16 Health Benefits of Eating Irish Potatoes and How to Cook It

Potatoes is common food in many parts of the world. It was introduced in Europe by Spanish people. It is named after Ireland due to the famous Irish potato famine. Which is caused by a mold infestation of the Irish potato crop. This potato also well known as white potato.

Irish potato is cultivated in most of the country. It is generally growth from a seed. It becomes a primary ingredient for all type of culinary. It has rich contains of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, there are a lot of health benefits of eating Irish potato.

Nutrition Value of Irish Potato

Below is the nutrient value per 100gr of Irish potato:

Calories 76kcal
Carbohydrate 17.47gr
Sugar 0.8gr
Dietary Fiber 2.2gr
Fat 0.1gr
Protein 2gr
Calcium 12mg
Iron 0.8mg
Magnesium 23mg
Manganese 0.153mg
Phosporus 57mg
Potassium 421mg
Sodium 6mg
Zinx 0.29mg
Thiamine (Vitamin B6) 0.08mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 0.03mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3) 1.05mg
Vitamin B5 0.3mg
Vitamin B6 0.3mg
Vitamin C 19.7mg
Vitamin E 0.01mg

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

For those who feel curious, below are lists of health benefits of Irish potatoes:

1. Support the Immune System

Irish potato contains a big number of Vitamin C. Which is well known as a good source to support human body immune system. Vitamin C help to keep a healthy body. It avoids the body to easily get illness. Therefore, it keeps the virus away and minimize the probability of getting cold.

2. Digestive Treatment

Potato is rich with dietary fiber. The level of carbohydrates is also high. Therefore, it makes potato easy to digest. The digestive metabolism is work well.

3. Weight Loss

Potato is rich with dietary fiber. That’s why it helps the body metabolism to run well. So, the body will avoid to gain fat by changing the fat into an energy. Consuming Irish potato will also give a full sensation for hours. Therefore, it can lower down the appetite, which is good for losing weight.

4. Increase Weight

Not just losing weight, for people who want to get fat, potato also can help. Due to rich of carbs, people who want to add their body mass can add potato as their daily meal. The different between to losing weight and to add more weight is in the serving number. You may need to consult with the doctor about the dosage of the daily consume of potato.

5. Maintain the Red Blood Cell

The contain of vitamin B6 help the body to produce nonessential amino acid. It leads to the synthesis of the hemoglobin. Which is an important part to keep and maintain the red blood cell. Therefore, it helps to prevent anemia.

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6. Avoid Rheumatism

A routine consume of potato will help to avoid rheumatism. Therefore, it is good for elderly to put potato as one of the meal menu every day. The capability as anti-inflammatory can help to reduce this illness.

7. Gum Health

Irish potato can help to keep the health of gum. The vitamin C giving the gum a healthy condition, which not easily to get wounds or bleeding.

8. Reduce Blood Pressure

The potassium inside the Irish potato helps to lower down the blood pressure. It works by regulate fluid and mineral balance in and out of cell. So that it will maintain the blood pressure.
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9. Prevent Heart Attack

Consuming potato with its skin will give a good source of potassium. Relate to the capability of lowering down the blood pressure, it can help to prevent a heart attack. Since it is zero cholesterol. all kind and type of cardiovascular disease can be reduced.

10. Anti-oxidant

The vitamin C content also act as an anti-oxidant. It works by stabilize the effect of free radical from the environment. Since potato is rich with vitamin C, it prevents and repair oxidative stresses. It is a process that damages cells within the body and has been linked to the development of many kind of dangerous diseases.

11. Maintain Nervous System

The vitamin B6 is an important component for body nervous system. It helps to keep the motoric of the nerve. Since potato contains numbers of vitamin B6, therefore it is good to maintain the nervous system health. Vitamin B6 also helps create useful brain chemicals, including serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. It is ensuring that the blood circulation is running well, so that the nervous system is working well.

12. Anti-Inflammatory

There is a study mentioned that Irish potato helps as anti-inflammatory agent. Vitamin B6 together with vitamin C and potassium relief any inflammation. Therefore, Irish potato is very effective to reduce the inflammation. Mainly such as arthritis.

13. Skin treatment

According to Organic Facts, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorous can all help to keep skin smooth. These nutrients are all present in potatoes which help to maintain a healthy skin. It helps the skin to regenerate. The capability as anti-oxidant also help the skin to avoid wrinkle.

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14. Maintain Athletic Performance

Irish potato can work to balance the body electrolyte. That’s why it is good to maintain the athletic performance of human body. The content of sodium and potassium inside the potato is generating the electrolyte. Which is useful to replace the sweat. It is also works to minimize cramps, and optimize the body function.

15. Threat Kidney Stone

What’s more health benefits of eating Irish potatoes? Kidney stone are caused mainly due to increase level of uric acid in the blood. Since Irish potato is containing magnesium, therefore it inhibits the accumulation of calcium deposition. This help to provide beneficial treatment of kidney stone.

16. Maintain Brain Function

The high level of carbohydrates may have some advantages, including helping maintain good levels of glucose in the blood. Which is necessary to proper brain functioning. Potassium, which encourages the widening of blood vessels, also helps ensure your brain gets enough blood.

How to Cook Irish Potato

There are many ways to consume potatoes. Below are the ways:

1. Baked Irish Potato

This is the best way to consume potato. This result the lowest amount of nutrition loss in preparing a potato. Most of the people love to baked the potato and fill in with other ingredients in the middle of it. But for people who aim to consume potato for diet, it is recommended to have single baked potato. It is good to consume every day. It is a good carbohydrates substituent compare with rice. As an addition, it is recommended to consume potato together with its skin.

2. Steamed

This is another good way to consume Irish potatoes. Steaming the potatoes will not damage its nutrition. Steamed potato can later on produced as mashed potato, or making as a cream soup. There are many more recipes of steamed potatoes.

3. Boiling

This way is almost the same way with steaming. Unless that the nutrition content is mixed out into the water. It makes this method cause a lot of nutrition loss. The boiled potato normally tastes originally sweet. It can be served with steaks or served as salad.

4. Grill

A potato can be grilled together with other ingredients such as pepper or corn. It fells tasty. But it is recommended not too do it often. Since grill food has potential CO2 issue which leads to cancer.

5. Fried

This is the last option to consume a potato. It is not recommended to have too much fried potato. When it is fried, then a lot of its nutrient is loss. Moreover, fried potato might cause cardiovascular disease. It is also possible to get cancer due to the fried process which is unhealthy.

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Side Effect of Irish Potato

So far, there is no report on side effect of the Irish potato. Only for those with allergic historical may get some rash when consume it too much. But overall, Irish potato is safe to consume for most of people. It is also safe to consume as daily meal. But still, there are many health benefits of eating Irish potatoes for you.