Eating raw potatoes: Good or bad? (2024)

Raw potatoes often have a bitter taste and a hard, starchy texture that is difficult to use. For this reason, most users prefer to bake, fry, or fry potatoes before serving. This results in some noticeable differences in taste, texture, and color. When raw potatoes are cooked, the potatoes undergo a process called the Maillard reaction - a chemical reaction that occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars when exposed to heat. This process is responsible for the distinct flavor, characteristic brown color and crispiness of the potatoes when cooked.

Raw potatoes are rich in resistant starch, a type of starch that the body cannot digest or absorb. Instead, the type of starch is used to provide energy for the good bacteria in the gut. Adding resistant starch to your diet is associated with potential health benefits. In fact, studies show that resistant starch can lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and keep you feeling full, helping to boost weight loss. Resistant starch is also converted to butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid important for improved digestive health. Test-tube studies have found that butyrate can inhibit inflammation in the colon and stop the growth of colon cancer cells. Additionally, according to one review, treatment with butyrate may also help relieve some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), including bloating and stomach pain.

Cooking potatoes can make them taste better, but the cooking process can also lead to a loss of some of the nutrients in the potatoes. Raw potatoes are low in calories and carbs but also lower in protein than baked potatoes. In addition, it also provides less potassium and vitamin B6. However, raw potatoes were significantly higher on the index for other key micronutrients, including twice as much vitamin C per gram as cooked potatoes. Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant and plays a role in collagen production and supports immune function. Because high heat destroys vitamin C, eating potatoes raw instead of cooked is an easy way to increase your intake of this important vitamin.

Potatoes contain antinutrients such as trypsin protein inhibitors and catalysts, which can interfere with the body's digestion and absorption of nutrients. Cooking potatoes has been shown to reduce levels of this substance to help optimize absorption and prevent nutrient deficiencies. For example, one test-tube study observed that cooking potatoes can deactivate an inhibitor called trypsin. At the same time, another test-tube study reported that cooking potatoes removed 50% to 60% of antinutrients. For people who adhere to a varied and balanced diet, antinutrients are not likely to cause harm. However, if the user has a diet that restricts grains, legumes, or tubers, cooked potatoes can be a good choice to help maximize nutrient absorption.

Potatoes contain glycoalkaloids, a class of chemical compounds believed to be highly toxic. Potatoes, especially green potatoes, contain two types of glycoalkaloids: solanine and chaconine. When potatoes are exposed to sunlight, they produce chlorophyll, a plant pigment that makes potatoes turn green. Furthermore, exposure to sunlight can also increase the production of glycoalkaloids, which is why there are many recommendations to limit green potato consumption to help reduce the consumption of these harmful chemicals. this. If consumed in high doses, symptoms of glycoalkaloid toxicity can include drowsiness, itching, and digestive problems. According to one test-tube study, cooked potatoes can significantly reduce the total concentration of glycoalkaloids.

Although resistant starch has been linked to a variety of health benefits, amounts as large as those found in raw potatoes, can contribute to digestive upset. Resistant starch acts as a prebiotic and is fermented by beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract, leading to gas production in the colon. Stomach upset, gas, and bloating are a few of the most common symptoms associated with the consumption of prebiotics and resistant starch. Raw potatoes may also be more likely to harbor contaminants and bacteria from the soil, increasing the risk of illness and food poisoning.
The best way to prevent negative symptoms is to increase your intake of raw potatoes slowly over a few days or weeks and stop consuming when you start to experience adverse side effects. In addition, washing potatoes thoroughly to remove potential pathogens and removing the skins of potatoes before consumption reduces the risk of poisoning.

Reference article: Healthline.com

XEM THÊM:

• Does potato have a skin-beautifying effect?
• Yellow vegetables and health benefits
• Potatoes and diabetes: Safety, risks and alternatives