POTATO PEELS – DON’T JUST THROW THEM AWAY

We often peel the potato and discard the peel. My mother always fried them into spicy crispy bits and as those were the pre packaged Kurkure days, this was one of our favourite home made fast food. Her lifelong habit of frugality and her obsession with making the best use of every object purchased shaped our childhood and our choices in life. Little did I know that the skin is the most nutritious part of a potato? Not only that. Potato peels can also be beneficial for your skin and hair in a variety of ways!

 

1. They are quite nutritious! By adding it to your diet, you will get a variety of vitamins and minerals. According to the USDA, 100 g of raw potato peels contains 83.3 g of water and gives 243 kJ of energy. Apart from that, the skins also include: Protein: 2.57 g, Dietary fiber: 2.5 g, Calcium: 30 mg, Iron: 3.24 mg, Magnesium: 23 mg, Phosphorus: 38 mg, Potassium: 413 mg, Sodium: 10 mg, Zinc: 0.35 mg, Copper: 0.42 mg, Manganese: 0.6 mg, Selenium: 0.3 mcg, Vitamin C: 11.4 mg, Vitamin B3: 1.03 mg and Folate: 17 mcg. So the peels are rich in proteins, essential minerals, trace elements and vitamins and we have been routinely throwing them away!

 

2. They are good for your heart: Since potato peels are rich in potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining and regulating blood pressure, they are considered good for heart. They are also loaded with magnesium and calcium, which, according to Harvard Medical School, also help control blood pressure. Furthermore, peels have powerful radical scavenging, or antioxidant, activity because of chlorogenic and gallic acids – two dominant compounds that help maintain the health of your heart by reducing damage caused by free radicals. Recent research has shown that free radical damage may cause many chronic health problems, such as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Antioxidants can prevent that damage, as they eradicate free radicals by neutralizing them.

 

3. They can help heal wounds: A very famous Plastic Surgeon of yesteryear Dr. M.H. Keshwani in Mumbai dressed burn wounds with potato peel. He compared treatment with plain gauze dressings and the application of the potato peel dressing and showed that the latter reduced or eliminated wound dessication (drying up), permitted the survival of superficial skin cells and hastened epithelial regeneration. Potato peels contain terpenes and flavonoid organic compounds, both of which have been proven to prevent bacterial and fungal infections. They moisturize the skin, and are readily available, inexpensive, and easy to apply.

 

4. They act as a natural hair coloring agent: A little-known benefit of potato peels is that they can color grey hair. The peels contain several vital nutrients, such as iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, niacin, and magnesium that help provide a natural look and color to your hair. So, if you're looking for a natural and eco-friendly way to dye your hair, just use potato peels. Boil the potato peels with a cup of water and wait for the boiled peels to cool for 5 minutes. Now strain the boiled peels through a strainer and discard them. Let the strained liquid cool and apply it on your shampooed and air dried hairs generously. Wipe the excess with a towel and allow your hair to dry naturally without washing it. Your hairs will look darker.

 

5. They act as natural cleanser and help lighten dark spots: Apart from antioxidant and antibacterial compounds, potato skins also contain phenolic compounds. Together, these compounds have a brightening effect on the skin. The act as natural cleanser and if you rub raw potato paste on your face and leave on for 25 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water, it will impart a natural glow to your skin. Thus they can help lighten dark spots on the skin or help reduce dark circles that appear under the eyes. All you need to do is collect some fresh potato skins and rub them over the dark spots for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can make a fine paste of the peels and rub them on the problem area every day. You should start seeing results in about three weeks!

 

6. Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy effects: Potato peels are a natural source of a flavonoid called quercetin. Flavonoids are a group of natural substances found in fruits, vegetables, plants, and trees that are believed to protect against disease. Today such medicinal products derived from plants go by the fancy name of ‘Phytoceauticals’. The flavonoid quercetin has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect that protects the body against disease and infection. Quercetin can be effective for treating bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and peanut-induced anaphylactic reactions and is the main ingredient in several potential anti-allergy drugs.

 

7. Can reduce glucose levels: Dietary fiber and polyphenols in potato peel powder can help lower glucose levels when added to the diet for at least four weeks. Furthermore, the vegetable’s skin also helps limit free radical damage to the liver and kidneys and enhances their functions in people with diabetes.

 

8. They help in maintaining bone health: The peels consist of nutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, etc., which help in maintaining bone strength and density thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. 

 

 

How to add potato peel in our diet?

There are numerous recipes out there for making dishes with potato skins. But, you must first make sure that you are eating them in a healthy way. Otherwise, you won’t get their nutritious benefits.

•        Add them to your salads for a low-calorie healthy lunch.

•        Bake a potato without peeling off its skin and add salt and pepper, and very light simple toppings for a nutritious and delicious snack.

•        Bake potato skins with sour cream, chicken, beans. Pan toss them, add cucumber slices and salad dressings for a yummy snack.

•         Rub the cleaned skins with ghee and salt and bake them until crispy.

Potato peels are also loaded with iron, that helps support red blood cell function. The skin is also a good source of vitamin B3 that helps cells break down nutrients into usable fuel. In addition, vitamin B3 helps your cells recover from physiological stress. The indigestible portions of the potato's skin are made up of various types of cellulose, better known as insoluble dietary fiber. So, next time you are peeling a potato to create your magical cuisine think twice before throwing away the peels.