On average each global citizen eats 33kg of potatoes each year. Australians, clearly potato lovers, eat a whopping 60kg per person every year!

The potatoes flesh or bulb is grown underground and is known for its high nutritional values.

In 1995 the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space when seeds were germinated on the space shuttle Columbia.

History and Origin
The Inca Indians in Peru are thought to be the first to cultivate potatoes around 8,000 BC to 5,000 B.C. The Incas had many uses for potatoes, which ranged in size from a small nut to an apple and in colour from red and gold to blue and black. They placed raw potato slices on broken bones, carried them to prevent rheumatism and ate them with other foods to prevent indigestion.

The Incas also used potatoes to measure time by correlating units of time with how long it took potatoes to grow.

It is reported that the Spanish conquistadores discovered the potato somewhere between 1532 - 1537 when they arrived in Peru searching for gold. When they returned they introduced potatoes to Europe.

Before the end of the sixteenth century, families of Basque sailors began to cultivate potatoes along the Biscay coast of northern Spain.

Nutrient Database - USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)

Reference Values for Nutrition - FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Potatoes can support bone health (providing magnesium and potassium, which are essential minerals for bone density and function). Magnesium helps regulate vitamin D balance and is crucial for bone mineralization, while potassium helps reduce calcium loss from bones.

Too much salt and calcium loss – (salt has notoriously been blamed for causing an increase in the urinary excretion of calcium and thus is a considered risk factor for osteoporosis). 

Blood pressure and Potassium (increasing potassium intake can significantly lower blood pressure, while insufficient potassium and high sodium intake can raise it. Potassium lowers blood pressure by helping to remove sodium through urine and by easing tension in blood vessel walls).

Choline helps reduce inflammation (potatoes themselves do not directly reduce or prevent inflammation; rather, their benefit comes from containing choline, an essential nutrient that helps reduce inflammation).

Potatoes aid digestion and regularity due to their fiber content, particularly in the skin, which promotes regular bowel movements and adds bulk to stools (potatoes also contain resistant starch, a type of fiber that acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and improving overall digestive health).

Potatoes Vitamin B-6 and metabolism (Vitamin B-6 acts as a cofactor for enzymes involved in glucose metabolism, which breaks down sugar to produce energy for cells).

Vitamin B-6, or pyridoxine, is crucial for brain health (as it’s a cofactor for neurotransmitter synthesis (like dopamine and serotonin), which impacts mood and cognition). It also aids brain development, helps regulate brain energy use, and is an essential part of the nervous and immune systems. While B-6 deficiency has been linked to dementia and cognitive decline.

Potatoes support heart health by providing Vitamin B-6 (which is crucial for the methylation process that converts the potentially dangerous amino acid homocysteine into methionine). High homocysteine levels are linked to damaged blood vessel walls and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, making B6's role in maintaining healthy levels vital for cardiovascular well-being. 

Potatoes contribute to cancer prevention through their antioxidant content (like Vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds) that protect cells from damage, and their folate content, which is crucial for DNA repair, potentially reducing cancer formation.

Potatoes can support weight management due to their dietary fiber and resistant starch content, which promotes satiety (feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating)  and helps reduce calorie intake. 

Potatoes can contribute to better skin primarily through their significant Vitamin C content, which supports collagen production for skin firmness and elasticity, and its antioxidant properties that protect against damage from UV rays and environmental stressors. 

Potato - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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