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A team of researchers from Montefiore Medical Center in New York compared the nutritional benefits of three popular carbohydrate-rich foods: rice, potatoes, and bread.
Until now, many people treated those foods as interchangeable, weighing their pros and cons the same way. But Dr. Keith T. Ayub, a pediatric dietitian and the study’s lead, pointed out that the carbohydrate sources have “different profiles of vitamins and nutrients.”
Moreover, potatoes not only contain fewer carbohydrates than rice and whole-grain bread, but they’re also a rich source of potassium, fiber, and vitamins, the Daily Mail reported. Potatoes digest quickly and provide the body with usable energy.
What the Researchers Discovered
The scientists compared the nutrient content in common American dishes and found that swapping a serving of bread or rice for a serving of potatoes twice a day could raise potassium levels by 21 percent, vitamin C by 11 percent, and fiber by 10 percent. The team said those shifts could even lower the risk of colorectal cancer.
The researchers cited statistics showing that about 95 percent of U.S. adults do not consume enough fiber, which is crucial for healthy digestion.
Additionally, a report in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that 98 percent of U.S. adults fail to get adequate potassium, a mineral vital for muscle function and blood-pressure regulation.
In the study, Dr. Ayub and his colleagues compared the amounts of potassium, fiber, and vitamins B6 and C in a medium-sized potato, white rice, and whole-grain bread. They calculated the differences in nutrients between these three foods across two typical meals and also assessed the overall daily differences.
Potatoes outperformed the others in potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6 — a vitamin that is essential for vascular health.
The study’s results, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, showed that a medium-sized potato contains about 15 percent of the daily recommended intake of potassium, while whole-grain bread contains only about three percent.
More Conclusions
Furthermore, a medium-sized potato supplies roughly 30 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, while whole-grain bread supplies none.
So, as Dr. Ayub concluded, potatoes are more nutrient-dense than white rice or bread. His team did not examine the nutrient content of brown rice in this study.
Despite their advantages, the scientists did not recommend relying solely on potatoes for nutrition; instead, they advised incorporating a variety of starchy vegetables into the diet. Those include corn, legumes, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, and squash.
When choosing potatoes as a side dish, remember they won’t cause weight loss, and people with high blood sugar should avoid eating them in excess.
