Unlike many vegetables, potatoes were previously not considered particularly healthy. But that could now change. People who eat at least two potatoes a day have a twelve percent lower mortality rate. Norwegian scientists discovered this in a study.
Interestingly, while potatoes have historically been an integral part of a largely meat-free diet in many European countries, they are not included in the “five a day” recommendation, which includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, says Erik Arnesen from the Institute for Basic Medical Research at the University of Oslo.
Potatoes healthier than expected
The scientist and his team published a long-term study in the Journal of Nutrition with 77,000 Norwegians as subjects and lasting 40 years. “The people who ate at least two potatoes a day in the 1970s and 1980s had a twelve percent lower total mortality (all causes) in the following four decades. This lower mortality rate is comparable to what we see in people with a high vegetable consumption,” says Arnesen.
In the past, potatoes were a staple of the diet in many regions for a long time. In Norway, for example, in the 1980s, 90 percent of all fish meals and 80 percent of all meat meals were accompanied by potatoes.
Contrary to recent trends, these were mainly potatoes in boiled form, and not the French fries and mashed potato form, which are high in fat.
Source of vitamin C and potassium
The scientists evaluated the figures from national nutrition surveys between 1974 and 1988 and linked them to mortality data 40 years later. The trend: For every hundred grams of potatoes per day, the risk of death fell by four percent. This was also true for heart disease.
According to scientists, potatoes are particularly healthy because they are a source of vitamin C and potassium and are rich in fiber. Studies that have shown an increased risk of type 2 diabetes with frequent potato consumption also include French fries and mashed potatoes, the Norwegian experts pointed out.
Source: Krone
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