Potato Usages And Processing Techniques

Potato Usage And Benefits 

Potato Usage And Benefits :

Potatoes are used for a variety of purposes, and not only as a vegetable for cooking at home. Less than 50 percent of potatoes grown worldwide are likely consumed fresh. The rest are processed into potato food products and food ingredients; fed to cattle, pigs, and chickens; processed into starch for industry, and re-used as seed tubers for growing the next season’s potato crop.

FOOD USES: FRESH, FROZEN, DEHYDRATED

Fresh potatoes are baked, boiled, or fried and used in a staggering range of recipes: mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, potato dumplings, twice-baked potatoes, potato soup, potato salad, and potatoes au gratin, to name a few.

Potato is a plant. The fleshy part of the root (potato) is commonly eaten as a vegetable. Potato is also used to make medicine.

People use potatoes for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, indigestion (dyspepsia), and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

In foods, potato is eaten, used as a source of starch, and fermented into alcohol.

Potatoes are edible tubers, available worldwide and all year long. They are relatively cheap to grow, rich in nutrients, and can make a delicious treat.

Potatoes are not just good to eat. There are other more unusual uses for potatoes on your homestead.

They are of course incredibly useful vegetables. They’re healthy and can be used in a wide range of different recipes.

But they also have a range of other beneficial properties that make them useful. Read on to find out more

Potato is an economically important staple crop prevailing all across the world with successful large-scale production, consumption, and affordability with easy availability in the open market. Potatoes provide basic nutrients such as carbohydrates, dietary fiber (skin), several vitamins, and minerals (e.g., potassium, magnesium, iron). On occasion exposure to raw and cooked potatoes impart allergic reactions. Dietary intake of potatoes, especially colored potatoes, plays an important role in the production of an antioxidant defense system by providing essential nutrient antioxidants, such as vitamins, β-carotene, polyphenols, and minerals. This may help lower the incidence of the wide range of chronic and acute disease processes (like hypertension, heart diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative, and other diseases)

Various animal studies showed that peels of potato might lower plasma cholesterol and decrease liver fat cholesterol. Potato might also plays a significant role in lipid metabolism and help with plasma triglycerides (fats). Plasma vitamin E and anti-oxidant levels might be more effective in potato-fed animals and might demonstrate dditional heart benefits to potato consumption. Phytochemicals, like anti-oxidants, may be responsible for reducing inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease.5 However, there is a need for more studies in this area. 

The health benefits of potatoes are manifold. It provides several nutrients, even though they are usually thought of as a starchy side dish or snack food. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium, and they also contain iron and calcium. Their greatest nutritional value lies in their fibre content and the phytochemicals they contain. When prepared correctly, potatoes can be served in many tasty dishes with little or no fat or sodium.

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.

Sweet Potatoes are a rich source of which is vital for deposition and storage in our body. Deficiency in Vit D is bound to cause the lowering of density of the bone which can be investigated through Bone Mineral test. It also acts as a catalyst in preventing cancer, type 1 diabetes. An adequate amount of Vit D is necessary for phosphorus absorption too. Sweet potatoes are extremely beneficial for individuals living with minimum exposure to sunlight which is the primary sources of Vit D synthesis in our body.

One of the benefits of eating potatoes is the content of Vitamin C. The vitamin C content can help to reduce the visibility of wrinkles on your face. To see these results in action, apply some potato juice or mashed potato paste to the affected area, leave it on for about 15-20 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

Additionally, potato juice or slices of potatoes applied to the skin can help treat sunburns effectively, says a study, due to the presence of Vitamin C. You can also use cold potato slices to help your sunburned skin feel better by giving it a cooling sensation.

Potatoes for Weight Gain Potatoes are primarily made of carbohydrates and contain very little protein. This makes it an ideal diet for those excessively lean or thin people who desperately want to put on weight. The vitamin content includes vitamin-C and B- complex, which also help in proper absorption of carbohydrates. That is one of the reasons that potatoes make up a large part of the diet of sumo wrestlers, as well as many other athletes who need large energy reserves to burn off in order to compete!

Potatoes contain iron as well. Therefore, they help deliver oxygen to the brain as well. The vasodilating properties of potassium have also been connected to the stimulation of brain function due to increased blood flow to it. This stops the brain from letting fatigue creep in and it keeps your cognitive activity and high performance.

MAIN THING: There are a wide variety of vitamins and minerals in potatoes that positively affect the function of the brain, including phosphorus, zinc and the vitamin B complex.

Potato contains fibre, which supports digestion and promotes regularity. The starch in the potato adds bulk to the stool – as it is indigestible. They further help to keep diarrhoea away and being rich in potassium, a mineral one loses to a large extent during diarrhoea. Most of the fibre in potatoes is found in the skin.  

Helps with kidney stones: 

Weather you have gluten intolerance, or are on a gluten free diet, potatoes should still be an essential part of your daily diet. A common misconception is that gluten and carbohydrates are basically the same thing. They are not. White vegetables are not the same as white flour. Carbohydrates consist of sugar, while gluten is a group of proteins.

Hint: Use small roasted potatoes instead of croutons in your salad or use slices of potatoes, bake in the oven, and use in place of crusty bread for bruschetta.

1 lb. small red potatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (to taste)

2 cups diced fresh ripe tomato

2/3 cup small fresh mozzarella pearls (or 1/4 inch cubes)

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (can substitute with regular balsamic vinegar)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil