LSU researchers study surprising health benefits of potatoes

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Center released details from a study that showed some surprising health benefits of potatoes.

The study was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. It found that potatoes do not increase the risk for type 2 diabetes and can help people as they battle weight issues.

“We demonstrated that contrary to common belief, potatoes do not negatively impact blood glucose levels. In fact, the individuals who participated in our study lost weight,” said Candida Rebello, an assistant professor at Pennington Biomedical.

Researchers found that people can reduce the number of calories consumed by eating foods with a heavier weight that are low in calories. Study participants replaced some meat content with potatoes and found themselves getting fuller more quickly. The participants often did not even finish their meals.

As part of the study, potatoes were incorporated into lunch and dinner entrees. The food was prepared at Pennington Biomedical’s Metabolic Kitchen.

“We prepared the potatoes in a way that would maximize their fiber content. When we compared a diet with potatoes to a diet with beans and peas, we found them to be equal in terms of health benefits,” Rebello said.

The meals provided a variety of dishes and showed that an eating plan can offer more options for people looking to eat in a healthy way.

For more on the study from LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, click here.

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