Did you know that the humble potato can become a valuable food for our intestinal health? There is a condition, of course.
The potato must be cooled after cooking so that the starch in it transforms into a beneficial fiber for the microbiome.
The Humble Potato: An Inexpensive Probiotic
The simple potato salad could be a much healthier dish than we think if it sits in the fridge overnight.
Don’t eat the potatoes hot, even though they are very tasty! After cooking, let them cool and then place them in the fridge. They need to stay cool overnight for the magic to happen.
The starch in potatoes transforms into resistant starch when cooked and cooled. This type of starch acts as a prebiotic fiber. It will effectively nourish the good bacteria in the gut, contributing to the enrichment of the intestinal microbiota.
Cooled Potatoes Do Not Spike Blood Sugar Levels
Cooled potatoes in the fridge become friendlier not only to the gut but also to blood sugar levels. Another advantage of consuming cooled potatoes is that they prevent those blood sugar spikes that occur when we eat hot potatoes.
Dr. Thomas Schmidt from the University of Michigan conducted a study that sheds a favorable light on potatoes. They are often viewed as a food rich in carbohydrates, which is why many people avoid them.
Resistant Starch from Potatoes Nourishes Beneficial Gut Bacteria
Dr. Schmidt showed that the resistant starch from potatoes has a beneficial effect on the gut. The 174 students participating in the study were asked to include dietary supplements with resistant starch in their regular diet.
The intervention group received resistant starch from potatoes or inulin from chicory root, while the control group received corn starch.
All types of starch modified the composition of the intestinal microbiota, but only potato starch increased the production of butyrate.
Resistant starch is a type of fiber that is resistant to digestion. It is not broken down by the digestive enzymes in the body but by certain gut bacteria. As a result of this process, butyrate is produced.
This is a short-chain fatty acid that improves digestion.
The good news is that you don’t have to eat cold potatoes exclusively. Cooling is important, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reheat the potatoes. Cooled potatoes can be reheated without issues and will have the same beneficial effect on the gut.
The healthiest options are boiled potatoes with skin and made into salads (e.g., oriental salad) or baked potatoes, also with skin.
