29 Amazing Benefits of Potatoes
Potato is an edible stem vegetable that belongs to the perennial nightshade Solanum tuberosum. They are one o the most widely consumed vegetable all over the world and is also known as a staple. When it comes to consumption, it is the world’s fourth largest food crop.
Potatoes are not only delicious but they are also extremely beneficial for our health, because of the presence of many nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fibers, phytonutrients, etc. in them. In this article, we will know about the amazing health and beauty benefits of potatoes, but first, let’s take a look at below mentioned nutrition chart of potatoes.
Health Benefits of Potatoes
(1) Promotes Weight Gain
Eating potatoes on a regular and moderate basis has been found to be very beneficial for underweight individuals who would like to gain some weight.
It is an ideal diet for the extremely lean people, as it will help them not only in gaining some extra pounds but is also a good source of nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
This weight-gain benefit of potato is mainly because of the abundance of carbohydrates in them. Eating 100 grams of potatoes provide around 17 grams of carbohydrates which roughly translates into 77 kcal of energy.
Potatoes are high in calories and this makes them very beneficial for the weight gain.
In addition to this, the B complex vitamins and the Vitamin C present in the potatoes plays a significant role in the absorption of carbohydrates and this also helps in the weight gain.
(2) Keeps Our Digestive System Healthy
Consuming potatoes on a regular and moderate basis has been found to be very beneficial for our stomach and helps in keeping our digestive system healthy.
This benefit of potato is mainly because of the presence of dietary fibers or roughage in them.
The dietary fibers present in the potatoes act as a natural laxative, improves bowel movement and ensures smooth elimination of waste from our system.
By doing so it not only provides relief from constipation but also helps in treating various digestive disorders like abdominal pain, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, flatulence, colorectal cancer, etc.
Potatoes are rich in carbohydrates which are easy to digest, and this helps in metabolism and thus helps in keeping our digestive system healthy.
(3) Reduces The Risk of Scurvy
Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C and consuming 100 grams of potatoes provide around 19.7 mg of Vitamin C, and this makes them very beneficial against scurvy.
Scurvy is a disease caused by the deficiency of Vitamin C in our body. It is characterized by symptoms like cracked lip corners, spongy and bleeding gums, pain in joints and muscles, loss of appetite, malaise, fatigue, fever, poor wound healing, etc.
Vitamin C present in the potatoes reduces the risk of scurvy and also provides a number of other benefits such as strengthens the immune system, provides antioxidantal benefits, provides anti-inflammatory benefits, maintains cardiovascular health, aids in weight loss, relieves stress and so on.
(4) Aids In Treating Rheumatism
Careful and moderate consumption of potatoes ( for this, water obtained from boiled potatoes can be used ) has been found to be very effective in treating rheumatism and for providing relief from the pain associated with it.
Rheumatism is a condition that causes inflammation and pain in the joints, muscles and fibrous tissues.
The Vitamin C present in the potatoes are anti-inflammatory in nature which means they are very effective in providing relief from inflammation and pain associated with it.
Another compound, magnesium present in the potatoes also plays a significant role in treating rheumatism.
However, it should also be remembered that potatoes are high in starch and carbohydrates and eating too many potatoes can lead to weight gain or obesity, which can worsen the condition of rheumatism.
So, if you’d like to use potatoes against rheumatism, you have to eat them in moderation and also ensure that you keep your weight under control.
(5) Provides Relief From Inflammation
Regular and moderate consumption of potatoes has been found to be very beneficial for providing relief from the inflammation and the pain associated with it.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly because of the presence of anti-inflammatory compounds present in it.
Vitamin C present in potatoes provides relief from inflammation and is thus effective against arthritis, gouts, rheumatism, etc.
However, as mentioned earlier, make sure that you eat them in moderation to avoid the excessive weight gain ( which may otherwise worsen the inflammatory diseases)
(6) Reduces The Risk of Several Types of Cancers
Regular and moderate intake of potatoes has been found to be very useful in reducing the risk of several types of cancers like colon cancer, skin cancer, abdominal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc.
This anti-carcinogenic benefit of potatoes is mainly due to the presence of antioxidants like Vitamin C and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients in them.
These antioxidants fight with the free radicals of our body stabilizes them and thus prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our cells.
Free radicals are nothing but the unstabilized ions that get formed during the oxidation process in our body. As these are unstabilized, so they steal electrons from the neighboring molecules and thus cause oxidative damage to them.
By protecting our cells from the oxidative damage, it reduces the risk of several types of cancers.
Other compounds like zeaxanthin, quercetin, carotenes, etc. also play a significant role in protecting us against the risk of various cancers.
(7) Provides Relief From Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a major health problem that affects millions of people all over the world and is also a leading cause of various cardiovascular problems.
Keeping our blood pressure under control is important and potatoes can help with the same.
It has been found that eating potatoes on a regular and moderate basis is very beneficial for providing relief from hypertension.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly due to the presence of “Potassium” in it.
Potassium is a vital mineral that acts as a vasodilator, relaxes our blood vessels, improves blood circulation and thus helps in keeping our blood pressure under control.
By controlling our blood pressure level, it reduces the risk of hypertension and also helps in maintaining our cardiovascular health, thus reducing the risk of heart attack, heart stroke, irregular heartbeat, etc.
In addition to the potassium, dietary fibers present in the potatoes also helps in providing relief from hypertension.
This is because they help in removing bad cholesterol from our body, and thus prevents our arteries from getting clogged by plague, etc.
When our arteries are unclogged, blood can flow smoothly, without the risk of high blood pressure.
(8) Keeps Our Neurological System Healthy
Another important benefit of potatoes for our health is their ability to improve brain functions and protects it from cognitive problems like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly because of the presence of many nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, etc. in them.
The antioxidants present in the potatoes protect our brain cells ( aka neurons) from the oxidative damage caused by the free radicals and thus reduces the risk of cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, etc.
In addition to this, potatoes are also rich in Iron that carries oxygen to our brain cells and allow them to function at the optimal level.
Our brain needs a good amount of energy to function properly, and this can also be fulfilled by potatoes because of the abundance of carbohydrates in them.
Potassium present in the potatoes improves blood circulation in the brain and thus helps in keeping our brain healthy.
Other nutrients like Vitamin B complex, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, phytonutrients, etc. also play a significant role in keeping our neurological system healthy.
(9) Keeps Our Cardiovascular System Healthy
Eating potatoes on a regular and moderate basis has been found to be very beneficial for our heart and helps in keeping our cardiovascular system healthy.
This health benefit of potatoes is mainly due to the presence of many nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers, etc. in them.
The antioxidants present in the potatoes protect our cardiovascular system from the oxidative damage caused by the free radicals.
In addition to this, they are also a good source of potassium which acts as a vasodilator, relaxes our blood vessels and thus helps in controlling hypertension, a leading cause of various cardiovascular problems.
The dietary fibers present in the potatoes also plays a significant role in managing our cardiovascular health because of their ability to reduce bad LDL cholesterol from our body ( which is also a leading cause of cardiovascular problems like heart attack, heart stroke, etc. )
Other nutrients present in the potatoes also plays a significant role in keeping our heart healthy and for improving our cardiovascular health.
However, it should be remembered that potatoes are high in calories and overeating them can lead to weight gain or obesity, which is an open invitation for various cardiovascular problems.
(10) Are Good For Kidneys
Consuming potatoes on a regular ( but on a moderate) basis has been found to be very beneficial for our kidneys and helps them to function properly.
This advantage is mainly because of the presence of dietary fibers and an abundance of water in it ( around 70 to 80 percent of potato’s weight ).
The dietary fibers present in the potatoes act as a natural laxative, improves bowel movement and thus helps in smooth elimination of waste and toxins from our system.
The water present in the potatoes also plays a major role in getting rid of toxins and other impurities from our system.
This benefit of potatoes is very useful for our kidneys as it reduces the burden of removal of toxins from kidneys, and allow them to function properly.
In addition to this, potatoes are also a good source of magnesium that prevents calcification ( accumulation and deposition of calcium in kidneys and other tissues) and thus reduces the risk of kidney stones.
(11) Provides Antioxidantal Benefits
Potatoes are a good source of many antioxidants like Vitamin C, Vitamin E and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, flavonoids, carotenoids, etc. that provides a number of benefits to our health.
The antioxidants present in the potatoes fight with the free radicals of our body stabilizes them and thus prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our cells.
By doing so, it also reduces the risk of various cancers.
It is also effective in making our immune system stronger and for providing relief from inflammatory diseases like gouts, rheumatism, arthritis, etc.
Last but not least, the antioxidants present in potatoes helps in keeping signs of premature aging like fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, dark spots, etc. at bay.
(12) Maintains Our Cholesterol Level
Potatoes have been found to be very beneficial for managing our cholesterol level, and this also helps in maintaining our cardiovascular health.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly due to the presence of dietary fibers in them.
The dietary fibers present in the potatoes is not only good for our digestive system, but also helps in reducing bad LDL cholesterol from our body, and enhance the production of good HDL cholesterol.
It prevents our arteries from getting clogged by plague and thus reduces the risk of atherosclerosis.
(13) Make Our Immune System Stronger
Regular and moderate intake of potatoes has been found to be very beneficial for making our immune system stronger and for reducing the risk of various diseases.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly due to the presence of antioxidants and other relevant compounds in them.
These antioxidants fight with the free radicals of our body stabilizes them and prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our cells, including the white blood cells that form the backbone of our immune system.
By protecting our immune system from the oxidative damage, it strengthens it,, and when our immune system is stronger, we are less likely to get infected by cold, cough, fever, flu, etc.
In addition to this, other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc. also play a major role in making our immune system stronger.
Beauty Benefits of Potatoes For Skin
(1) Helps In Getting Rid of Dark Circles
For this, take a raw potato, peel and slice it into large pieces. Now, wrap them in a cloth or a handkerchief and place them on your eyes for around 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash off with warm water.
Regular use will fade away the dark circles in no time.
Alternatively, you can also apply potato juice on the affected area ( under your eyes, on the dark circles) using a cotton dab, and get rid of the dark circles.
(2) Helps In Treating Wrinkles
Potatoes are very useful in getting rid of the signs of premature aging like wrinkles etc.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly due to the presence of antioxidants and other relevant compounds in them.
The antioxidants present in the potatoes fight with the free radicals of our body, stabilizes them and thus prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our cells, and reduces the signs of premature aging like fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, dark spots, etc.
Not just eating potatoes, but topical application of potatoes have also been found to be effective in treating wrinkles.
For this, blend a peeled tomato and apply it on your face. Give a gentle massage to your face, let it air dry for five minutes, and then rinse off with clean water.
Alternatively, you can also apply potato juice on the affected area using a cotton dab to reap the same benefits.
Regular use will not only minimizes the appearance of wrinkles but will also provide nourishment to your skin because of the abundance of nutrients in them.
(3) Eliminates Dark Spots
Potatoes are very effective in the elimination of dark spots, which are also considered as the signs of premature aging.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly because of the presence of nutrients like vitamins and minerals, and the presence of antioxidants and other relevant compounds in them.
The antioxidants present in the potatoes fight with the free radicals of our body stabilizes them and thus prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our cells.
By protecting our skin cells from the oxidative damage, it reduces the signs of premature aging like fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, age spots, etc.
In addition to this, other nutrients present in the potatoes provide nourishment to our skin.
Not just eating potatoes, but topical application of potatoes have also been found to be useful against dark spots.
To get rid of dark spots, blend a peeled potato and massage it gently on your face. Let it air dry for 5 minutes and then wash off with clean water.
Alternatively, you can also apply potato juice on the dark spots affected area to get rid of them.
Regular use is effective not only in treating dark spots but also for keeping our skin young and healthy.
(4) Helps In Removing Skin Blemishes
Another beauty benefit of potato is its ability to help in the disappearance of skin blemishes.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly because of the presence of antioxidants and other relevant compounds present in them.
These antioxidant fight with the free radicals of our body, stabilizes them and thus prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our skin cells, and also reduces the signs of premature aging like fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, age spots, skin blemishes, etc.
Skin blemishes adversely affect our appearance and potatoes are good not only in keeping skin blemishes away but also in treating them.
For this, take some fresh potato juice ( cold) and rinse your face with it. Let it air dry and then use a soft and clean cloth to clean your face.
Regular use is very effective in getting rid of the skin blemishes, and also keeps our skin healthy.
(5) Helps In The Treatment of Sunburn
Consuming potatoes on a regular and moderate basis, and as well as applying it topically on the skin is very effective in the treatment of sunburn.
This benefit of potato is linked with the number of antioxidants and other related compounds present in them.
These antioxidants protect our skin cells not only from the oxidative damage caused by the free radicals, but also from the harmful UV rays of the sun, and by doing so, it also reduces the risk of skin cancer.
For treating sunburn, take some slices of cold potatoes and put them on the affected area. Regular use will provide a cooling sensation to the sunburn affected area and will also diminish the tan.
Alternatively, you can also take some fresh potato juice and apply it on the affected area using a cotton dab.
(6) Make Our Skin Radiant
Being a good source of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, etc, potatoes are very effective in keeping our skin young and healthy, and as well as provide a natural glow to our skin.
For this, grate some raw potatoes and apply on them as a face mask. Let it air dry for 30 minutes, and then wash off with water.
Regular use of this face mask is very effective in making your skin soft, supple and radiant, and also reduces facial swelling.
Alternatively, you can also apply a mixture of potato juice and lemon juice on the affected area to get soft and radiant skin.
(7) Good For Dry Skin
Topical application of potatoes is very beneficial for individuals with dry skin.
This benefit of potato is because of their ability to make our skin soft and supple, which helps in treating dry skin.
For this, grate some potatoes and add half a teaspoon of curd to it. Now, apply this face mask on your face, and let it sit for 20 minutes, and then wash off with water.
This face mask provides nourishment and moisturization to our skin, and this helps in treating dry skin.
(8) Helps In Removing Dead Skin Cells
Potatoes are a natural skin exfoliating agent and this makes them very beneficial for getting rid of the dead skin cells that hide the inner glow of our skin and make it look dull and lifeless.
For this, grate some peeled potatoes and apply them on your face for ten minutes. Let it air dry and then rinse off with clean water. Regular use will make our skin, soft, supple, radiant and rejuvenated.
(9) Natural Skin Cleanser
Potatoes are a natural skin cleanser and help in removing dirt and impurities from our skin.
For this, cut one cucumber and one potato into medium pieces, and blend in a blender for 20 seconds. Now, add one teaspoon of baking soda and a little water to this mixture.
This face mask can be now used as a skin cleansing agent and applied on the skin. This will not only remove impurities from the skin but will make our skin shinier and refreshed.
(10) Aids In The Treatment of Rashes, Itching, And Insect Bites.
Topical application of potatoes can also be used for treating skin problems likes rashes and itching, and also for the treatment of skin bites.
If you got an insect sting or experiencing itching sensation on the skin, then simply take a raw potato slice and gently rub it on the affected area for few minutes. Repeating the same, few times a day provides relief from the same.
(11) Helps In Treating Puffy Eyes
Potatoes are very beneficial for our eyes and play an important role in keeping them healthy.
The antioxidants present in the potatoes protect our eyes from the oxidative damage caused by the free radicals and thus reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, etc.
It is also effective in providing relief from the puffiness of eyes, which makes you look as if you have not slept since centuries ( although sleep deprivation is a common cause of dark circles around eyes and puffiness).
For this, mix some cucumber juice and potato juice together and apply it on the affected area, particularly around eyes.
Regular use will make the puffiness of eyes disappear and will improve the appearance of your eyes.
The main compounds behind this benefit are the ascorbic acid and caffeic acid present in the cucumbers, and catecholase and liquid starch present in the potatoes.
Beauty Benefits of Potato For Hair
(1) Promotes Healthy Hair
Potatoes are a good source of many nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, flavonoids, etc. that plays an important role in keeping our hair and scalp healthy.
Consuming potatoes is good for our hair, but for a better result, potatoes can be applied topically.
For this, blend some grated potatoes to form a smooth paste, and squeeze it to remove water in a separate bowl.
Now, add one egg, 3 drops of lemon juice and little curd to this water. Mix all the ingredients together, and apply it on your hair and scalp and let it air dry for 20 to 25 minutes, and then wash off with water.
Using this hair mask, at least once in twenty days will provide nourishment to your hair and scalp, and will keep them healthy.
(2) Promotes Hair Growth
Potatoes are found to be very beneficial for our hair and scalp and play an important role in promoting hair growth.
This benefit of potatoes is mainly because of the presence of various nutrients and antioxidants in them.
The antioxidants present in the potatoes fight with the free radicals of our body stabilizes them and thus prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our scalp.
Similarly, potassium in potatoes, relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation of blood in the scalp, and thus promotes hair growth.
Other nutrients like iron, zinc, phosphorus, etc. also play a significant role in promoting hair growth.
(3) Aids In Treating Grey Hair
Potatoes are beneficial not only in promoting hair growth, but also aids in treating gray hair.
For this, boil some potato peels in a pan ( filled with water). Ensure that the water present in the water is neither too low or nor too high ( it should be just enough to cover the potato peels).
Let the water come to room temperature. This water can be now used for the hair rinse. Regular use will help in getting back the natural color of your hair and will make them soft and lustrous.
(4) For Treating Hair Loss
Potatoes can also be used for treating hair loss.
For this, peel some potatoes and squeeze them to press out the juice. Now, mix two tablespoons of potato juice, two tablespoons of aloe vera juice and one tablespoon of honey to it.
Now, this mixture can be applied and massaged deeply into the hair roots and the scalp. Cover your hair with a shower cap for two hours, and let the mixture do its magic, and then wash off with a mild shampoo.
For better result, apply this mixture at least two times a week.
(5) Protects Our Hair And Scalp From The Oxidative Damage
Potatoes are a good source of antioxidants like Vitamin C, and other antioxidantal compounds that protect our hair and scalp from the oxidative damage caused by the free radicals.
Free radicals are nothing but the unstabilized ions that get formed during the oxidation process in our body, and as these are unstabilized, so, they steal electrons from the neighboring molecules and thus cause oxidative damage to our cells, including the hair and scalp.
By protecting our hair and scalp from the oxidative damage, antioxidants present in the potatoes not only reduces the risk of premature aging like hair loss, greying of hair, etc. but also promotes hair growth, and ensures healthy hair and scalp.
Disclaimer
The information contained in the post is for general purpose only and shouldn’t be considered as medical advice or as an alternative to medical advice. Although I’ve tried my best to keep the information contained in this post as accurate and updated as possible, I make no guarantee of the accurateness of the same.
P.S- Consider sharing this post, if you find it useful and/or interesting.
