Canadian Researchers Claim Potato Extract Could Prevent Obesity
MONTREAL, CANADA (CBS) – From french fries to gnocchi, potatoes are a beloved – and much maligned – part of the Western diet.
And while watching your intake is good, you might not want to completely skip the spuds just yet.
According to researchers from McGill University in Montreal, potato extract might curb weight gain from a high-fat, high-carb diet.
The scientists reportedly fed mice a high-fat diet for 10 weeks that was either with or without potato extracts.
What they found surprised them. Mice that were fed the potato extract gained just seven grams, compared to the 16 grams gained by mice given food sans the substance.
"We were astonished by the results," said Prof. Luis Agellon, one of the study's authors, on the school's website. "We thought this can't be right – in fact, we ran the experiment again using a different batch of extract prepared from potatoes grown in another season, just to be certain."
Interestingly, researchers also note that potatoes – not red wine – are the primary source of polyphenols, a beneficial chemical component present in fruits and veggies, in the revered "French diet."
While scientists aren't urging people to start consuming 30 potatoes a day, which is how many spuds make up a daily dose of potato extract, they do say they could make the weight-control substance available as a dietary supplement or cooking ingredient.
"Potatoes have the advantage of being cheap to produce, and they're already part of the basic diet in many countries," Stan Kubow, the study's principal author, explains.
To read more on the study, click here.
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