How to maximize the benefits of eating potatoes

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.For years, the potato has been one of the most misunderstood foods, dismissed by wellness culture as a “bad carb,” a supposed culprit behind weight gain, insulin spikes and metabolic woes. Yet new research, and medical experts are offering a newer, more nuanced perspective: the problem, it seems, was never the potato itself, but how we cook and consume it.Dr.

Vimal Pahuja, a metabolic physician at Dr. LH Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai, says, “A partial truth has been made to look like an absolute truth, but with potatoes context matters.” Large cohort studies, he points out, show the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is significantly higher with French fries, not with boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes once factors like lifestyle and diet are adjusted.

“Energy density, frying oils, and sodium drive the difference, not the tuber per se. Potatoes also provide potassium, vitamin C and fibre when eaten with their skin.”Veena V, a dietitian at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru notes all potato carbohydrates are not the same.

“Around 10–20% of starch in some varieties is resistant starch—the kind that isn’t digested in the small intestine but instead feeds beneficial gut bacteria in the colon. These starches improve glucose regulation and promote gut health.”A 2022 study published in Food Chemistry: X (Cooking Methods Affected the Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities of Potato from Different Varieties) reveals the way you cook potatoes can dramatically alter their nutritional value.

Across the board, cooking reduced key nutrients such as vitamin C, phenolics, and antioxidants, all vital elements known for protecting against inflammation, cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, not