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Beware Of Potatoes: They May Cause You To Pack On Pounds

Chips

Without meaning to, you’ve gained a few pounds over the last few years. How did that happen? Certain foods, especially the humble potato, may be partly to blame.

In a fascinating study of 120,000 healthy, non-obese women and men taking part in long-term studies of diet and health, the participants gained an average of 3.3 pounds every four years over a 13-year period. When the researchers tallied up the foods that contributed most to this weight gain, potatoes topped the list—twice:

  • potato chips
  • potatoes
  • sugar-sweetened beverages
  • red meat
  • processed meats

Other contributors to weight gain included sleeping less than six hours a night or more than eight hours, drinking alcohol, and watching television. The results were just published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The study offered some good news and tips for losing weight, too. Foods and lifestyle choices associated with losing weight included Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog*

Electrify A Potato, Boost Its Antioxidants?

PotatoesAntioxidants are important substances that prevent free radicals from damaging cells, and potatoes contain substantial amounts of them.

However, researchers from Obihiro University in Japan thought that more would be better and have developed some innovative methods of boosting the potato’s antioxidant content. By immersing the potatoes in water or salt and subsequently applying ultrasound or electricity for 5 to 30 minutes, they increased the amounts of antioxidants by as much as 50 percent. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*

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