Are fried potatoes harmful

Potato dishes are so popular that they are second only to rice. Fried potatoes are the easiest and fastest dish to prepare: a time-tested side dish, popular fast food, and student food. The benefits and harms of fried potatoes is a very controversial topic that causes a lot of criticism from supporters of proper nutrition.

The chemical composition of fried potatoes

The benefits of potatoes are determined primarily by their chemical composition.

Potato tuber is rich in nutrients - vitamins, macro- and microelements, mineral salts. The composition contains almost the entire complex of vitamin B, beta-carotene, vitamins PP, E, H, which regulate the body.

Eating 200 - 300 g of potatoes can replenish the daily rate of ascorbic acid. Potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium predominate among macronutrients. The root vegetable also contains oxalic, malic, citric acids.

The vegetable oil used for frying contains vitamins A, D, and E. It consists mainly of polyunsaturated fats, which are easier to digest than animal fats.

However, after heat treatment, some of the nutrients lose their beneficial properties, and frying products can be harmful.

Nutritional value and calorie content of fried potatoes

Fried potatoes have a high glycemic index. The carbohydrates in the root vegetable are predominantly starch and are rapidly absorbed, resulting in short-term satiety. 100 g of fried potatoes contain:

• proteins - 3 g;
• carbohydrates - 23 g;
• fats - 10 g.

A raw vegetable is not high in calories - 75 kcal per 100 g of product. But it cannot be eaten in this form, so many people prefer frying: after all, this is a delicious dish that is prepared easily and quickly. As a result, the calorie content more than doubles - an average of 192 kcal per 100 g.

Why are fried potatoes useful?

Starch, as the main constituent of the root vegetable, brings not only harm, as many believe, but also benefit, satisfying hunger well and providing the body with energy.

Calcium strengthens bone tissue, and B vitamins stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine, hormones responsible for good mood. This explains the appeal of golden potato slices.

Vitamins normalize the functioning of the nervous system, help in the fight against stress. Thanks to the synthesis of red blood cells, appetite improves.

A high potassium content has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, reducing the likelihood of developing hypertension and stroke. The withdrawal of fluid from the body is accelerated.

Due to the fact that the dish is often abundantly salted and cooked with the use of fat, the effect of the properties of the product is reduced: the benefits of fried potatoes for the body are significantly lower than those cooked in their uniforms.

Can fried potatoes be pregnant and lactating

The health of the unborn baby largely depends on what the mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding.Although gynecologists advise pregnant women to eat high-calorie foods, the benefits of fried potatoes are small: they should be excluded from the diet.

Pregnancy is a serious test for the body, which is experiencing increased stress in this state. The digestive system and kidneys are working in an enhanced mode, and such a fat, salty dish like fried potatoes will only burden them even more. And the carcinogens released as a result of frying harm the developing fetus.

When breastfeeding, the mother is also not recommended to eat fried potatoes: lactocytes, which are responsible for milk production, take in both beneficial and harmful properties from the foods eaten.

Fried potatoes for children

Of course, fried potatoes are tasty and appetizing, but you should not teach a child to them. Heavy food negatively affects the developing gastrointestinal tract of the baby and is not beneficial. A child's liver and stomach may not be able to cope with digestion, which increases the likelihood of their illness.

The culinary preferences of children are largely shaped by the parents themselves. By eating wholesome food, and thereby setting an example, you can avoid the whims of the child at the dinner table.

The harm of fried potatoes

Unfortunately, the cooking method itself does not rank fried potatoes as a beneficial product: on the contrary, when oil is heated in a frying pan, free radicals are released, the harm of which is notorious in provoking cancer, lowering immunity, developing atherosclerosis, skin and nervous system lesions.

The dish becomes fatty, salty, high in calories. It is difficult to digest such food: the liver secretes more bile, which leads to increased acidity in the stomach. Fried potatoes are also unacceptable for ulcers: gastric juices exacerbate mucosal damage, cause complications of the disease.

Overweight

The dish is cooked in vegetable oil or animal fat. This explains its high calorie content. Unspent energy is stored in the form of fatty deposits. If these reserves are not spent, then obesity is inevitable. There is a violation of the functioning of the body systems, including the cardiovascular.

Starch is a polysaccharide whose monomer is alpha-glucose. Once in the bloodstream, it stimulates the production of insulin by the pancreas. The hormone breaks down glucose, converting it into energy. The pancreas is unable to cope with the increased concentration of glucose in the blood if the production of insulin is impaired. Therefore, fried potatoes for diabetes should be excluded from the diet.

Oil and carcinogens

In addition to obesity, more terrible diseases can occur - malignant tumors. Smoking oil in a frying pan is a sure sign that carcinogens are forming in it due to high temperatures. These substances are toxic and increase the risk of neoplasms.

To minimize the harm from fried potatoes, cook them with vegetable oils with a higher smoke point:

• mustard (254 ° C);
• refined rapeseed (240 ° C);
• refined sunflower, soybean, corn (232 ° C).

Animal fats, as well as unrefined oils, tend to form carcinogens much earlier, at lower temperatures.

Salt content

Fried potatoes are especially tasty when salted well. However, excess sodium is harmful as it retains fluid in the tissues. Violation of the water-salt balance overloads the kidneys, leads to swelling, high blood pressure. This is harmful to the circulatory system, and also threatens the appearance of joint problems.In addition, salt stimulates the appetite, which encourages overeating.

How to cook potatoes correctly

It is preferable to cook the root vegetable in its uniform or bake it in the oven - this way more useful properties will be preserved without increasing the calorie content. However, if it is impossible to give up fried potatoes, then you need to know how to minimize harm and get more benefits by following simple rules:

1. Chopped and peeled potatoes should be soaked in cold water for an hour to reduce the starch content of the root vegetable.
2. Less fat is required if you use a non-stick pan.
3. Refined vegetable oils should be preferred. They cannot be reused; the pan must be washed after each cooking.
4. The slices should not be overcooked, so stir them. You will get a crispy crust if you do not cover the product with a lid during frying.
5. Salt before serving, otherwise the salt will absorb the fat.

Even if these rules are followed, eating fried potatoes is too often not worth it, because the harm from eating it can be reduced, but not eliminated.

Which potatoes to choose for frying

There are many varieties, and not all can produce perfect golden slices. Suitable for frying are potatoes containing less starch with yellowish or brown tubers and a yellow core. A distinctive property of such varieties is the ability to maintain shape during cooking.

You need to pay attention not only to the color, but also to the condition of the root crop - it is firm and elastic to the touch, the skin is smooth, without defects.

A green tint or the presence of sprouts signals that the potato contains a lot of solanine. This toxin leads to severe poisoning: you cannot eat such a vegetable.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of fried potatoes are closely related to the way they are prepared, the frequency of their appearance on the dinner table. Regular use is fraught with obesity, problems with the digestive and cardiovascular system. Nevertheless, this tasty, but not healthy dish can be enjoyed once a week in the absence of a doctor's contraindications.