Potatoes play a starring role in our Pesach menu. Discover the myriad of health benefits found in the humble tuber.
Digestion
Potatoes are easy to digest and facilitate digestion. They are a good food for babies and those who cannot digest hard food, but need energy.
Skin Care
Potatoes contain vitamin-C and B-complex and minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, which are good for the skin. Apart from that, pulp obtained from crushed raw potatoes, mixed with honey, can serve as excellent skin and face packs. The pulp, if applied externally on burns, gives quick relief and aids healing.
Scurvy
The vitamin-C present in potatoes can help prevent this dreaded deficiency disease, caused due to lack of vitamin-C.
Inflammation
Potatoes are very effective in relieving inflammation, internal or external. Since it is soft, easy digestible and has a lot of vitamin-C, potassium and vitamin-B6, among others, it relieves inflammation of intestines and the digestive system. Again, raw smashed potato can be applied to relieve external inflammation, burns etc.
High Blood Pressure
Potatoes can be used to relieve high blood pressure due to tension, from the abundance of vitamin-C and B in them, but should be avoided if high blood pressure is due to diabetes. The fiber present in potatoes is helpful in lowering cholesterol and improves the functioning of insulin in the body, which aids in lowering of blood pressure, since there is a direct relation between the blood pressure and the glucose level in the blood and insulin regulates the glucose level.
Heart Disease
Apart from the vitamins (B-complex, C), minerals and roughage, potatoes also contain certain substances called carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, etc.), which are beneficial for the heart and other internal organs.
Kidney Stones
Potatoes are very rich in magnesium, which resists accumulation or deposition of calcium (calcification) in the kidney and other tissues, thereby proving beneficial for treatment of kidney stones.
Other Benefits
Juice of potato is a good treatment for burns, bruises, sprains, skin problems, ulcers, cancer of the prostrate and uterus, and the formation of cysts or tumors.
Cautions
Green potatoes are poisonous, and so are potato leaves and fruits, as they contain alkaloids like solanine, chaconine and arsenic whose overdose may prove fatal. Potatoes have a high glycemic index, which means that the carbohydrates turn to sugar very quickly in the body. Therefore, they should be consumed in moderation.