The horns of a dilemma may keep poking us in every move of our life - lighter as well as deeper. The "tick-tick" of a swinging pendulum may knock at our minds every single time we try to make a decision in any controversial issue. The swing continues- left and right. Even when a new theory or fact comes up, we are still in the same muddy water. For example, we still remain fussy about consuming potatoes (though a secret desire to bite onto French Fries keeps us haunting) even if the veggie gets a clean chit from the research world.
Who knows when a villain becomes a hero and vice versa? Potato has so far been ridiculed for its fattening properties and people with high blood sugar have experienced a lot of deprivations when it came to grabbing even a small bite of a yummy potato delight. But a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has suggested that 2 servings of potato, on a daily basis, can go a long way to reduce high blood pressure in obese or overweight individuals.
Surprising? Isn't it? So far, potato has earned a bad reputation with many weight watchers and health conscious people banning it from their meals. But Mc D will not get anything out of this finding because the research subjects were purple potatoes, cooked in microwave oven without using mediums like oils or fats.
Researchers clarified that potatoes earned a bad reputation because of "human brains" and "human hands". If cooked without frying or without adding butter or margarine, then potato has only 110 calories and loads of vitamins and phytochemicals.
Initially, some individuals from a group were made to eat 6 to 8 potatoes while the others were asked to consume biscuits (starch equivalent). Blood and urine tests were conducted before and after the study. An increase in the antioxidant capacity of blood and urine was noted in individuals who consumed potatoes while a decrease in the same was observed in the biscuit eaters.
After this, around 18 obese and overweight people with high blood pressure and average BMI of 29, were asked to participate in a crossover study which continued for eight weeks. During the first four weeks, they either consumed 6 to 8 purple potatoes twice daily or no potatoes in their regular diet or then shifted to the other regimen for the next four weeks.
The size of a potato could be compared with that of a golf ball and they were taken with skins on. The results were encouraging. The diastolic blood pressure went up by 4.3 percent while the systolic by 3.5 percent. And notably, there were no changes in body weight, lipid or glucose levels.
Researchers are now interested to conduct a similar study on white and red-skinned potatoes. And we can be sure that some of us would be wanting them to conduct this research on French Fries as well. Who knows, a future research may allow us to write an essay on "Health Benefits of French Fries".
