Potato is a root vegetable and a perennial in the nightshade family, and as it turns out, it is one of the most versatile vegetables with medicinal properties. Even more interesting is that Potato was the first vegetable to be grown in space, and was used to feed astronauts who went on long space voyages. Potatoes in the modern world are known for their snack variety, besides having so many uses when making food.
In the kitchen potatoes are used to make soup, they are also used to make potato pancakes, salads and in most cases they are mashed. But, did you know that you can make potato juice to drink and to use on your skin? Yes, potato juice has been established to be a good natural bleaching agent and helps eliminate wrinkles and black spots.
When taken as a drink, potato juice helps prevent chronic inflammatory illnesses and relieves the discomfort caused by arthritis and eczema. Additionally, potato is believed to be rich in the unique antibacterial molecules that help with the treatment of stomach ulcers. Now that we have piqued your interest here is a detailed step-by-step process of how to make potato juice.
How to make potato Juice
- Wash your potatoes thoroughly to get rid of dirt and any chemicals that might be on the potato from the farm.
- Check for green spots and sprouts and get rid of them
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into sizeable pieces
- Get your masticating juicer and squeeze out the juice. Using a masticating juicer when compared to a centrifugal juicer, makes the whole process fast and easy. The juicer will easily separate the pulp from the juice thus saving time.
- If you don’t have a juicer, you can peel the potatoes, and then grate them. Find a clean linen cloth and squeeze the juice out of the potatoes.
- The squeezed potato juice should be taken immediately. If you still have some remaining, you can store it in the fridge for a maximum of 4 days.
Cons of drinking the potato juice
While potatoes remain highly beneficial to your overall health, the delicacy also attracts a good number of negative side effects that you might want to consider before drinking it. The vegetable juice is believed to be a rich source of natural sugars, meaning that individuals suffering from blood sugar complications, should keep off it.
Potato preparation before juicing also plays a crucial part in its potential health benefits. For one, you must ensure that you get the right type of potatoes, and be sure to remove the eyes and pits. The fresh green shoots of potatoes contain some form of toxins and which when ingested will cause, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach upset.
To protect your health, you must ensure that you prepare the potatoes correctly, juice them properly and consume them in moderation. And if you have a lot of the juice leftover after drinking, you can use it on your hair. Potato juice helps improve hair health, protects the scalp from dryness, and prevents the formation of dandruff.
Is the potato skin good for consumption?
Just like juicing whole kales and broccoli vegetables, potato skin has been found to be nutritious. The skin is rich in vitamins and minerals, and by peeling them you will be interfering with their nutritional content. Most people, however, don’t like to use the skin of potatoes because of the potential harm from pesticides and fertilizers used to enhance their growth.
How to best serve your potato juice
Potato juice does have a mild flavor, and which means that you have the option of improving the taste with other equally nutritional additives. Potato juice can be mixed with honey and maintain a desirable taste. But if you want to consume your potato juice plain, just refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours and drink it chilled.
For individuals who love to go all out and experiment with other types of vegetable juices, you could try mixing it with equal parts carrot juice. Apples and mangoes also make for great additions.
Can I juice the sweet potato?
Sweet potato just like the potato is good for juicing, and you can even enhance its taste just like you would do the white potato. Carrot juice and ginger are the best additions to make your sweet potato juice tastier. What most people don’t understand is that sweet potatoes are just as nutritious as white potatoes, check the table below.
Nutrients |
Sweet Potato |
White potato |
Fiber |
3.3 grams |
2.1 grams |
Fats |
0.15 grams |
0.15grams |
Calories |
92 |
90 |
Potassium |
10% |
17% |
Carbs |
21 grams |
21 grams |
Protein |
2 grams |
2 grams |
Health benefits of the sweet potato juice
Sweet potato is nutritionally dense, and among the important nutrients that you stand to benefit from is vitamin D, which boosts the health of the thyroid gland, skin, bones, and nerves. Sweet potato is also known to be rich in folate, making it a good vegetable juice for expectant mothers, as it helps with fetal development.
Potato juice will also help relieve muscle cramps, given that it is packed with potassium, whose deficiency encourages cramps in the muscles. Sweet potatoes unlike white potatoes don’t have so many side effects. The only possible problem that you might encounter, is that your skin and nails might look a little orange, and while this side effect might seem serious, it will disappear the moment you reduce your sweet potato intake.
FAQ’s
Is it safe to drink potato juice?
Yes, it is safe to drink potato juice, and it will even help neutralize stomach acid and will smooth stomach aches.
Can I drink potato juice every day?
Potato juice is a rich source of vitamin C and is good for the body because it helps the body to fight diseases. You can, therefore, drink potato juice every day to enhance your immune system.
Conclusion
Potato juice is among the easiest types of vegetable juice, and highly beneficial to the body. Apart from drinking, white potato juice can be used on the face, and to strengthen hair. Sweet potato juice, on the other hand, is not very reliable when it comes to the exterior body but when used internally, it does well. For one it helps with fetal development and is a good source of iron and magnesium.
