The risks of eating potatoes They have been in public discussion for a long time. Glycoalkaloids is the name of a substance to avoid and that is present in these, in the Eggplants and tomatoes. Recently, the EFSA (Food Safety Agency of the European Union) has conducted a study on its dangers to public health. Let's see why should we be careful with this food, the delicious food that adults and children like.
What you may not know
The potato He's been in the spotlight for a long time. Its consumption is something so common in the West that we do not stop to think about how it affects our health. Fried, boiled, roasted, wrinkled, bravo… There is one for every taste. Despite the fact that the food itself is nutritious, we must pay attention to its preparation.
The potato comes from the plant Solanum tuberosum. Bill tuber Pre-Columbian is so popular due to its versatility in the kitchen and its easy cultivation in all kinds of areas. It is a food rich in carbohydrates (36,6%). Although this is its main nutritional virtue, it has others. It also contains in a small proportion minerals as potassium, manganese, magnesium ...
What are glycoalkaloids?
As for the contraindications two stand out among all. The famous starch and the lesser known glycoalkaloids. We will first examine the case of the latter. An example of this substance is bitter solanine. This toxic serves the plant to prevent the impact of pests and pathogens.
That is why before cooking potatoes we must peel them y wash them. This is recommended by EFSA to avoid possible damages. These are as follows: vomiting and diarrhea. In the most critical cases there can be respiratory failure, heart failure and even death. How will we know to avoid its excess?
La EFSA shuffle the amount of one milligram for every kilo of body weight per day. Get out the calculator before it's too late. A dose between 3 and 6 milligrams per kilo is considered lethal. For this reason, those who eat a lot of potatoes are at greater risk from these toxins.
However, the agency has not determined the risk of glycoalkaloids in underripe aubergines or tomatoes. Still missing studies to dare to do it. Does not know exactly in what quantity found in these foods. According EFSA the processing of potatoes allows to reduce the content of these substances up to a 75%. Here comes the eternal debate about risks of eating potato chips.
Starch
La FSA (acronym in English for Food Standards Agency) gives his point of view. The British body warns about the impact of starch on our health. According to this agency, cooking starchy foods at high temperatures can be a bad idea. At such high temperatures, they may contain unsafe levels of acrylamide, a harmful chemical. This could cause cancer in humans.
In animals it has been clearly seen how cancer levels increased as acrylamide consumption increased. The scientific consensus calls for caution, since it considers that the same thing can happen in humans. The more golden, the more we expose ourselves to risks of eating potatoes.
However, there are those who refute the idea that French fries are carcinogenic. The detractors of this theory have their own. These are usually present in a high proportion among people who have an unhealthy diet. That is why they do not appreciate a conclusive causal relationship. Cancer is much more likely to develop if diet is neglected and saturated fat is abused.
A review
Returning to the subject of glycoalkaloids, here's how to reduce their presence. Boil o scald you can reduce them by 5% to 65%. Frying them in oil reduces it by between 20% and 90% This range that varies depending on the temperature and cooking time. Cooking them in the oven also reduces glycoalkaloids by between 20% and 50%. The microwave oven it does between 3% and 45%. The figures are highly variable because they depend on many factors. How long it has been stored, temperature, cooking time ...
To conclude, the risks of eating potatoes They are probably older than you thought. Therefore, it is advisable to moderate our consumption if we want to enjoy a balanced and healthy diet. It would be a shame to get sick from eating such an appetizing tuber that has been with us since the conquest of America.
