1. Potato Facts
2. Types of Potato
3. Potato Nutritional value
4. Potato Health Benefits
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.
- • Desiree
- • Sebago
- • Dutch Cream
- • Kipfler
- • Royal Blue
- • Coliban
- • Nicola
- • Pontiac
- • Kennebec
- • Maris Piper
- • Nadine
Common potato types in Australia include Sebago, Desiree, Dutch Cream, Kipfler, and Royal Blue. These varieties differ in texture and are best suited for different cooking methods, such as Sebago and Desiree for all-purpose use, Dutch Cream for roasting and mashing, and Kipfler for a waxy, firm texture.
Common varieties
Sebago: A widely grown all-purpose potato with a light brown skin and starchy, white flesh, suitable for mashing, baking, and frying.
Desiree: Features red skin, yellow flesh, and a slightly waxy texture, making it a versatile choice for boiling, mashing, or roasting.
Dutch Cream: A yellow-fleshed, waxy potato that holds its shape well and is ideal for roasting and salads but also works well for mashing.
Kipfler: An elongated, finger-shaped, waxy potato that is popular in Australia.
Royal Blue: A popular variety with purple skin and yellow flesh, often used for mashing.
Coliban: Has pale-brown skin and creamy-white flesh and is good for mashing.
Nicola: A yellow-fleshed, waxy potato.
Pontiac: A type of red potato, good for mashing.
Kennebec: An all-rounder with thin skin and white, firm flesh.
Choosing the right potato
For mashing: Choose starchy or medium-floury potatoes like Dutch Cream, Coliban, or Sebago.
For roasting: Waxy varieties like Dutch Cream are good for roasting, but for the crispiest result, a floury type like Maris Piper is often recommended.
For boiling/salads: Waxy potatoes such as Dutch Cream, Nadine, or Desiree will hold their shape best.
Vegetables " Potato "
Nutritional value per 100 g
Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt
| Nutrient (Proximity) |
Unit
|
Value
|
Daily Value %
|
|
Energy
|
kcal
|
87 | 4.3% |
|
Protein
|
g
|
1.87 | 3.7% |
|
Total lipid (fat)
|
g
|
0.10 | 0.1% |
|
Carbohydrate, by difference
|
g
|
20.13 | 7,3% |
|
Fiber, total dietary
|
g
|
1.8 | 6.4% |
|
Sugars, total
|
g
|
0.91
|
|
|
Minerals
|
|||
|
Calcium, Ca
|
mg
|
5 | 0.3% |
|
Iron, Fe
|
mg
|
0.31 | 1.7% |
|
Magnesium, Mg
|
mg
|
22 | 5.2% |
|
Phosphorus, P
|
mg
|
44 | 3.5% |
|
Potassium, K
|
mg
|
379 | 8% |
|
Sodium, Na
|
mg
|
4 | 0.1% |
|
Zinc, Zn
|
mg
|
0.30 | 2.7% |
|
Copper, Cu
|
mg
|
0.188 | 20.8% |
|
Manganese, Mn
|
mg
|
0.138 | 6% |
|
Selenium, Se
|
mcg
|
0.3 | 0.5% |
|
Vitamins
|
|||
|
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid
|
mg
|
13.0 | 14.4% |
|
Thiamin (B-1)
|
mg
|
0.106 | 8.8% |
|
Riboflavin (B-2)
|
mg
|
0.020 | 1.5% |
|
Niacin (B-3)
|
mg
|
1.439 | 8.9% |
|
Pantothenic acid (B-5)
|
mg
|
0.520 | 10.4% |
|
Vitamin B-6
|
mg
|
0.299 | 17.5% |
|
Folate, total (B-9)
|
mcg
|
10 | 2.5% |
|
Vitamin B-12
|
mcg
|
0.00
|
|
|
Vitamin A, RAE
|
mcg
|
0 | |
|
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
|
mg
|
0.01 | 00.6% |
|
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)
|
mcg
|
0
|
|
|
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)
|
mcg
|
2.2 | 1.8% |
|
Lipids
|
|||
|
Saturated Fatty Acids
|
g
|
0.026
|
0.1% |
|
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
|
g
|
0.002
|
|
|
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
|
g
|
0.043
|
|
|
Trans Fatty Acids
|
g
|
0.000
|
|
|
Carotenoids
|
|||
|
Beta-Carotene
|
mcg
|
2
|
|
|
Alpha-Carotene
|
mcg
|
||
|
Beta-Cryptoxanthin
|
mcg
|
||
|
Lutein + zeaxanthin
|
mcg
|
10
|
|
|
Reference Values are based on a 2,000 Calorie Intake, for Adults and Children 4 or More Years of Age. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
|
|
Percentages are roughly approximated using (RDA) Recommended Dietary Allowances for adults. Source: USDA United States Department of Agriculture
|
|
Reference Values for Nutrition - FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration
|
Potato Nutritional Value
Potatoes are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. One medium sized potato has fewer calories than a grapefruit, more potassium than a banana, and more usable iron than any other vegetable. Potatoes are high in fiber and loaded with complex carbohydrates.
Potatoes are healthy, offering numerous benefits from their vitamins, minerals, and fiber content. They can support heart health and digestion due to their potassium and fiber, and their antioxidants protect against cell damage. The skin is particularly rich in fiber and potassium.
Add potato to your diet to improve brain function, relieve stress, increase your fiber, have a positive effect on diabetes, alleviate kidney stones, treat your skin, treat dark spots, diminish inflammation and enhance your general health.
Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin B6, a good source of potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, dietary fiber, and pantothenic acid.
Potatoes are a rich source of fiber, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B-6, but to get the most nutrients you’ll need to eat the whole potato.
A potato skin contains significant nutrients, but so does the flesh. The skin contributes more of some nutrients while the flesh has more of others.
Most people eat potatoes in the unhealthy form of greasy French fries or potato chips. Baked potatoes can also be unhealthy if used with curtain unhealthy fats.
Take away the extra fat and deep frying, and a baked potato is an exceptionally healthy! Baked potatoes cooked right are low calorie, high fiber food that offers significant protection against cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Potatoes contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuber storage proteins, such as patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals.
Researchers have identified blood pressure-lowering compounds called kukoamines in potatoes.
Potato has a high concentration of vitamin B6 which is essential for the formation of virtually all new cells in the body and plays numerous roles in our nervous system, many of which involve neurological (brain cell) activity.
Vitamin B6 plays another critically important role in methylation, a chemical process in which methyl groups are transferred from one molecule to another. Methylation is important to cardiovascular health and is particularly important in cancer prevention since one of the genes that can be switched on and off is the tumour suppressor gene, p53.
Another way that methylation helps prevent cancer is by attaching methyl groups to toxic substances to make them less toxic and encourage their elimination from the body.
- AIDS BRAIN FUNCTION
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. - SUPPORT BONE HEALTH
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. - WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
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. - DIGESTION AND REGULARITY
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. - METABOLISM 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.
- LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
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. - SUPPORT HEART HEALTH
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. - CANCER PREVENTION
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. - 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. - CONTRIBUTE TO BETTER SKIN
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.
References
Nutrient Database - USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)
Reference Values for Nutrition - FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Bone health - 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.
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.
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.
Digestion and regularity - 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.
Aids brain function - 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.
Support heart health - 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.
Cancer prevention - 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.
Weight management - 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.
Contribute to better skin - 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.