Eat Potatoes the Right Way: Calm Your Stomach, Curb Blood Sugar Spikes, and Lose Weight

Gentle on the stomach and helpful for weight loss, potatoes are an easy-to-prepare, healthy food.

Skrypnykov Dmytro/Shutterstock

For anyone with acid reflux and stomach discomfort due to stress and irregular eating habits, a gentle and natural “acid-neutralizing helper” can be found right on our daily dining tables: the humble potato.

Eating potatoes can strengthen the body, making them a gentle and convenient food for those who are overworked and frail. Potatoes are rich in polysaccharides, which can protect the gastric mucosa and reduce the irritation of gastric acid on the stomach wall, making them especially suitable for people with acid reflux or weak digestive systems.

For those with acid reflux, there is a simple potato remedy: potato juice. It is best to drink potato juice when it’s freshly made. Smooth and easy to drink, it helps to soothe stomach discomfort.

Preparation: Wash fresh potatoes, cut them into chunks with the peel on, and blend them into juice. Add a little honey for flavor. A serving size is 6 ounces.

Note: Drinking more potato juice is not necessarily better, as raw potatoes contain trace amounts of solanine and excessive intake may cause digestive discomfort, particularly for children whose digestive systems are not yet fully developed. For adults, drinking a moderate amount occasionally can help regulate digestion and provide a protective effect.

Cold Potatoes for Weight Loss

In addition to aiding digestion, potatoes can also help with weight loss. If you do not eat properly after exercise, you may eat too many calories because of hunger, which can reduce the benefits of the exercise. In this case, baked potatoes are an ideal choice—delicious and convenient. Although 3 1/2 ounces of white rice contain about 183 calories, the same amount of white potato contains only 70 to 90 calories—a significant difference.

To control weight and avoid rapid spikes in blood sugar, it is best to eat potatoes after they have cooled. Because cooled potatoes contain more resistant starch, they slow the rise in blood sugar, making them particularly beneficial for those who need to control their blood sugar levels or lose weight.

Another benefit of eating potatoes after exercise is that they can replenish minerals lost during workouts. Many people experience muscle cramps during exercise or in the middle of the night. One of the leading causes of cramps is a deficiency in minerals such as potassium and magnesium. A 100-gram serving of potato contains approximately 544 milligrams of potassium and 27 milligrams of magnesium. In addition to bananas, potatoes could be an option for replenishing potassium.

Cooking Methods Affect Nutritional Value

Although potatoes are nutritious, unhealthy cooking methods can degrade their health benefits. A 2025 study published in BMJ found that people with a high intake of french fries were more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, while those who regularly ate baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes did not have an increased risk of diabetes. Researchers suggested that this may be due to the high oil and salt content of french fries, and that the oil used in commercially available fries may not be healthy. High-temperature cooking may also produce other harmful substances.

Healthy ways to cook potatoes include steaming, baking, and boiling. When I was studying in the United States, my roommate and I often made a simple dish: stir-fried potatoes.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 ounces pork tenderloin, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 potato, diced
• 3 1/2 ounces combined corn kernels, diced carrots, and peas
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• A little chopped green onion

Preparation

1. Marinate the pork tenderloin with a bit of salt and add a little oil.
2. Heat a pan and add olive oil.
3. Add the pork tenderloin and stir-fry quickly until it turns white, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the diced potatoes, corn, carrots, and peas, and continue to stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
5. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, pepper, and sesame oil, and stir-fry until fragrant.
6. Finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions, then remove from heat and plate.

This potato stir-fry with meat is brightly colored and looks very appetizing; both adults and children love its sweet taste.

2 Tips to Prevent Potatoes From Sprouting

When preparing potatoes, check for sprouts. Sprouted potatoes contain high levels of solanine. Removing the sprouts will not solve the problem because the toxin spreads throughout the potato. Ingesting solanine can cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, and in severe cases can lead to heart failure, respiratory paralysis, or even death. High-temperature cooking cannot completely eliminate the toxicity of sprouted potatoes.

To avoid this risk, storage methods are especially important. Here are two simple tips.

First, you can store potatoes with apples; the ethylene they release can effectively inhibit potato sprouting.

Second, cover the potatoes with a cloth and store them in a cool, dark place to extend their shelf life.

Choose Between Sweet Potato and Potato

Many of us might wonder, “If potatoes are good, are sweet potatoes equally beneficial?” The answer is that both make contributions to health, depending on what you need.

If your goal is weight loss, potatoes, being lower in calories, are a better choice than sweet potatoes, which have more calories. However, sweet potatoes have higher fiber content, which supports bowel movements and detoxification, making them more beneficial for those with constipation.

If weight loss is your priority, potatoes are better; if you want to improve gut health, sweet potatoes are a better choice. Choosing the option that best fits your needs will help you maximize the health benefits of both.