Posted on 06/25/2007 3:22:59 PM PDT by blam
Source: Society of Chemical Industry
Date: June 25, 2007
Potato Salad May Help the Immune System
Science Daily — It has long been known that eating potatoes is good for bowel health, but new research suggests that they may also have a beneficial effect on the whole immune system. Especially if eaten cold or in a potato salad, Anne Pichon reports in Chemistry & Industry.
Spanish researchers found that growing pigs fed large quantities of raw potato starch (RPS) had a healthier bowel. Not a surprise, but they also found that RPS pigs had decreased levels of white blood cells, such as leucocytes and lymphocytes in their blood. White blood cells are produced as a result of inflammation or disease, generally when the body is challenged.
The general down-regulation of leucocytes observed by the Spanish researchers suggests an overall beneficial effect, a generally more healthy body, according to immunology expert Lena Ohman at the Department of Internal Medicine, Göteborg University, Sweden. A reduction in leucocyte levels of about 15% was observed in the RPS pigs. Lower lymphocyte levels are also indicative of reduced levels of inflammation, but according to Ohman, the observed reduction in both lymphocyte density and lymphocyte apoptosis by the Spanish researchers is surprising.
Pigs were fed RPS over 14 weeks in what is the longest study of it kind on the effect of starch on bowel health (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture doi:10.1002/jsfa.2835). Study leader José Francisco Pérez at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, said: 'The use of raw potato starch in this experiment is designed to simulate the effects of a diet high in resistant starch' says Pérez.
Humans do not eat raw potatoes, but they do eat a lot of foods that contain resistant starch, such as cold boiled potatoes, legumes, grains, green bananas, pasta and cereals About 10% of the starch eaten by human is resistant starch - starch that is not digested in the small intestine and so is shunted into the large intestine where it ferments.
Starch consumption is thought to reduce the risk of large bowel cancer and may also have an effect on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Ohman's team previously found that the overall lymphocyte levels do not vary for IBS patients, but that lymphocytes are transferred from the peripheral blood to the gut, which support the hypothesis of IBS being at least partially an inflammatory disorder. She says the decrease in lymphocytes observed by the Spanish is therefore interesting, and a diet of resistant starch may be worth trying in IBS patients.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Society of Chemical Industry.
Yikes!! 45 lbs...good job. I may have to review my tater habit.
**Late Food Ping**
German, American, or whatever - I love all potato salad! I even like the canned potato salad. Most people probably think that is awful. I love it all ways...hot, cold, vinegary, creamy, egg in it, paprika on top.....mmmmmmm!
Congratulations on your engagement! Is your spouse-to-be a FReeper?
Thanks for the ping, HG! I love getting pinged to “cheery topics :)
Here’s my favorite recipe for potato salad, from the “Best Foods Mayonaise” website:
1 C Hellmanns or Best Foods Mayonnaise
2TBS vinegar
1 1/2 TSP salt
1 TSP sugar
1/4 TSP pepper
2 LBS potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed (about 4 C)
1 C thinly sliced celery
1/2 C chopped onion
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped (I use 1 egg per cup of potatoes)
1. In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper.
2.Add potatoes, celery, onion and eggs. Toss to coat.
3. Cover and chill to blend flavors. (at least a couple of hours).
I usually double the recipe.
Summer is here, bring on the goodies! Anyone have a standard German potato salad? Growing up, I had delicious German potato salad, courtesy of my best friend’s mom down the street.
Thank you. She is great. I am blessed..
Nope. I tried to introduce her to FR awhile back. She is not really into politics or anything. But she knows enough to know that she is a republican. and her family is republican. So it’s all kool ! :)
:) I call my doggie Tator Tot
Nordy!!! I love him too. And he’s such a BAAAD boy!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1496581/posts?page=2#2
Peru Celebrates Potato Diversity
"In their annual harvest this year, the villagers of Aymara gathered more than 2,000 types of potatoes from a 2 1/2-acre field. Scientists from the Lima-based International Potato Center were there to replenish their bank and provide more seeds to Andean communities."
Now that’s interesting. My mother never left out her German potato salad. She was always VERY STRICT on not keeping things out of the fridge long when they had like bacon in them or other ingredients that could go bad. She was really strict with us all on that kind of thing and now I am the same way. Ha,ha.
I’ve seen that guy only once, and he is absolutely hilarious, though he could tone down the smut a tad.
Anyhow, I love his “schtick” of getting increasingly sloshed as his set goes on.
That is just his “schtick” isn’t it? ;)
:) Showed that picture to my husband too and he laughed like I did. The guy’s expression is soooooooo funny.
:) Showed that picture to my husband too and he laughed like I did. The guy’s expression is soooooooo funny.
“Last I heard, potatoes also are the highest yield crop there is. But they can be tough on the soil.”
Did you know that Wisconsin is only second behind Idaho in ‘tater production? Yes, that’s the truth. They like sandy soil, which we have in spades north of here thanks to the glaciers that passed through centuries ago. (Thank Global Warming *SMIRK* as we came out of the Little Ice Age, and still are today!)
Anyhow, we grow lots of ‘taters, carrots and onions in my state. All like sandy soil, which is already depleted anyway, so I’ll ask B4Ranch to clarify, as he knows EVERYTHING Ag. ;)
I grow my ‘taters in stacks of old tires. Sounds weird, but since I have clay-ish soil (I live across from a lake) it’s too heavy to grow root crops without tons of manure and sand, so I grow them this way:
Stack an old tire on the ground. Fill with soil and compost. Fill with seed taters’ eight to ten will do. Water and let them grow. When they’re about a foot tall, add another tire. Throw in more dirt and compost. Let them grow another foot. Add another tire. Continue until you have 5-6 tires stacked up. Those tater plants will sprout new taters all along the stem where they’re covered in dirt.
When it’s time to harvest, call to the kids, “It’s Tater Tippin’ Day,” and let them push over the stacked rings of tires and harvest the taters for you.
Granted, the ones on top will be smaller, but you can use them to steam or in Tater Salad. The larger ones will be at the bottom and you can cure them and store them to feed the kids during the winter months along with other root veggies and of course pumpkins and other winter squash. :)
Now that I think about it, I’ll bet I could grow a State Fair Blue Ribbon winning Leek this way! Two inches of “green” on top just to keep it alive and the rest of it all white! :)
NO mayo! Mayonnaise did NOT exist before God cursed the earth. Potatoes are cool. What kind of evil person would try to force mayonnaise on an innocent potato lover.
Why sugar?
“Stir it all up big time till gooey.”
Dang! That reminds me of when Husband and I were first in love. I reeled him in with my kisses, but he stayed because of my German Potato Salad, LOL!
German Potato Salad
1 lb. bacon - fried, crumbled, grease reserved
9 Medium Red potatoes - sliced, boiled until tender (I don’t peel them, but you can if you want)
1 large sweet onion - sliced thin, 2 stalks celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Toss together crumbled bacon and potatoes in a bowl; set aside. Melt bacon grease in saucepan over medium-high heat, saute onions and celery for a few minutes then stir in flour, slowly whisk in water and vinegar, stir in sugar,
continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour hot mixture over potatoes and crumbled bacon in the bowl.
Serve hot and stand back for the Marriage Proposals, LOL! :)
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