Kathmandu, January 25:

An expert said today that regular consumption of potato not only provides nutrition but also helps build up resistance against old age diseases.

“In developing countries like Nepal, people make curry out of potatoes. They are not aware that it is highly nutritious and can substitute rice, wheat, maize as a major food,” said Puspa Raj Bhurtel, senior scientist at the Potato Research Programme under Nepal Agriculture and Research Council (NARC).

He said, “Potato is low in fat and rich in several micronutrients, especially vitamin C, vitamin B if eaten without being peeled.”

Freshly harvested potato contains about 80 per cent water and 20 per cent dry food. About 60 to 80 per cent of the dry food is starch. Potatoes are moderate sources of iron and the high vitamin C content promotes iron absorption. It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants, which may help prevent diseases related to ageing.

Doctors usually say that potatoes have negative effects if taken by diabetic patients but Bhurtel said this was only true for patients with diabetes 2. He also warned that boiling potatoes causes a significant loss of vitamin C.

The UN has declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato.