Eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good for your health, but can the same be said of potatoes? Franco Berrino explains that in this case the situation is different and some studies have shown disadvantages for those who often consume potatoes (especially fried)
Many people get confused, considering potatoes as a vegetable when in reality this is not the case. In fact, these are tubers with nutritional characteristics different from those of other vegetables and with a considerable glycemic index.
Therefore, when it is recommended to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day, we are not referring to potatoes, but rather to green leafy vegetables, crucifers, tomatoes and much more.
An interesting study on the nutritional value of potatoes and the risks of excessive consumption, appeared on the Corriere della Sera with the signature of Franco Berrinoa well-known doctor and epidemiologist, who in his long career has always taken particular account of the importance of a healthy and natural diet.
Berrino in summary writes that potatoes offer less fruit and vegetable benefits, furthermore have disadvantages which can range from weight gain to hypertension to diabetes and even cancer.
As Professor Berrino recalls, over 200 studies have found that people who consume fruit and vegetables every day are less likely to suffer from constipation or digestive problems but also to be struggling with heart attacks, strokes and various forms of cancer.
The same studies, however, do not show the same benefits in those who consume potatoes that, on the contrary, they can also have a negative impact on health come:
- weight gain
- diabetes
- hypertension
- tumors
Professor Berrino explains, point by point, the reasons for these possible adverse effects of the consumption of potatoes.
Weight gain
Regarding weight gain he writes:
When we eat them, the blood sugar rises rapidly, so the pancreas produces a lot of insulin which causes the blood sugar to drop too low, and when the blood sugar is low we get hungry and eat more; so we get fat.
Diabetes
On diabetes he writes instead that:
Those who regularly eat potatoes get more diabetes. The risk is particularly high for French friesof the order of 30% more, with the same total calories consumed, compared to those who rarely eat them (5-6% more for each extra portion per week).
Hypertension
Potatoes are rich in potassium, a substance useful for balancing sodium in the regulation of blood pressure but, Berrino specifies:
Unfortunately, large studies of nurses and health professionals have found a greater likelihood of developing hypertension in high potato consumers: roasted, boiled, pureed and fried.
Tumors
The influence of potato consumption on the appearance of tumors is due to the high glycemic index of this food:
Red flesh potatoes are rich in anthocyanins, substances useful for cancer prevention, but potatoes contribute a lot to the overall glycemic load of the diet, and the higher the glycemic load, the higher the blood sugar and the higher the risk of cancer ( the glycemic load is the sum of the products of the glycemic indexes of the foods for the portions consumed). Studies have been done on breast and intestinal neoplasms, where there is an almost double risk for high glycemic loads, but the growth of other tumors is probably also influenced by the glycemic load.
Yes to abundant portions of fruit and vegetables, moderate the consumption of potatoes instead
Dr. Berrino also cites the EPIC study, which follows 500,000 people in 10 European countries. Participants filled out questionnaires about their eating habits and provided blood samples.
Analyzing the data, it was found that for the same number of cigarettes smoked, those who regularly eat fruit and vegetables (excluding potatoes) almost halve their risk of getting lung, throat and esophageal cancer.
It is also important to vary fruit and vegetables, a good habit that, according to the study, helps to further protect. But potatoes, as mentioned above, do not provide these beneficial effects:
So rather than a plate of fried potatoes, a carrot tempura, onion rings, sweet potatoes, squash, or courgette flowers, cauliflower, broccoli… as we do at La Grande Via.
La Grande Via is the association founded by Franco Berrino and Enrica Bortolazzi with the aim of promoting initiatives that promote health, well-being and longevity, working in particular on the prevention of diseases, thanks to correct lifestyles and healthy nutrition.
In conclusion, Professor Berrino writes:
We therefore eat abundantly fruit and vegetables (the famous five portions a day) and take advantage of all the variety that the seasons make available to us. I know of no studies that have assessed whether eating only seasonal produce is protective, but is it reasonable to be so, otherwise why would the Eternal Father grow refreshing fruits and vegetables in the summer and vegetables to eat cooked, warm, in the winter? If we respect the order of nature it is difficult to go wrong.
A discourse that actually runs (even if we are not believers).
This does not mean that we must completely eliminate potatoes from our diet, we can consume them without exaggerating (perhaps avoiding the fried ones) and above all without considering them in the calculation of the 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day recommended.
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Source: Corriere della Sera
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