5 Reasons Why Eating Too Many Potatoes Can Harm Your Health

Potato is an edible stem vegetable belonging to perennial nightshade “Solanum Tuberosum”. It is the fourth-largest food crop and is consumed worldwide. Potatoes provide many health and beauty benefits due to the abundance of essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and dietary fibers, etc. However, eat potatoes in moderation as there are some side effects of eating too many potatoes.

# Potatoes And Weight Management

Potatoes are infamous for causing obesity, and all people are doing their best to avoid potatoes from their diet.If you are on a weight loss journey, eating potatoes may help or harm your goal depending on how they are treated and consumed. They are low in calories ( 77 calories per 100 grams), free of fat and cholesterol, and contain dietary fibers and protein.

Dietary fibers and protein provide stomach satiety and control overeating, a major cause of obesity. Baked or boiled potatoes can safely be eaten in moderation without worrying about weight gain.

# Potatoes And Digestive Health

Potatoes improve our digestive health as vitamin C, and other antioxidant compounds protect our digestive system from free radical damage.It reduces the risk of colon cancer, abdominal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and intestinal cancer.The laxative properties of dietary fibers in potatoes improve bowel movement and relieve constipation and other gastrointestinal problems like abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and flatulence, etc.

Despite this advantage, consume potatoes in moderation as too much fiber may cause indigestion, diarrhea, intestinal gas, intestinal blockage, and poor absorption of nutrients. In some individuals, starch present in potatoes may cause gastrointestinal problems like stomach discomfort, abdominal pain, and intestinal gas.

# Potatoes And Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common health problem that affects millions around the world and is a leading cause of cardiovascular and other health problems.

Potatoes contain potassium, a natural vasodilator that relaxes blood vessels improves blood circulation, and provides relief from hypertension.

Eat potatoes in moderation as too much potassium may drop our blood pressure below the normal level, and cause dizziness, fainting, nausea, dehydration, poor concentration, blurred vision, and pale skin, etc.

# Increased Risk of Pancreatic And Colorectal Cancer

Vitamin C, vitamin E, and other antioxidant compounds in potatoes protect our cells and tissues from free radical damage and reduces the risk of various cancers. Free radicals are unstabilized ions that stabilize by stealing electrons from neighboring molecules, and doing so causes oxidative damage to them.

However, too many antioxidants may increase the risk of several cancers.At a moderate level, antioxidants target the cancer cells, but at a high level, they may target the healthy cells around them.

# Potatoes And Blood Sugar

Potatoes have a high glycemic index of 78, and rapidly release sugar into the bloodstream. It causes a sudden spike in blood sugar levels and elevates our blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates in potatoes break down into glucose and increase the sugar levels in the bloodstream.

Eat potatoes in moderation as otherwise, they may elevate blood sugar below the healthy levels, and cause excessive thirst, headaches, trouble concentrating, blurred vision, frequent urination, exhaustion, weight loss, nerve damage, chronic constipation, and damage to eyes, blood vessels, and kidneys.