Review article

https://doi.org/10.31727/gzb.42.6.4

Potato's Nutritional Value and its impact on human health

Zrinka Čosić orcid.org/0000-0003-2343-930X ; Prehrambeno-biotehnološki fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Maja Repajić orcid.org/0000-0001-8413-5575 ; Prehrambeno-biotehnološki fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Zdenka Pelaić orcid.org/0000-0001-9421-1236 ; Prehrambeno-biotehnološki fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Sandra Pedisić orcid.org/0000-0002-5491-0128 ; Prehrambeno-biotehnološki fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Branka Levaj ; Prehrambeno-biotehnološki fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Hrvatska

Abstract

Since the world population is growing, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) considers potato as an important food that could play a major role as a basic food for present and future generations. It has a great importance in human nutrition for many reasons: easy way of cultivation, high yields and consumption, acceptable price, simple and different ways of preparation. Since the potato is consumed in larger amounts, small differences in potato nutritional composition have major impact on population's health. The potato is a carbohydrate-rich food (starch), while protein content is low but has an excellent biological value of 90–100 (relative to the egg protein reference value of 100). Potato contains vitamin C and several B vitamins. Furthermore, potato represents a good source of potassium in an amount significantly higher in comparison with major food sources of potassium, such as broccoli, bananas and oranges. Many various phytonutrients in potato contribute to antioxidant activity. Phenolic acids such as chlorogenic and caffeic acid, flavonoids, carotenoids, and many other compounds belong to these important compounds that reduce free radicals effect and thus contribute to health. The skin provides substantial amount of dietary fibers. Besides nutrients, potato tubers also contain some undesirable substances, antinutrients, glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine, but in healthy consumer potatoes they are found in quantities notably below the maximum levels. Therefore, this paper summarizes only the data on the nutritional properties of potato and their effect on human health.

Keywords

potato; nutritional ingredients; processing; phytochemicals; health

Hrčak ID:

231144

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/231144

Publication date:

24.12.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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