The Potato and Its Contribution to the Human Diet and Health

Abstract

Potato has contributed to human diet for thousands of years, first in the Andes of South America and then in the rest of the world. Its contribution to the human diet is affected by cooking, potato intake levels, and the bioavailability of potato nutrients. Generally, the key nutrients found in potatoes including minerals, proteins, and dietary fiber are well retained after cooking. Vitamins C and B 6 are significantly reduced after cooking while carotenoids and anthocyanins show high recoveries after cooking due to an improved release of these antioxidants.In many developed countries potatoes are consumed as a vegetable with intakes that vary from 50 to 150 g per day for adults. On the other hand, in some rural areas of Africa and in the highlands of Latin American countries, potato is considered a staple crop and is consumed in large quantities with intakes that vary from 300 to 800 g per day for adults. These marked differences in the potato intake affect significantly the contribution of potato nutrients to the human dietary requirements.In recent years, information about nutrient bioaccessibility and bioavailability from potatoes has become available indicating higher bioaccessibility of minerals and vitamins in potato as compared with other staple crops such as beans or wheat. Bioavailability refers to the fraction of an ingested nutrient that is available for utilization in normal physiological functions and/or for body storage while bioaccessibility refers to the amount that is potentially absorbable from the gut lumen.In addition, potatoes have shown promising health-promoting properties in human cell culture, experimental animal and human clinical studies, including anticancer, hypocholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and antidiabetic

Biochemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Fresh Tuber of Water Yam (Dioscorea alata L.) Local Accessions from East Java, Indonesia

“…However, it was lower than other yams (816 mg/100g) as reported by Haytowitz et al (2019). Potassium functions as an important electrolyte in the nervous system (Burgos, Zum Felde, Andre, & Kubow, 2020). Sodium and potassium are the main elements that regulate the distribution of fluids within the body, especially for the normal kidney function and for the control of blood pressure.…”

“…In average, the zinc content of the fifteen local accessions of water yam was much higher than of that of other yams, potato, sweet potato, and cassava, as reported by Haytowitz et al (2019). The height of iron and zinc concentrations are significantly affected by the growing environment (Burgos, Zum Felde, Andre, & Kubow, 2020). Zinc is one of the essential elements which enhances the essential functioning of the immune system.…”

Potential for the Postharvest Biological Control of Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) by Blattisocius tarsalis (Mesostigmata, Blattisociidae)

“…The importance of the potato as a key food source in the global diet is evident both by the quantity produced and by its nutritional value [1,2]. Potatoes are produced throughout the world and are grown both during the summer in temperate areas of the northern hemisphere and during the winter in subtropical areas such as in the Mediterranean region, northern India, and southern China [3].…”

Effect of Plant Biostimulants on Macronutrient Content in Early Crop Potato Tubers

“…where: y ijl -the value of the examined characteristic (macronutrient content); m-population average; a i -the effect of the i-th level of factor A (plant biostimulant); g j -the effect of the j-th repetition; e ij (1) -error 1 due to interaction of factor A and repetitions; b l -the effect of the l-th level of factor B (potato cultivar); ab il -the effect of interaction of factor A and B; e ijl (2) -random error [28].…”

“…Potatoes are a source of substantial quantities of minerals in the human diet, due to their large consumption (150-800 g per day). Two hundred grams of boiled potatoes (a typical meal) provides up to 30% of the recommended daily intake of K, 15% of Mg, and 12% of P [1,2]. The chemical composition of potato tubers is affected by different pre-harvest and post-harvest factors [1,3].…”