POTATOES A SOURCE OF POTASSIUM; SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN
AMERICANS' DIETS
Although colourful vegetables are being promoted as
the key to a healthy diet, Connie Weaver, professor of nutrition science
at Purdue University has said that white vegetables, especially
potatoes, should also be included in one's diet.
"Potatoes are a great source for potassium, and only three per cent of American adults consume the recommended daily intake for this mineral that is essential to healthy blood pressure," she said.
"Potatoes are often discounted from being healthy because of how they are cooked, topped or the amount consumed, but when prepared in a healthy way, they are nutritious. People need to remember that white vegetables have a place at the table too," Weaver said.
In addition to potatoes, other white vegetables often neglected are cauliflower, turnips, onions, parsnips, mushrooms, corn and kohlrabi.
These vegetables, and related topics such as ambiguity regarding classification of white vegetables and limitations of colour as measure of nutritional content, are published this month in the Advances in Nutrition journal supplement, "White Vegetables: A Forgotten Source of Nutrients."
The journal is published by the American Society for Nutrition and highlights research reviews in the field.
Weaver is editor of the journal supplement on white vegetables, and served as chair for the June 2012 white vegetables roundtable. The roundtable was funded by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education.
"It is recommended that the variety of fruit and vegetables consumed daily should include dark green and orange vegetables, but no such recommendation exists for white vegetables, even though they are rich in fibre, potassium and magnesium," she said.
"Overall, Americans are not eating enough vegetables, and promoting white vegetables, some of which are common and affordable, may be a pathway to increasing vegetable consumption in general," Weaver added.
The daily recommendation is four-and-a-half cups of fruit and vegetables in a 2,000-calorie diet, but Americans consume less than half of that (i.e. about 1.8 cups).
In 2004, the adequate intake for potassium was set at 4,700mg a day, but the average adult intake is about half that amount. Potassium is one of four nutrients identified by the dietary guidelines for Americans as lacking in daily diets.
"Western diets have led to a decrease in potassium with fewer fruit and vegetables, and at the same time, there has been an increase in sodium consumption because people eat more processed foods," Weaver, an expert in mineral bioavailability, calcium metabolism and bone health, said.
While potatoes are one of the highest sources of dietary potassium, when processed, they are often higher in salt. While potassium improves blood flow, too much salt increases blood pressure, making the vascular system work harder.
"The relationship between potassium and sodium is interesting because how the two work together may influence risk of cardiovascular disease," Weaver said.
"The human body needs both, but today's problem is sodium consumption is up and potassium is down. Because potassium-to-sodium intake ratios are more strongly related to cardiovascular disease risk than either nutrient alone, more research is needed to understand this relationship," she added.
“Potassium also shows signs of supporting bone health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, as well as protecting against age-related bone loss and reducing kidney stones, but more research also is needed in these areas,” Weaver said.
"Potatoes are a great source for potassium, and only three per cent of American adults consume the recommended daily intake for this mineral that is essential to healthy blood pressure," she said.
"Potatoes are often discounted from being healthy because of how they are cooked, topped or the amount consumed, but when prepared in a healthy way, they are nutritious. People need to remember that white vegetables have a place at the table too," Weaver said.
In addition to potatoes, other white vegetables often neglected are cauliflower, turnips, onions, parsnips, mushrooms, corn and kohlrabi.
These vegetables, and related topics such as ambiguity regarding classification of white vegetables and limitations of colour as measure of nutritional content, are published this month in the Advances in Nutrition journal supplement, "White Vegetables: A Forgotten Source of Nutrients."
The journal is published by the American Society for Nutrition and highlights research reviews in the field.
Weaver is editor of the journal supplement on white vegetables, and served as chair for the June 2012 white vegetables roundtable. The roundtable was funded by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education.
"It is recommended that the variety of fruit and vegetables consumed daily should include dark green and orange vegetables, but no such recommendation exists for white vegetables, even though they are rich in fibre, potassium and magnesium," she said.
"Overall, Americans are not eating enough vegetables, and promoting white vegetables, some of which are common and affordable, may be a pathway to increasing vegetable consumption in general," Weaver added.
The daily recommendation is four-and-a-half cups of fruit and vegetables in a 2,000-calorie diet, but Americans consume less than half of that (i.e. about 1.8 cups).
In 2004, the adequate intake for potassium was set at 4,700mg a day, but the average adult intake is about half that amount. Potassium is one of four nutrients identified by the dietary guidelines for Americans as lacking in daily diets.
"Western diets have led to a decrease in potassium with fewer fruit and vegetables, and at the same time, there has been an increase in sodium consumption because people eat more processed foods," Weaver, an expert in mineral bioavailability, calcium metabolism and bone health, said.
While potatoes are one of the highest sources of dietary potassium, when processed, they are often higher in salt. While potassium improves blood flow, too much salt increases blood pressure, making the vascular system work harder.
"The relationship between potassium and sodium is interesting because how the two work together may influence risk of cardiovascular disease," Weaver said.
"The human body needs both, but today's problem is sodium consumption is up and potassium is down. Because potassium-to-sodium intake ratios are more strongly related to cardiovascular disease risk than either nutrient alone, more research is needed to understand this relationship," she added.
“Potassium also shows signs of supporting bone health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, as well as protecting against age-related bone loss and reducing kidney stones, but more research also is needed in these areas,” Weaver said.
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