type 2 disease, they also did not have any problems.
“In previous studies, potatoes have been positively associated with the number of diabetes, regardless of how they are prepared – but we found that is not true,” said Mr. Pokharel.
“In Denmark, people eat potatoes cooked in different ways; in our study, we can distinguish between different methods of preparation. When we separated boiled potatoes from mashed potatoes, fries or crisps, boiled potatoes were no longer associated with a higher risk of diabetes: they had a null effect.”
Mr. Pokharel said that food containing nutrients is very important.
“In our study, people who ate more potatoes also ate more butter, red meat, and soft drinks — foods known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes,” he said.
“If you think about this, boiled potatoes will not cause diabetes. It’s just fries and mashed potatoes, maybe because they’re usually made with butter, cream, etc.”
Eat your vegetables
Mr. Pokharel said that the results of this study show that vegetables can help reduce type 2 diabetes, because people who eat a lot of green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower have a lower risk of diabetes. culture.
He also said that the relationship between vegetables and sugar should be included in the public diet – as well as the benefits of eating potatoes.
“Finding that vegetables reduce the risk of diabetes is very important for public health advice, and we shouldn’t ignore it,” he said.
“In the case of potatoes, we cannot say that they have benefits in terms of type 2 diabetes, but they are not bad if they are prepared properly. We need to separate potatoes from vegetables when it comes to communicating disease prevention messages, but adding refined potatoes like white rice and pasta can help you eat better because of the fiber and other nutrients found in potatoes.”
Participating in the kitchen
Mr. Pokharel said that people should be advised to increase their vegetarian diet – and they can include potatoes, as long as they avoid other unhealthy foods such as butter, cream, and oil.
“Potatoes have fiber and nutrients, which are good for you,” she said.
“People only say carbs are bad, but they only talk about the type of carbs you have; compared to something like white rice, boiled potatoes are a good quality food. But be careful with how you prepare it: don’t eat fried foods or porridge with additives all the time. Just boil it and eat it like other vegetables or other foods – and you don’t have to have red meat all the time.
Review: “Vegetables, But Not Potatoes, Consumption Is Associated With Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Cohort” by Pratik Pokharel, Cecilie Kyrø, Anja Olsen, Anne Tjønneland, Kevin Murray, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Catherine P. Bondonno, Jonathan M. Hodgson and Nicola P. Bondonno, 5 December 2022, Managing Diabetes.
DOI: 10.2337/dc22-0974