About potatoes
Benefits to human health
Potatoes have positive effects on muscles, joints, bones, tendons, blood formation and metabolism. Thanks to their high potassium content, potatoes are beneficial to the heart and blood vessels. They also have positive effects on the condition of your skin, hair and nails. Raw potato juice has laxative effects, helps alleviate muscle cramps and is beneficial to the digestive system.
Potatoes are a traditional side dish and it is hard to image eating many meals without potatoes. When prepared traditionally, potatoes help to balance fat meals. Boiled potatoes contain 80% water and almost no fat; this means that without adding butter or lard, you will not gain weight if you eat potatoes. On the contrary, your body will replenish vitamin C and some of the vitamin B group and other beneficial nutrients.
There is also another reason why potatoes should be a part of your diet. They are rich in potassium that transports nutrients to cells and supports the elimination of excessive water from your body. This helps reduce dangerous high blood pressure. Potatoes can also help mitigate stomach hyperacidity and inflammation.
Potatoes can be divided into three basic cooking types:
Cooking type A
This type is suitable for salads, boiling unpeeled and as a side dish. When cooked, potatoes stay tough and firm. They do not become floury or overcooked even if you forget them on the stove a little too long.
Cooking type B
This type is suitable as a universal side dish. They can be used for salads, goulashes, soups and for roasting. When cooked, they partially fall apart and appear floury.
Cooking type C
Use this type mainly for mashed potatoes and batter. It is also suitable for French fried, pancakes and dough. When cooked, these potatoes are floury and fall apart.
You can also find potatoes labeled A- or B-C. This is caused by the fact that individual types are not strictly defined – after all, cooking is not a precise science, but rather an art where the boundaries are not as strict.
