Potato is another name of potato, and it is a common food. Many people think that potato is easy to make people fat, so it is included in the list of fattening foods, and potato products such as French fries are even more daunting for many people. So, is this really the case?

Potatoes (Source: Oriental IC)

People think that potatoes gain weight because they contain a lot of starch, which can be converted into sugar. However, Du Huizhen, the chief nutritionist of Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital, said in an interview with Qilu Evening News that this is actually a misunderstanding of potatoes. The water content of potatoes is as high as 70%, and the real starch content is only 10%~20%. Compared with wheat flour, the energy obtained by eating potatoes with the same unit weight is only half of it. For example, if people eat two potatoes, the energy they get is almost the same as that of two rice. Therefore, potatoes are not fattening foods on the premise of a reasonable diet.

In fact, potatoes are not fattening food, but also "three good students" with high fiber, high potassium and high vitamin C. According to Health Times:

1. Potatoes are low-fat and high-fiber foods, and their dietary fiber content is comparable to that of apples.

2. As we all know, potassium can interact with magnesium and calcium to enhance the elasticity of human blood vessels. Eating bananas can achieve the purpose of supplementing potassium, but in fact, the potassium content in potatoes is higher than that in bananas, which is the best food for supplementing potassium.

3. The content of vitamin C in potatoes is relatively high.150g of potatoes and150g of tomatoes can supplement the vitamin C needed by human body in one day. Even if potatoes are heated, the loss of vitamin C in them is very small because of the protection of starch.

In addition, potatoes can also be eaten as staple food, and there are many benefits. Fu Guangxiong, an expert in nutrition and health department of Hainan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said in an interview with Hainan Daily that potatoes are an excellent staple food in terms of nutritional value. Eating potatoes is conducive to controlling weight gain and preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes. The fiber texture of potatoes is soft and will not irritate people's stomachs. People with gastric ulcers or enteritis can also eat them with confidence. (Zhao Peng)

This article is scientifically checked by Ruan Guangfeng, director of the business department of Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center.