EAT POTATOES BUT DON'T BE A COUCH POTATO

Potatoes 

I was just thinking of writing about some summer fruits, after all it's summer and there are varieties of fruit but two of my patients asked about potatoes. First one  asked potatoes contain lots of fat ? Second one asked me to include potatoes in his diet and he will burn off those extra calories daily with exercise. It gave me the idea to write about "POTATOES "

In this COVID lock down,  potatoes 

have given me a feeling of food security, whether I eat it or not. 

The potato is native to South America, where it has been used as food for over 2000 years. From there it was introduced to Europe in the 16th century. It appears to have been introduced to India in the 17th century by the Portuguese. The potato is cultivated almost throughout India up to an altitude of 3300 m. During the fiscal year 2020 the volume of potato produced across India accounted for over 48 million metric tonnes. Majority of Indian potatoes came from Uttar Pradesh.

Potatoes are a valuable article of diet. It can be used as a complete or partial substitute for cereals in the diet. It is used as cooked vegetables,  potatoes are served in a large variety of ways - boiled,  steamed, fried,baked, roasted or as an ingredient of soups,stews and fries. They are processed into products as potato chips,dehydrated mashed , frozen french fries, and potato flour. Industrial alcohol is produced by the fermentation of cooked potatoes. Considerable quantities of potatoes are used for feeding livestock. 

Under suitable conditions potatoes yield a higher food value per hectare than any cereals.  The main disadvantage in comparison to cereals are their higher water content which adds to their cost to transport and their shorter storage life.

The main source of carbohydrates in the diet are starch and sugars. Tubers like potatoes are a good source of starch which is a complex carbohydrate.Potatoes contain an excellent amount of amylose (22%)and amylopectin (78%) as starch.  It is an energy yielding food.These energy producing nutrients which may help manage depression, heartburn and memory functions. 

Potatoes contain about 2 percent protein, which is a fair source.Potato has tuberin which is a globulin. Proteins from potatoes are considered to be of good quality because they are relatively high in the levels of Lysine and tryptophan. The chemical score is relatively good. 

So what is required is a balanced diet menu which should have a variety of dals along with cereals supplemented by green leafy vegetables and potatoes. 

Potatoes have a very low concentration of calcium, 10mg/100 gms. It's a poor source of magnesium 20mg/100 gms , free folic acid 3 microgram/100 gms , PABA 34 microgram per 100 gms and bioflavonoid. Fair source of potassium 250 mg/100gms and copper.Moderate Source Of Chromium.Negligible amount of vitamin K and high in calories 100 to 150 calories/100 gms. Zinc is present in potatoes but it is poorly absorbed due to phytates which interfere in its absorption. 

Browning can be observed on the cut potato surface due to enzymatic action. The formation of brown colour is due ro the action of the enzyme phenolase (also known as polyphenol oxidase, tyrosinase or catecholase). It can be prevented by excluding oxygen from the reaction site. The common method used is to immerse the pieces into water. Or it is better to cook just after chopping. 

Anthocyanin is found in purple, blue and red potato skin,it is an antioxidant pigment which may be cancer and heart protective.

Some parts of potatoes are poisonous.  These are the sprouting parts which can be recognised by a green colour. The green colour is due to a chemical solanine which is an alkaloid. It has a bitter taste. Sprouting potatoes with green colour or spots should not be purchased. If green spots are observed after purchase these should be removed before cooking. Consuming the poisonous pieces which may cause pain in the stomach, diarrhoea or jaundice. Rotten potato might carry Bacillus cereus, a spore forming gram positive aerobic bacilli. The symptoms are nausea, severe abdominal colic and watery diarrhoea. 

Baking potatoes with skin will retain the vitamins specially all the ascorbic acid and minerals since these occur in greatest concentration in the skin. Potatoes boiled with the skin intact lose only a small amount of ascorbic acid. This important antioxidant vitamin may protect against free radicals and enhance immune function. 

Potatoes help in sprains and strains. Muscles require glycogen (derived from glucose) for optimum exertion for athletic events.  To ensure that muscles receive enough fuel, eat potatoes rich in complex carbohydrates. 

Dietary support from complex carbohydrates,  which is found in "comfort food" like potatoes, is another nutritional defense against stress and anxiety. Eating foods that are high in complex carbohydrates along with foods high in tryptophan will help facilitate the proper absorption of tryptophan. The brain uses tryptophan to help produce serotonin, a mood enhancing neurotransmitter, which helps to relax and feel more calm.  This is the reason we love to munch on those wafers. They may dampen the stress response by elevating the level of serotonin. Vitamin B6 assists in the production of brain chemicals such as serotonin which help the body cope with anxiety and stress.  So there is a reason to love potatoes.

Depressed people sometimes turn to foods rich in complex carbohydrates found in "comfort food" as potatoes, which are thought to also have a favorable effect on the production of serotonin. Vitamin B6 in potatoes helps in the manufacture of enzymes responsible for the metabolism of certain mood regulating nerve chemicals. 

Suffering from Insomnia,  include potatoes in the diet. Complex carbohydrate in potatoes may promote drowsiness by enhancing tryptophan absorption. 

By lowering the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream, potatoes high in complex carbohydrates may offer satisfaction for those women plagued by PMS induced food cravings. Further complex carbohydrates are thought to increase levels of the brain chemical serotonin which helps to regulate mood.

Potato contains caffeic acid and ferulic acid  is a widely available phenolic compound that may have antioxidant capabilities and may block carcinogenic substances generated from seared or charred meat and seafood. 

Chlorogenic acid in potatoes is a phenolic compound which may prevent nitrates from forming into cancer causing nitrosamines. 

Potatoes contain chromium, an essential trace mineral necessary for the manufacture of insulin and for the breakdown of macronutrients. 

Potatoes have copper, a trace mineral is instrumental in bone formation, blood clotting, normal immune function and skeletal mineralisation. 

Potatoes contain anthocyanin, a phytochemical, which may prevent cancer. 

Potatoes contain a fair amount of potassium ,it is needed for enhanced cardiovascular health,  regulation of blood pressure,  muscle contraction, heartbeats and insulin secretions, and lower risk of kidney stones.  Potassium functions as an electrolyte and as such helps to maintain proper fluid balance in the body. Findings from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study support previous research that indicates a potassium rich diet may improve blood pressure and maybe just as important as a low sodium diet. 

 It can be given in a low sodium diet for an adult suffering from congestive cardiac failure, chronic renal failure. For chronic renal failure the potato is boiled and then cooked.

Potatoes have protease inhibitors, powerful anticancer compounds appear to short circuit enzyme production in cancer cells, block the binding of hormones to cells and inhibit malignant changes in healthy cells. 

Saponins present in potatoes are phytochemicals that appear to bind cholesterol and chemical toxins in the digestive tract. Saponins may also inhibit cancer cell replication and increase levels of immune cells. 

Potatoes have vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, a cardio-protective vitamin,  vital for the regulation of mental processes. It also helps to maintain glucose levels, healthy nervous and immune systems and haemoglobin production, lessens symptoms of depression, insomnia and premenstrual syndrome. This vitamin is believed to reduce anxiety and depression by increasing serotonin and other brain chemicals involved with mood.It helps to regulate levels of hormones implicated in the development of acne lesions, vitamin B6 may reduce outbreaks.

Scientists hypothesise that potatoes may enhance the production of memory enhancing brain chemicals. Through glucose metabolism complex carbohydrates may elevate production of neurotransmitters or influence protein in the digestive tract, which signals brain cells and enhances memory.

Boiled mashed potatoes are allowed in a bland low residue diet or a soft diet. It is gentle on stomach digestion. The diet is prescribed to patients suffering from various gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers,diarrhoea, chronic dysentery, ulcerative colitis, diverticulosis,  irritable bowel syndrome,dyspepsia, chronic cholecystitis, chronic pancreatitis, acidity and haemorrhoids, typhoid fever and its convalescence. Potatoes can be a part of a low protein diet prescribed for patients suffering from glomerulonephritis, chronic uraemia, jaundice and viral hepatitis. 

The high calorific value of potato is helpful in planning  for a tuberculosis diet. 

Boiled mashed  potatoes can be a good weaning food. 

It can be mixed with different vegetables to make a variety of food stuff for preschoolers and school going kids. 

Potatoes can be prescribed in anaemia. 

Grated raw potato juice aids in the removal of freckles. 

Thin slices of raw potato slices are great sunburn soothers.

Raw potato pieces can be a good remedy for warts.

People with high cholesterol levels can have potatoes. Studies show that when extra vitamin C is added to a pectin rich diet, cholesterol drops even lower than with pectin alone.

The Lysine in potatoes may be helpful for cold sores sufferers.

After the worst phase of flu is over, the emphasis is on bland starchy food, baked or boiled potatoes topped with yogurt is a good option. 

Potatoes should be avoided by asthmatics, diabetics and hypothyroidism. Potatoes raise blood glucose levels faster than fructose in fruits, therefore it is avoided in diabetes. 

Potatoes have trypsin inhibitors. The trypsin inhibitors have been found to cause growth retardation and hypertrophy of pancreas. The release of essential amino acids particularly methionine is hampered by the presence of inhibitors. Don't have raw potatoes, the trypsin inhibitors are generally heat labile and moist treatment destroys them.

The packaged potato chips are best avoided as the nutrients are removed and only 90% water, sugar and chemicals are left in it. 

Potatoes may bring on an acne attack due to iodides in it.

The nightshade plants like white potatoes should be avoided by the people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

The juice of raw potato is sometimes very toxic to skin,especially if it is already irritated and in case of chapped hands. Either hire a cook or wear tissue thin plastic gloves when handling potatoes. 

Potatoes are limited in phenylketonuria. 

Allergies to potatoes can be seen in adults, children and infants. 

Spare yourself the added calories by enjoying potatoes in their boiled, low fat naturally filling, unprocessed form.

Potatoes are placed next to the cereals or the carbohydrate exchange and not under vegetable exchange .

Goldberger in 1915, in the USA produced pellagra among human volunteers by feeding them a poor diet consisting of maize, wheat flour, potatoes, salt and syrup for a period of 6 months. It was found that adding 200gms of meat or 30 gms of brewer's yeast or 2 pints of milk can cure the disease. It is advisable to have potatoes in limited quantities and it should always be combined with pulses or meats or milk and milk products. 

Potatoes are not villains as it is showcased. It is a high carbohydrate stuff so it should not be consumed with other high carbohydrate stuff . 50 gms of potato can be included in the balanced diet if the diet consists of less than 200 gms of  cereals.It has to be calculated so it has to be left to the dietitian.  For the most nutrients, eat potato with the skin, bake, microwave or steam. If peeling ,remove the thinnest layer possible. If boiling, leave the skin on and try to reuse the cooking water,where many of the B vitamins wind up.

Is omitting Carbohydrates from our diet really beneficial for health?

When I was doing my Master's in Food , Nutrition and Dietetics , the internet was there but smartphones were not. Food was considered as food at that time. With the advancement of technology , synthetic foods are there and along with it the wrong concerns about food has increased. Earlier fad diets like GM diets , Liquid protein diet , Atkins diet , etc were there but the common people were unaware of it .Now almost everyone has a smartphone and every body is attached to social media and everyone is a diet guru.

A few years ago, I met a boy about 20 , he was unemployed. He didn't have money for food. He got a job in a small fitness centre. His work was to clean the centre and it's machine. The other staff helped him financially. When he got his first salary, he was so influenced by the gym trainers that he spent his salary on a big jar of protein powder. In developing countries like ours , people like this boy know about carbs and proteins . Amazing.

But does everybody know what carbohydrates are and its importance?

Carbohydrates as the name suggests contain carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. The carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are formed into units known as saccharide groups. Carbohydrates are classified according to the saccharide groups and it is further classified into the number of saccharide groups present.

First being the Monosaccharides containing only one saccharide group. It's the simplest one. The simple sugar but the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen present in it combines differently to form different simple sugars. They are

D-Glucose (Dextrose or grape sugar). It does not require digestion and can to a limited extent be absorbed by the stomach.

■Fructose (Levulose or fruit sugar). Present in honey , fruits and vegetables. It is an important commercial sweetner used particularly in soft drinks.

■Galactose Lactose breaks down into glucose and galactose.

■Sorbitol -occurs naturally in red seaweed, pears , apples , prunes and peaches. It does not raise blood sugar. It is used as a sweetener for diabetics. It also acts as a laxative .

■Mannitol -found in seaweed, pumpkin, mushroom and onions. It is very slowly absorbed from the digestive tract. It has a purgative effect. It is used to increase the urine output in patients with swelling due to fluid of the brain.

■Mannose -found in some food such as manna plants.

■Pentoses -nutritionally they are not important.

■Xylitol -present in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables. It is used in chewing gums. It decreases food intake and delays emptying of the stomach. It stimulates intestinal motility and may produce diarrhoea.

Disaccharides containing two saccharides are found in

●Sucrose (Table sugar or cane sugar or household sugar or beetroot sugar) , everyone's favourite. Inexpensive source of energy. High sucrose intake damages the liver and increases ALT /SGPT or AST /SGOT enzymes. High intake also leads to dental decay.

●Maltose-  is formed during the breakdown of starch in the process of malting barley. It is also an intermediate product formed in the process of conversion of starch into glucose.

●Lactose - (milk sugar ) sugar of human and animal milk. Easily digestible. Excess of lactose produces diarrhoea.

●Trehalose -found only in mushrooms and insects. Nutritionally not important.

Polysaccharides composed of many molecules of monosaccharides linked together.

○Starch-is the storage form of carbohydrates in the vegetable kingdom , the counterpart of glycogen in the animal kingdom. Starch is found not only in rice but in all the cereals. So it's a myth that a person is overweight by eating rice . If consumed properly rice doesn't harm the body. Starch is also found in pulses. It is found in potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, tapioca , sago , greater yams , lesser yams , and arrowroot. So the people who shout for "no carb diet" have to leave most of the foods found in this world .

○Glycogen -stored mainly in the liver and muscles. It is stored as glycogen or a reserve form of carbohydrates fuel for animals. In a normal person, any amount utilized is replenished immediately.

○Cellulose -forms the cell walls of vegetables, fruit and cereals. It is accomplished by cooking or by mastication , which mechanically breaks down the cellulose. Constipated person can be helped by cellulose which provides an unabsorbable bulk , distends the intestine and stimulates peristalsis.

○Isaphgul is cellulose which can absorb over 25 times its weight of water.

○Agar agar obtained from seaweed has properties similar to Isaphgul.

Liquid glucose complex carbohydrate predigested by hydrolysis of starch into tri , tetra -penta or higher saccharides are desired. It is widely used for the preparation of various foods.

Carbohydrates are really very important for our life . The main work of carbohydrate is to

♡ It supplies energy for the immediate use of the body.

♡ Glycogen protects the liver against bacterial toxins and poisonous substances.

♡The brain use glucose for energy at a rate of about 5g/hr

♡The efficiency of the heart as a pump depends upon the availability of carbohydrate as fuel.

♡Carbohydrate is the most efficient and economical fuel for muscles, energy is derived from glycogen in the muscles.

♡When carbohydrates and fats are supplied to meet the demand for energy, proteins are spared for growth and repair. When carbohydrates are insufficient to meet the requirements amino acids are deaminated for glucose formation and nitrogen is converted into urea by the liver and excreted by the kidneys.

♡When carbohydrates are not readily available as in starvation or cannot be utilised , fats are broken down in greater quantities for energy and an increased amount of ketone bodies are produced. These may accumulate in the blood as ketonemia or excreted in the urine as ketonuria . Therefore keto diet should be followed under the supervision of qualified dietician.

What happens when you stop eating to achieve zero figure or to become like supermodels ?

You have low blood sugar. Happens after 3-4 hours after breakfast or lunch. It gives rise to a feeling of weakness, palpitations, sweating, tremulousness , hunger and nausea. These symptoms may disappear in a short time as a result of conversion of liver glycogen into glucose. The symptoms are distressing but no physical signs are noted by the physician , you are diagnosed as 'neurotic '. Amazing isn't it?

Migraine attacks may be precipitated by low blood sugar.

What happens when boys like to workout with dumbbells and want to make macho figures but ... avoid carbohydrates ?

You will feel fatigued ,irritable. So what's the use of this type of show off when you are not feeling well from inside. To avoid muscle cramps during intense workouts, good carbohydrates are required by the body. Proteins should be spared for the growth of the muscles and carbohydrates should be included for energy utilisation.

"So avoid all the myths and fads , eat a well balanced diet and be healthy and fit forever."