The healthy way to eat potatoes

Dr. Mikhail Ginzburg, a Russian nutrition expert, says that it is best to eat potatoes cold with vegetables and leafy greens.

The expert points out in an interview with Sputnik Radio: Potatoes belong to the same food group that includes bread, pasta, and cereals.

He says: “Starchy foods, which include potatoes, are divided into two groups: slow carbohydrates and fast carbohydrates. The difference between the two groups is how quickly the starch that is part of them is decomposed and how quickly glucose is absorbed. Slow carbohydrates break down slowly, which is good for the body. The breakdown of fast carbohydrates leads to an increase in the level of glucose in the blood, which worsens the course of metabolic processes and contributes to the development of diabetes. Since potatoes contain fast carbohydrates, people who eat them on a regular basis are more likely to suffer from obesity and develop diabetes, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure.

The expert explained how to reduce the health risk of potatoes.

He adds: “First, it is not recommended to eat potatoes every day. Secondly, it is preferable to eat it cold. Because refrigerated potatoes that are heated contain more resistant starch, which decomposes slowly or not at all. Third, potatoes must be boiled with their skins on. Fourth, do not use varieties that are low in dietary fiber. Because the more fiber, the better. Fifth, it is best to always eat potatoes with vegetables and leafy greens, because their presence slows down the process of decomposing and absorbing carbohydrates.”

Discovery of a new cause of diabetes

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University in the United States have discovered a new enzyme that blocks the activity of insulin produced by the pancreas.

According to Cell magazine, the results of the study will help in creating new drugs to treat type 2 diabetes.

The magazine indicates that it became clear to the scientific team that an enzyme called auxiliary nitrocellase binds nitric oxide to proteins, including the insulin receptor. This enzyme is necessary for the normal functioning of insulin, but its activity has also been observed to increase in diabetic patients and diabetic mice.

The results of experiments on mice after blocking the activity of the nitrocellase enzyme showed that they suffered less from diabetes, which allows it to be assumed that increased nitric oxide in proteins could be a cause of these diseases.

It should be noted that there is a belief that excessive binding of nitric oxide to key proteins causes or accelerates many human diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, heart failure, and diabetes. Knowing that nitric oxide has many important functions, including dilating blood vessels, improving memory, fighting inflammation, and stimulating the secretion of hormones.