Potatoes are a favorite of many and can be prepared in a variety of ways. The root vegetable contains many useful vitamins, for example, vitamins B6 and C, trace elements necessary for normal well-being. However, potatoes are not as harmless and absolutely healthy as they might seem at first glance. How can he harm health?
Boiled or fried potatoes, especially when combined with meat products, pose a serious challenge to the digestive system. It is quite difficult to digest. Therefore, after potato dishes, severe heaviness in the abdomen and discomfort may appear.
This product contains a lot of starch. However, specific harm from it appears only after heat treatment. If people ate the root vegetable raw, then it would not have a negative effect on glucose levels in any way. However, when boiled, baked or fried, potatoes cause a sharp increase in blood sugar, which can eventually lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. Because of this feature, the human body perceives cooked potatoes in the same way as flour products and sweets. The load on the pancreas increases, which is forced to abundantly produce insulin.
Excess sugar not only provokes pancreatic problems, but can also lead to obesity. Although the potato quickly satisfies the feeling of hunger, the effect does not last long. Therefore, if there are a lot of dishes from this root vegetable in the diet, gradually this can lead to chronic overeating and to dysfunction of the digestive system.
It is worth noting that, undergoing heat treatment, potatoes lose almost all of their beneficial properties. But in their place are harmful substances that can have a toxic effect on the human body.
The harm of potatoes largely depends on how exactly it is cooked:
- potato chips lead to gastritis or ulcers; they contain a lot of salt and spices, which can provoke puffiness; in addition, such delicacies often contain harmful food additives;
- there is practically no water left in fried potatoes, fat takes its place; therefore, this dish especially strongly affects the set of extra pounds; it is the frying process that negatively affects starch, breaking it down into simple carbohydrates;
- French fries increase the amount of cholesterol in the body; this can result in the development of atherosclerosis and, in general, negatively affect the state of health;
- baked (baked) root vegetable has the highest glycemic index; in addition, no useful vitamins remain in it; such a dish is very difficult to digest and can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract if you eat baked potatoes too often;
- boiled potatoes are still rich in starch, but there are no nutrients and trace elements left in them; boiled potatoes are not very harmful to health, but there is very little benefit from it.
Diseases for which potatoes are contraindicated
- Diabetes mellitus or an increased tendency to develop this disease.
- Diseases of the pancreas, especially in moments of exacerbation, you should not eat potatoes.
- Bowel disease, tendency to flatulence.
- If you have problems with stomach acidity, it is not recommended to eat potatoes often.
- It is not advisable to actively introduce the root crop into the diet for people who suffer from urolithiasis.
- With eating disorders, with a tendency to obesity and overeating, with nervous diseases, in particular with an exacerbation of nervous hunger, you should not eat potatoes.
In what cases can potatoes still be dangerous
If grown and stored improperly, this product can seriously harm health. Potatoes easily absorb and accumulate various toxins, poisons, and harmful substances inside themselves. You should always remember about such a nuance.
Adequate shelf life of tubers is no more than 3 months. In this case, the potatoes should not come into contact with the sun's rays or lie in a very warm room.
Consequences of eating old potatoes:
- nausea and vomiting;
- severe heaviness in the abdomen, pain, colic;
- indigestion, diarrhea;
- dizziness;
- shortness of breath and convulsions;
- nervous system problems, increased heart rate and increased heart rate;
- in some cases, fainting is possible.
