Study reveals the carbohydrate you should be choosing at meal times
- A study has shown that potatoes are an essential source of potassium, fiber and vitamins
- Researchers recommend adding potatoes and other starchy vegetables such as yams to the diet
- READ MORE: New ‘portfolio diet’ is the miracle cure for health
A new study suggests that not all carbohydrates are created equal.
According to researchers at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, choosing rice instead of potatoes can leave you short on valuable nutrients.
A detailed comparison of the nutrients in typical American meals found that swapping servings of bread and rice for potatoes twice a day could increase potassium levels by 21 percent, vitamin C by 11 percent and fiber by 10 percent β ββwhich could reduce the risk of diabetes can reduce. colon cancer.
Data shows that approximately 95 percent of American adults do not meet recommended requirements for fiber, which is known to be crucial for healthy digestion.
Meanwhile, 98 percent don’t get enough potassium, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The mineral that is important for muscle contraction and healthy blood pressure.
Dr. Keith T Ayoob, a child nutritionist in New York City, found that a medium potato contains more potassium, vitamin C and fiber than whole wheat bread or white rice
Speaking about the findings, study leader and nutritionist Dr. Keith T Ayoob that they show that carbohydrates are ‘not interchangeable’ and ‘have very different vitamin and nutrient profiles’.
For the study, Dr. Ayoob and colleagues compared the amount of potassium, vitamins B6 and C and fiber in a medium potato with those of white rice and whole wheat bread.
They then calculated the difference in nutrients between the three different carbohydrates in two typical American meals – and calculated a total daily difference.
In addition to less potassium and fiber in the rice and potato meals, the researchers also found 17 percent less vitamin B6 β a nutrient that is also found in pork and poultry and is crucial for healthy blood vessels.
The study, published in the journal Limits in nutrition, found that a medium potato contains 15 percent of the daily recommended amount of potassium, while whole wheat bread contains only three percent.
Dr. Ayoob, a pediatric nutritionist at Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, said: ‘It’s tempting to think of all carbohydrate foods as interchangeable, but these foods are classified into different food groups for a reason β perhaps most importantly, they tend to have vastly different to have properties. vitamin and mineral content.’
Dr. Ayoob wrote that potatoes are a good source of potassium, a “nutrient of concern,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
In addition, a medium potato has 30 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin C β important for healing processes β while whole wheat bread has none.
Dr. Ayoob said the findings show that potatoes contain more nutrients than grains such as white rice or bread.
However, he did not research the nutritional value of brown rice.
He also suggested not just eating potatoes and including a “diversified intake of starchy vegetables” in the diet, such as sweet potatoes and yams.