Baked Potatoes - Why Are They More Useful?

Author: Mark Velov Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about Baked Potatoes - Why Are They More Useful?. Baked potatoes contain many useful vitamins and minerals.

Potatoes are a food rich in carbohydrates, from which we can easily gain weight. They are prepared in various ways, but are they good for our health? Whoever asks will tell us that french fries and chips are extremely harmful. And if they are baked or cooked?

Baked potatoes are a great way to get vitamins, minerals and fiber . If we fry vegetables, we risk losing most of its useful ingredients, while during roasting and cooking they remain in its skin. A medium-baked potato (without salt and other spices) has about 161 calories. It contains vitamin C , vitamin A, vitamin K, folate and others of the B group, as well as calcium and potassium . In particular, 100 g of baked potatoes contain 535 mg of potassium, 28 mg of magnesium, 2.2 g of fiber and 0.311 mg of vitamin B6.

Potatoes are not recommended in every diet because they are a high-carbohydrate food . One contains about 36.59 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of sugar. However, they should not be completely avoided. If they are baked without being flavored in any way, they can help us get fiber that stimulates the intestinal flora and peristalsis. We just don't have to overdo it. If we eat them with the skin, we will absorb about 2.7 mg (per 100 g) and only 1.4 g if they are peeled. Therefore, we should not neglect the bark.

Another advantage of baked potatoes is that even when cooked in the oven, they remain a large amount of potassium and magnesium, which support heart health . When we eat foods that contain more sodium than potassium, blood pressure can rise sharply. This causes the heart to work faster to pump blood out of the body. One medium-sized baked potato contains 926 mg of potassium. The mineral has the property to balance the negative effect of high salt or sodium intake. It lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack. Another element in vegetables that takes care of heart health is magnesium. The recommended intake is between 400 and 420 mg for adults. Higher levels of the mineral in the body are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Baked potatoes also contain healthy substances, such as vitamin B6. Its recommended daily intake is about 1.3 mg. One baked potato or about 100-150 grams contains 0.538 mg of the vitamin, which plays an important role in over a hundred enzymatic reactions. It affects cognitive development, immunity and the formation of hemoglobin.

Baked potatoes are a source of resistant starch and it is recommended to eat them chilled, not warm, immediately after cooking. The starch in question is harder to digest than our body and thus enters the large intestine, where it plays the role of beneficial bacteria. It improves the work of the digestive system and has a positive effect on our peristalsis. It also satisfies us and brings in far fewer calories.

Baked Potatoes - Why Are They More Useful?

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