Potatoes May Help Whole Immune System

Potatoes, known to help bowel health, may also have a beneficial effect on the whole immune system, according to Spanish researchers.

Pigs were fed raw potato starch over 14 weeks in what is the longest study of its kind on the effect of starch on bowel health, according to study leader Jose Francisco Perez at the University Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain.

The use of raw potato starch in this experiment is designed to simulate the effects of a diet high in resistant starch, Perez said in a statement.

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, according to Perez.

The study found that raw potato starch 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, according to the study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.