The Potato Diet Exposed: Surprising Benefits and Hidden Risks You Must Know!

Potatoes, a global favorite and the fourth most popular food worldwide, are often unfairly maligned. While french fries and potato skins are usually high in fat and calories, the potato itself boasts zero fat and cholesterol and is low in sodium. When prepared correctly, potatoes can be part of delicious, satisfying, and healthy dishes. In 2019, Americans consumed an average of 49.4 pounds of potatoes per person, highlighting the root vegetable's accessibility, ease of cultivation, and versatility in countless dishes year-round.

However, the "potato diet," a short-term fad diet promising rapid weight loss, has gained traction. This article delves into the potential risks and benefits of relying heavily on potatoes in your diet, especially within the context of the potato diet.

Potato Varieties and Nutritional Value

Numerous varieties of potatoes exist, categorized into three basic types: starchy, waxy, and all-purpose.

Starchy Potatoes: High in starch, low in moisture, and possessing thick skins, these potatoes become fluffy when cooked, making them ideal for baking or frying. They are excellent for potato chips, cakes, or hash browns and are the best choice for mashed potatoes, provided they are not over-worked. Varieties include King Edward, Russet, and sweet potatoes.
Waxy Potatoes: Containing less starch and more moisture and sugar than their starchy counterparts, waxy potatoes are typically smaller with a wax-like skin. Their creamy flesh makes them suitable for boiling, roasting, or slicing in casseroles, soups, and potato salads, but not for mashing. Varieties include red bliss, French fingerlings, and chieftain.
All-Purpose Potatoes: These potatoes strike a balance between starchy and waxy, with a higher moisture content than starchy potatoes but the ability to withstand boiling. They can be roasted, pan-fried, or stewed, and they work well in soups and stews. They can also be used for mashed potatoes, though they won't achieve the same fluffy texture as starchy potatoes. Varieties include Yukon gold, white potatoes, and purple potatoes.

Potatoes are a decent source of fiber, which can help you feel full longer, prevent heart disease by maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and promote digestive health. The fiber found in potatoes is a special type called “resistant starch,” which has the health benefits of both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. You can increase the resistant starch in potatoes by cooking them a day ahead and cooling them in the fridge overnight. Like soluble fiber, the resistant starch in potatoes acts as a prebiotic, compounds that are helpful to the bacteria in your gut. Like insoluble fiber, it can prevent or treat constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

They are also rich in antioxidants that prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly. Baked potato skin is a great source of potassium and magnesium. When you don’t have enough potassium in your diet, your body retains extra sodium, and too much sodium raises your blood pressure. A potassium-rich diet can help decrease blood pressure, protecting the heart and reducing the risk of stroke. Furthermore, potatoes provide vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and folate. To maximize antioxidant intake, leave the skins on and opt for colorful varieties like red and purple potatoes, as the skin of some potatoes can have up to 12 times more antioxidants than the flesh.

Read also: Creamy Keto Soup Recipe

The Potato Diet: An Overview

The potato diet - or potato hack - is a short-term fad diet that promises rapid weight loss. However, its purported benefits are not supported by clinical research. Though many variations exist, the most basic version claims to help you lose up to one pound (0.45 kg) a day by eating nothing but plain potatoes. This article reviews the pros and cons of the potato diet and whether it can help you lose weight.

The concept dates back to 1849 but was made popular again by Tim Steele, who published “Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified” in 2016. In his book, Steele suggests that potatoes are the “best diet pill ever invented.” He alleges they strengthen your immune system, improve gut health, and provide plenty of nutrients to keep you energized while losing weight. Others have taken the diet to new extremes - further boosting its popularity. One example is Penn Jillette, a magician who published “Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear.” Jillette’s diet consisted of only plain potatoes for the first 2 weeks, during which he dropped 18 pounds (8 kgs). Though many allege that the diet has helped them lose significant weight, no scientific studies support these claims. Tim Steele outlines seven fundamental rules in his book:

Eat only plain potatoes for 3-5 days.
Aim to eat 2-5 pounds (0.9-2.3 kg) of potatoes daily.
Avoid other foods, including condiments and toppings like ketchup, butter, sour cream, and cheese.
It’s okay to use salt, but try to avoid it if possible.
Only drink water, plain tea, or black coffee.
Heavy exercise is not recommended. Instead, stick to light exercise and walking.
Take your usual medications as directed by your physician, but refrain from using unprescribed dietary supplements.

In Steele’s version of the diet, only white potatoes are allowed. Other variations of the diet are more lenient. For example, sweet potatoes are permitted on the Spud Fit Challenge - a popular variation created by Andrew Taylor. In this version, minimal herbs, spices, and fat-free condiments are also allowed. Keep in mind that the cooking method matters. Fried or overly processed potato products, such as traditional French fries or potato chips, aren’t on the menu.

Potential Benefits of the Potato Diet

While studies on the potato diet specifically are unavailable, it may help you lose weight simply because it’s very low in calories. Though 2-5 pounds (0.9-2.3 kgs) of potatoes daily seems like a lot, it amounts to only 530-1,300 calories. This is far less than the average adult’s recommended daily intake. Interestingly, potatoes contain the compound proteinase inhibitor 2 (PI2), which may help decrease hunger by slowing digestion. One 2016 study found that mice treated with this potato compound ate significantly less food and lost more weight than untreated mice. However, these effects have not yet been studied in humans.

Nutritious: Potatoes are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, potassium, folate, and iron.
Simplicity: The potato diet is fairly easy to comprehend. Simply eat plain potatoes for 3-5 days.
Affordability: Potatoes are typically one of the cheapest types of fresh produce, making this diet relatively inexpensive.
High in Fiber: Studies show that high fiber diets promote gut health and may play a role in preventing obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Risks and Downsides of the Potato Diet

The potato diet may be effective for short-term weight loss, but it’s not a long-term solution. Potatoes are nutritious but don’t contain all the nutrients you need for optimal health. Following a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein is better for your health and promotes sustainable weight loss. There are significant downsides to relying on potatoes as your sole food source.

Extremely Restrictive: The potato diet may be one of the most restrictive diets out there. This makes it very difficult to follow. Even more concerning, this strict dieting may lead you to develop an unhealthy relationship with food. Restrictive dieting is a form of disordered eating that may lead to other unhealthy behaviors, such as binge eating. What’s more, other restrictive behaviors are encouraged on this diet - including skipping meals and fasting. This is highly unnecessary, as the diet is already very low in calories. Shockingly, the author of “Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified” suggests that dieters should “learn to embrace the hunger and only give in if you must.”
Lacks Protein, Fat, and Other Essential Nutrients: Potatoes can undoubtedly be a nutritious component of an overall balanced diet. However, they cannot meet all your nutrient needs. They lack two major nutrients - protein and fat. One medium-sized potato contains about 4 grams of protein and virtually no fat. Since the potato diet is only intended to be followed for 3-5 days, nutrient deficiency is unlikely. Still, you could put yourself at risk for several nutrient deficiencies if you choose to follow the diet long-term or in frequent bouts.
May Cause Muscle Loss: Fad diets like the potato diet are popular because they promise rapid weight loss. However, muscle loss usually accompanies fat loss while dieting - especially when calories are drastically reduced. For example, one 2016 study found that 18% of the weight lost by participants on a very low calorie diet with only 500 calories per day was from lean body mass. In comparison, those on a low calorie diet with 1,250 calories per day only lost 8% of the weight from lean body mass. Studies show that eating extra protein may help reduce muscle loss during calorie restriction, but the potato diet lacks a high quality protein source.
May Result in Unintended Weight Gain: When following a very low calorie diet - such as the potato diet - your body may adapt by slowing down its metabolism and burning fewer calories. Studies suggest this slowdown may persist for many years, long after ending a calorie-restricted diet. This is called “adaptive thermogenesis” and can make maintaining weight loss extremely difficult in the long term. In fact, it’s a major reason why researchers estimate that over 80% of dieters return to their previous weight over time.

Considerations for Incorporating Potatoes into a Balanced Diet

While the potato diet presents several risks, potatoes themselves can be a part of a healthy eating plan when prepared and consumed thoughtfully.

Preparation Methods Matter: Avoid frying potatoes, as this significantly increases their calorie and fat content. Roasting, baking, boiling, and steaming are healthier options.
Portion Control is Key: Be mindful of portion sizes, especially when adding toppings. Opt for low-fat, high-protein toppings like cottage cheese, homemade chili, black beans, corn, or salsa instead of high-fat options like cheese, sour cream, and butter.
Variety is Important: While white potatoes are a good source of nutrients, incorporating sweet potatoes and purple potatoes can add variety and additional health benefits. Sweet potatoes have a slightly lower glycemic load than white potatoes, potentially leading to a smaller blood sugar rise. Purple potatoes contain similar nutrients to white potatoes and also have a slightly lower glycemic load.
Consider Potatoes as a Starchy Vegetable: Given their starch content, it may be practical to consider potatoes as a serving of bread or grains rather than solely as a vegetable when planning a meal.
Pair with Healthy Fats and Protein: Consuming potatoes with healthy fats like olive oil will slow the absorption of glucose.

Recent Research on Potatoes and Metabolic Health

A recent study evaluated the effect of diets low in energy density (1 kcal/g) and high in either potatoes or pulses (beans) on blood glucose control in participants with insulin resistance. The study found that both the potato and bean diets improved measures of insulin resistance and resulted in significant reductions in body weight and BMI without affecting appetite. The Potato and Bean diets were equivalent in their effect on the blood glucose response, although the reductions from baseline were not statistically significant. By contributing to reducing the energy density of the diet, potatoes and beans promoted weight loss without affecting appetite and without the need for calorie restriction.

What to Watch Out For

If you enjoy high-fat toppings like cheese, sour cream, and butter on your baked potatoes, measure them out to keep the portion sizes small. Or use lower-fat, high-protein toppings like cottage cheese, homemade chili, black beans, corn, or salsa instead. French fries have many times the calories and fat than the potato from which they were made. Potato chips, tater tots, and hash browns are also usually deep-fried in oil. Roasting, boiling, and baking are healthier options and can make delicious dishes, too. If you’ve ever let potatoes sit out too long, you may have noticed they've turned green. What does it mean when they go green, and are they still safe to eat? Potatoes contain two types of glycoalkaloids, which are natural toxins: Solanine Chaconine When potatoes are exposed to light, it causes chlorophyll and glycoalkaloids to rapidly grow. Chlorophyll is what causes the green skin on a potato, and it's not harmful, but it's also a sign that the toxic glycoalkaloids are also rising. Are green potatoes safe to eat? Green potatoes may not be bad. Glycoalkaloids are found mostly in the skin, "eyes", and sprouts, so you can remove those and reduce the level of toxic glycoalkaloids. But if your potato is green in more than a few spots, it's better to toss, because cooking doesn't get rid of the toxins. And don't serve children green potatoes. The solanine might irritate your stomach. But it's been shown to cause severe symptoms in children, including fever, low blood pressure, and neurological disorders, though it's very rare. If you have any of these symptoms after eating a green potato, call your doctor right away: Vomiting Abdominal pain Diarrhea Headache Flushed skin Confusion Fever Potatoes are available in grocery stores year round. Always scrub and rinse them well before cooking. Be sure to leave the skins on for flavor and fiber.

Sample Potato Recipes

Here are a few recipes to help you incorporate potatoes into your diet:

Oven-Roasted Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and dry potatoes. Cut into 1-inch wedges or cubes. If using new potatoes, just cut them in half. Toss with olive oil to coat, and season with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs or spices. New potatoes roasted with 1 teaspoon rosemary and 1/8 teaspoon pepper per pound make an elegant side dish. Cook in a single layer for about an hour, turning twice, until browned and tender.
Garlic Smashed Potatoes: Cut Russet potatoes into quarters and place in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and place them back in the pot. For each pound of potatoes, add 1/8 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a dash of pepper. Gently stir to combine. The potatoes should be lumpy, not smooth like mashed potatoes.
Crispy Baked Potatoes: Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash and dry Russet potatoes. Poke each about four times with a fork. Place potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook until skins are slightly wrinkly, about 25 minutes. Brush all over with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place potatoes back on the baking sheet with the opposite side up. Bake for 20 more minutes, then put on an oven mitt and squeeze a potato to see if it's soft. If not, continue cooking, testing every 5 minutes.
Baked Potatoes (Oven Method): Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry potatoes. Rub with olive oil and seasoning. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.
Baked Potatoes (Microwave Method): Wash and dry potato. Using a fork, poke holes throughout the potato. Place on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 5 minutes. Flip potato and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Continue this process until your potato is cooked. Check your potatoes by poking with a fork. You'll know your baked potatoes are done when your fork sticks into them.

Proper Potato Storage

Though it may seem like the refrigerator is the logical place to store potatoes, the cold temperature may cause them to discolor when they're cooked. Also, the starch content converts into sugar much faster. Instead, store them in a cool, dark place like your pantry or a root cellar so they're not exposed to light.

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