Cooked potatoes are more nutritious when eaten cold
Core Tip: In daily life, most people are accustomed to eating potatoes hot after they are cooked. However, some reports suggest that it is healthier to eat cooked potatoes after they have been chilled, and this claim has some merit.
It is said that "it's hard to please everyone," but potatoes are a rare exception. In France, potatoes are known as "underground apples," and in Europe and America, they enjoy the title of "the second bread." They contain twice the vitamins of carrots, three times that of Chinese cabbage, and four times that of tomatoes. Their vitamin C content is the highest among all vegetables, and they are also rich in minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium, especially potassium, which ranks first among all vegetables. Potatoes are also a great source of high-quality fiber, which can help prevent constipation and reduce the risk of cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that potatoes have the effects of harmonizing the stomach, regulating the middle energizer, strengthening the spleen, and boosting qi, so regular consumption is beneficial to health.
For such a nutritious food, the way it is eaten is also very important. In daily life, most people are accustomed to eating potatoes hot after they are cooked. However, some reports suggest that it is healthier to eat cooked potatoes after they have been chilled, and this claim has some merit.
Potatoes and other tubers are rich in resistant starch. This type of starch is harder to break down than other starches, digests slowly in the body, and does not cause a rapid spike in blood sugar after consumption. It helps diabetics maintain normal blood sugar levels, reduces hunger, and aids in the excretion of cholesterol and triglycerides, thereby lowering their levels in the blood. This can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and has a certain weight-loss effect. The resistant starch content in potatoes can be as high as 75%, but this is affected by many factors. For example, a hot, cooked potato contains only 3% resistant starch, but after it has cooled, the content increases to 12%. Therefore, it is healthier to eat cooked potatoes after they have been chilled. However, it should be noted that for people with poor gastrointestinal health and weak digestion, resistant starch is not perfect, and they should eat it sparingly or not at all.