Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : December 9, 2023 9:01 AM IST
Image credits by: Do you love eating French fries? Here's how it may be harming your health. (Photo: Freepik)
Potatoes are one vegetable that goes with every dish: Indian, Western, vegetarian, non-vegetarian. It is consumed by every Indian family almost every day. And while there are numerous delectable recipes involving the potato, know that there are certain foods that must absolutely be avoided, for they can harm your health in the long run. In this article, we discuss the best and worst potato dishes, and why they should and should not be eaten.
According to Ayurveda and gut health coach Dr Dimple Jangda, you need to immediately stop eating deep-fried potatoes, French fries and potato chips, for these are carcinogenic (having the potential to cause cancer). "It is proven that when potatoes are deep-friend into golden crispy brown like French fries or potato chips, and processed under high temperatures, they release a toxic compound called 'acrylamide', which is known to be carcinogenic in lab mice and human beings," she warned in a video posted on Instagram.
She added that scientists have purportedly known for years that acrylamide is capable of causing nerve damage in humans, including muscle weakness and impaired muscle coordination, particularly from industrial exposure to large levels of the chemical.
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"Acrylamide can form naturally from chemical reactions in certain types of starchy foods, after cooking at high temperatures. Some foods with higher levels of acrylamide include French fries, potato chips, foods made from grains (breakfast cereals, cookies, toast), and coffee. The browning process is a reaction that produces this chemical, one shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and considered toxic to humans," Dr Jangda explained.
She said that potatoes can be enjoyed in a different manner: "You can boil it, steam it, bake it, but don't overdo it so that it turns golden brown. You can also saut it with other vegetables. Marinate it with some good herbs like rosemary, basil, thyme, and add some butter -- it tastes as good as French fries."
Citing Ayurveda, Dr Jangda said deep-frying a food can kill all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and also cause "blockages of your digestive passage" and "accumulation of ' ma' or undigested metabolic waste".
Some quick points, as shared by the gut health coach:
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