Abstract
Potatoes are nutrient rich white vegetables, however, research on their impact on public
health is limited. The objective of this study was to provide updated evaluation of the cross-sectional
association between potato consumption and diet quality, nutrient intake and adequacy. Twenty-four
hour diet recall data from adolescents (n = 16,633; age 9–18 years) were used to assess intakes. Usual
intakes of nutrients were determined using the National Cancer Institute method and diet quality
was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) after adjusting for demographic
factors. Consumers of potatoes (baked or boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes and potato mixtures,
fried potatoes, and potato chips) had higher (p < 0.05) HEI-2015 total score and subcomponent
scores for total vegetables, total protein foods, and refined grain than non-consumers. Consumers
also had higher (p < 0.05) intake of energy, dietary fiber, protein, copper, magnesium, phosphorus,
potassium, selenium, sodium, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and total choline; and
higher (p < 0.05) adequacy for protein, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, thiamine,
niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin K than non-consumers. In conclusion, adolescent potato
consumption was associated with higher diet quality, nutrient intake, and adequacy and therefore
encouraging their consumption may be an effective strategy for improving nutritional status.
References
- Agarwal, S.; Fulgoni, V.L., III. Intake of Potatoes Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality, and Improved Nutrient Intake and Adequacy among US Adolescents: NHANES 2001–2018 Analysis. Nutrients 2021, 13, 2614.View