Should I Avoid Eating Hot Potatoes?
(The following information was copied and pasted from welldoing.org)
The poor potato has been given an unfairly bad press. Full of fast digesting white carbs we hear! Sends your blood sugar all over the place and makes you grumpy! Makes you put on weight!
However, newer research shows that the potato, when cooled down, is actually a cheap and nutritious super-food, able to help weight loss, improve mood and boost the immune system.
Let me explain. When potatoes are cooked through, then left to cool down, they form a firm texture. Next time you boil some potatoes and they cool down, take note. This is the resistant starch forming.
When you eat resistant starch, it can't be digested properly in the stomach and small intestine, so it actually can make you feel fuller for longer than when you eat hot potatoes.
Resistant starch is known as a prebiotic—i.e. it contains a type of fiber able to survive all the way to the colon. When they arrive they provide food for the good bacteria, which feed, thrive and proliferate on them.
The colon is full of trillions of bacteria, known as the microbiome.
These microbes modulate our weight and mood. The microbiome signals to our hunger hormones to tell us to eat appropriately for our needs. When it is out of balance we can feel cravings and our metabolism can be affected. We can also feel in a bad mood as signals pass between the microbiome in the gut to the brain. This is why feeding the good bacteria the right stuff is vital.
