Dietician Natalya Denisova: fresh potatoes are useful for hypertensive patients and heart patients as a rich source of potassium.
Doctor Denisova stated that potatoes are often unfairly called harmful product. Fresh and properly prepared, it is actually beneficial for the body in many ways.
Denisova explained the benefits of potatoes for people with cardiovascular diseases.
“Due to their high potassium content, potatoes can help with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Potassium helps lower blood pressure. In addition, the vegetable is a mild diuretic,” the candidate of medical sciences shared with aif.ru.
The specialist clarified that two or three medium potatoes in excess provide more than half of the body’s daily need for potassium.
“ The best way to prepare it is to cook it in its jacket. You can also bake in the oven with the peel on,” noted the nutritionist.
Denisova added that in addition to potassium, potatoes contain other minerals in the form of calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. The vegetable also provides the body with vitamins: for example, B complex vitamins or vitamin C. As for its caloric content, when potatoes are boiled or baked without the use of oil, their calories are not of concern: 100 grams contain 76 kcal. In French fries, their content increases several times at once.
What is important to remember: freshly cooked, unrefrigerated potatoes have a high glycemic index due to the significant concentration of starch – this means that after eating them, the blood sugar level rises sharply. If you have diabetes, its use should be discussed with your doctor. Boiled potatoes become most useful after cooling in the refrigerator – their starch is converted and becomes a prebiotic, promoting the development of beneficial intestinal microflora.
The MedikForum.ru portal previously wrote about how improper fasting can harm health.
Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.
Natalia Denisova Healthy lifestyle nutritionist, candidate of medical sciences