Often we are in search of information about how these or other food products are useful for our body. We are interested in how rich in mango and salmon fillet, crab meat or figs are. But sometimes we pay little attention to the food that comes to our plate almost every day. But it is she who determines how fully nutritious our body gets. Today we’ll talk about a product that we, the Slavs, sometimes call the second bread. And this is true: whether it's summer or winter, a huge metropolis or a modest village, our favorite product, potatoes, appears on tables with an enviable frequency. The nutritional value of such a painfully familiar vegetable is actually very important. It not only fulfills the role of food that satisfies hunger, but also fills us with energy, vitamins and is even able to truly heal.
Healthy food
A healthy diet primarily depends on how balanced it is. It is necessary to make the menu in such a way that the ingredients favorably complement not only the taste qualities of each other, but also the chemical composition. With insufficient replenishment of vitamins or other useful substances in the body, you can not only feel a deterioration in well-being, but also seriously ill.
Great attention should also be paid to what we eat. The product must be of high quality, fresh, properly stored and prepared. Failure to comply with the rules can turn any, even the most ordinary food, into poison for our body. Let's take a little time on what potatoes are. Nutritional value, chemical composition, its benefits and harms for our body, how to properly use this product as food - these are the main issues that we will touch upon today.
He energizes
Potato is the undisputed leader in starch content. But it not only promotes gentle digestion, but also breaks down under the influence of enzymes on polysaccharides. It is they who give us strength and energy. You should know that in tubers of late varieties (winter), starch is contained more than in early ones. But this is not the only element that potatoes are rich in . The nutritional value of this product is also due to the protein content, and hence the amino acids that we need to rejuvenate the body, with their help our body rebuilds new cells. Among them are protein, albumin, globulin and peptone. In terms of protein content, potatoes are only slightly inferior to meat products and eggs.
Minerals
The chemical composition of potatoes is saturated with macro- and microelements, rich in vitamins. Potassium - 427 mg, phosphorus - 58 mg and magnesium - 22 mg per 100 g of tuber are the leading minerals. To fully saturate the body with these elements, an adult needs to eat 300 g of potatoes per day.
The chemical composition of potatoes also includes:
- choline - 13 mg;
- calcium - 11 mg;
- sodium - 6 mg;
- iron - 0.8 mg;
- selenium - 0.4 mg.
Among the trace elements are zinc, copper, bromine, cobalt, boron, manganese, iodine and many others.
And vitamins
Potato has a high content of vitamins, especially there is a lot of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in it - 11 mg per 100 g of product. Thanks to him, the countries of Europe managed at one time to defeat the scurvy epidemic. It is also rich in B vitamins - B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9. There is also vitamin K in tubers , and it is far from always found in plant foods. Its value is very important - it maintains a state of blood, and the whole cardiovascular system as a whole, is normal.
Effect on the body
Raw potatoes have much higher nutritional value than heat-treated potatoes. Most vitamins are destroyed during cooking, so you need to try to cook the dish as quickly as possible. Fresh potato juice has healing properties and is useful for the digestive system: it can heal gastritis and even ulcers. Potato dishes normalize the work of the stomach, intestines and have a mild diuretic effect. Its positive effect on the condition of the heart and blood vessels is also very large.
The benefits of potatoes are the ability to heal any wounds, ulcers and burns. Rub a little raw potatoes on a fine grater and attach to the burn (wound), after several such “sessions” any, even the most difficult, wound will begin to heal, and the burn will not leave a trace. Pairs of boiled “tunic” are very useful in diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
Benefit, Not Harm
The main concentration of nutrients in the tuber is under the skin. As a rule, we get rid of them, therefore we deprive ourselves of most of the trace elements that potatoes are so rich in. Its nutritional value will be significantly higher if cooked with a peel. This is not always possible to apply to late varieties of potatoes, because their skin is quite dense, but to a young one it is. Rinse the potatoes thoroughly and cook or bake in this form. And even small nodules of potatoes are much more useful than large ones, and they cook much faster. Try not to pour peeled potatoes with water, it is better to cook it immediately. Most vitamins are easily washed and dissolved in water.
Do not eat potatoes that have greenish spots on their peels or have time to sprout. Such tubers are saturated with solanine - a substance that is dangerous to health. If you notice that the potato has begun to sprout - get rid of the sprouts and put it in a cool place (refrigerator or cellar).
As you can see, the benefit for our body is brought not only by overseas products, but also ours, such relatives and loved ones. Be attentive to your health, and it will certainly answer you with gratitude. Health to you and your loved ones!