How to use potatoes to treat various diseases

Potatoes are a food product that is used in folk medicine for the treatment and prevention of many diseases. Its tubers have a unique composition and are rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and antioxidants, which have a beneficial effect on the human body.

Composition of potatoes

With a low calorie content (77 kcal per 100 g of raw vegetable), the nutritional value of potatoes is simply amazing: it contains traditional proteins (2 g), fats (0.4 g), carbohydrates (16.3 g), as well as a range of different acids, vitamins and minerals:

• alimentary fiber;
• amino and polyunsaturated fatty acids;
• starch;
• vitamins A, B, C, E, H, K;
• nicotinic acid;
• macroelements - potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, silicon, sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus;
• trace elements - iron, boron, vanadium, aluminum, iodine, manganese, cobalt, copper, lithium, rubidium, nickel, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, chromium, fluorine, zinc, zirconium.

Potato tubers contain 76.3% water, which has a beneficial effect on the water-salt balance in the body and breaks down toxins.

Medicinal properties of potatoes for the human body

Substances contained in potato tubers have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive, cardiovascular systems, hematopoietic organs, upper respiratory tract, and endocrine glands.

The fruits are used in therapeutic nutrition for gout, osteochondrosis, arthritis and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. They are used to prevent diabetes, kidney failure, and obesity.

The biological value of potatoes is determined by its vitamin and mineral complex:

• Retinol - a powerful antioxidant. Slows down the aging process, takes part in the formation of new cells, protects the body from influenza and genitourinary infections.
• Vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) is involved in the synthesis of hormones, the metabolism of fats and proteins, tissue respiration, reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases, lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, and prevents migraines.
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has a general strengthening effect on the walls of blood vessels and small capillaries, plays an important role in the full functioning of bone and connective tissue, fights infections in the body, and is involved in hematopoietic processes.
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine) creates favorable conditions for the functioning of the nervous system, is necessary for the growth and development of the body in childhood and adolescence, supports the health of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels.
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) activates the digestive system, fights depression, ensures visual acuity, regenerates and restores body tissue, supports energy metabolism, participates in oxidation processes, and is responsible for the beauty of skin and hair.

Potatoes have a positive effect on the digestive system. It is used as an enveloping and anti-inflammatory agent for peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, gastritis with high acidity. Raw potatoes help relieve heartburn.

Potatoes heal the heart and serve as a good prevention of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and myocardial infarction. It increases the elasticity and strength of vascular walls, reduces their permeability, regulates the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood, normalizes circulatory processes, and participates in the creation of new blood cells.

Treatment of joints with potatoes shows excellent results. It relieves pain, inhibits inflammation, prevents the development of osteoporosis, and cleanses joints of toxic substances.

Reference. Potatoes are good for gout. Thanks to its pronounced adsorbent and diuretic properties, it dissolves and removes crystals of uric acid salts, prevents their deposition, the formation of tophi, and prevents new gout attacks.

Potato-based recipes improve the health of people suffering from osteochondrosis, radiculitis, arthritis and arthrosis.

Hot boiled mashed root vegetables are used for diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lungs: acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, bronchitis, pneumonia. Inhaling steam from hot potatoes helps get rid of nasal congestion and a sore throat.

Proper and moderate introduction of boiled or baked potatoes into the diet helps control weight.

The potato diet is considered one of the most popular:

1. The vegetable has a rich carbohydrate composition, the basis of which is starch and dextrins. The components are absorbed by the body for a long time and provide the body with energy without converting carbohydrates into fat deposits.
2. Potatoes are nutritious and allow you to get enough of one small portion, eliminate the need for additional snacks, improve your mood and stimulate physical activity, which contributes to additional calorie burning.
3. Potatoes contain plant fiber, which activates the intestines, cleanses it of waste, toxins and heavy metal salts, normalizes metabolism, and improves skin condition. Root vegetables have a diuretic effect, so the body gets rid of excess fluid and swelling, as a result of which the body gets into shape.

The use of potatoes in folk medicine

Despite the fact that the pharmaceutical market offers an abundance of drugs to treat a wide range of diseases, potatoes do not lose their position. Unlike chemicals, the components in its composition act more gently on the body, have virtually no contraindications and rarely cause adverse reactions. In combination with conservative therapy, potatoes speed up recovery, reduce the need for medications, and delay relapses of diseases.

Potato starch, fresh tuber juice, and boiled root vegetables are used to treat and prevent pathologies of the heart, blood vessels, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal system, and respiratory tract. Grated fresh potatoes are used for wounds, burns, eczema and other skin lesions. The vegetable has also found use in home cosmetics for preparing nourishing masks for the face, neck, and hands.

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For bronchitis

A potato compress for bronchitis warms up the chest area well, stimulates the expansion of the walls of blood vessels, and causes blood flow to the source of inflammation. Thanks to this, the airways are cleared of mucus.

The classic compress recipe consists of:

• 4 potatoes;
• 1 tbsp. l. honey;
• 3 tsp. soda

The procedure is as follows:

1. Boil potato tubers in their skins until tender.
2. Mash with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Place the paste between layers of gauze and form into a flat cake.
4. Line your chest with wax paper or cellophane and apply a compress on top.
5. Secure with a few turns of a bandage or with a medical plaster, and wrap with a scarf on top.
6. After 1-2 hours, remove the compress, then lie down under a blanket.

The procedure is ideally done before bedtime.

For gout

When asked whether it is possible to eat potatoes if you have gout, doctors answer unequivocally - yes. Moreover, potatoes are prescribed as a therapeutic food during the asymptomatic period of the disease in order to normalize the metabolism of organic nitrogen-containing compounds, reduce the level of uric acid and its salts, and change the urine reaction to the alkaline side.

The method of cooking the vegetable matters. Since salt, margarine, animal and cooking fat are limited, the dietary regime is based on the consumption of potato dishes with minimal calorie content. The vegetable can be boiled, cooked in its jacket, or baked without spices or fat.

To treat gout, prepare a compress from potatoes. It cleanses joints well of toxic substances, uric acid salts, and has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.

To prepare the product:

1. Grate raw potato tubers.
2. Place in multi-layer gauze and apply to the sore spot.

Repeat the procedure 3-4 times a day for a week. Usually, improvements are felt already on the second day: swelling subsides, pain decreases, and mobility of the affected joint increases.

For reference. To enhance the effect of the compress, experts recommend taking 100 ml of freshly prepared juice from potato tubers every morning on an empty stomach.

For osteochondrosis and joint diseases

The anti-inflammatory properties of potatoes make it possible to use it to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system, as well as to prevent their exacerbations.

A potato and honey compress will help alleviate the condition of people with osteochondrosis:

1. Mix grated fresh potatoes with natural honey in a 1:1 ratio.
2. Apply the mixture to the sore spot, cover it with wax paper, and secure with a few turns of the bandage.

Repeat the procedure every 3-4 days until the pain completely disappears.

An alternative option is a compress of soda and potatoes:

1. Boil 2-3 root vegetables or bake in foil.
2. Mash the potatoes with a fork while they are warm, add 1 tbsp. l. soda, stir.
3. Apply the paste to the problem area, wrap it with cling film on top, and wrap it in a warm scarf for 1.5-2 hours.

For heart disease

To prevent heart and vascular diseases, it is important to meet the body's potassium needs. It regulates blood pressure, maintains water and electrolyte balance, takes part in protein synthesis, improves the process of neuromuscular transmission, and prevents spasms.

Potato tubers are a natural source of potassium: 100 g contains 22.7% of the daily requirement.The fiber present in the composition reduces the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood, and vitamin C increases the strength and elasticity of the vascular walls.

To treat the heart and blood vessels, you need to take 100 ml of juice with ½ tsp twice a day for a month. buckwheat honey It is advisable for people suffering from hypertension to include baked potatoes without salt and fat in their diet.

From fungus

Fungal skin infections are manifested by itching, peeling, weeping, inflammation, thickening and changes in the structure of the epidermis. Potatoes against fungus solve several problems at once: they act as an antibacterial and antifungal agent, inhibit inflammation, nourish, moisturize and tone the skin, and remove dead cells.

Grated fresh potatoes are applied to the affected area for 30 minutes. or wipe with fresh tuber juice 3-4 times a day. Depending on the severity of symptoms, on average it will take a month of daily procedures to achieve a positive result.

For reference. Compresses are contraindicated in the presence of open wounds and other damage to the skin.

For eye treatment

Potatoes are effective for eye diseases. Retinol provides night vision, protects against drying out, and maintains optimal eye hydration. A tincture of potato tuber buds prevents or inhibits the development of myopia or farsightedness.

The recipe for making the tincture is simple:

1. It is necessary to rinse the potato sprouts well until the water is clear, add alcohol at the rate of 100 ml per 1 tbsp. l.
2. Infuse in an airtight container in a dark, dry room, avoiding direct sunlight for 20 days.
3. Take the strained infusion 1 tsp. c three times a day.

The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.After a month's break, if necessary, you can resume the procedures.

For hemorrhoids

Potatoes are used to effectively treat hemorrhoids:

• starch envelops, relieves itching and irritation, relieves pain;
• ascorbic acid and silicon lead to the death of bacteria and prevent their growth and reproduction.
• retinol, vitamin E and B accelerate the healing process of wounds, restore and maintain epithelial tissue, and make the walls of blood vessels more dense and elastic.

For reference. Potatoes are effective in the early stages of the disease or as a means of prevention. Starting from the second stage, when prolapse of hemorrhoids occurs, potatoes only alleviate the course of the disease and enhance the effect of medications.

Raw potatoes are used topically as a lotion, the juice is taken orally or microenemas are made from it. Hot boiled potato tubers in milk are used as steam baths. All methods are quite effective, but I would like to pay special attention to potato candles.

The recipe is simple:

1. Peel the potatoes, cut out small cylindrical pieces (3x1 cm). It is important that there are no sharp corners that can injure the mucous membrane and aggravate the disease.
2. Before the procedure, be sure to empty your bowels and then wash the anus with antibacterial soap.
3. Apply Vaseline or cream to dry skin.
4. Lying on your side with your knees bent and your legs pressed to your chest, carefully guide the candle to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.

It is recommended to do the procedure before bedtime. In the morning, the suppository will come out on its own during bowel movements. Treatment lasts on average 2 weeks. If necessary, after a month's break the procedures can be repeated.

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For varicose veins

Potatoes for varicose veins ease the course of the disease:

• eliminates the feeling of heaviness in the legs;
• relieves swelling of the feet and legs;
• visually reduces subcutaneous dilated veins;
• has a general strengthening effect on the walls of blood vessels and small capillaries;
• reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood;
• cleanses blood vessels from atherosclerotic plaques;
• normalizes blood circulation and metabolism.

Raw potato tubers are used for treatment, since during the cooking process they lose some of the beneficial compounds:

1. Rinse the root vegetables well and grate them together with the peel.
2. Apply the paste to the sore spot and distribute evenly.
3. Cover the top with polyethylene and secure with a few turns of bandage.

To enhance the therapeutic effect of the product, experts recommend adding 2 tbsp to chopped potatoes. l. natural melted honey.

For reference. The prognosis for recovery increases by taking juice from fresh potato tubers daily on an empty stomach for a month.

Doctors' opinions on the healing properties of potatoes

Experts have different opinions about the effectiveness of potatoes as medicine. However, with its rich mineral and vitamin composition and properties, the vegetable attracts many doctors.

“Naturally, potatoes are not a panacea for many ailments and cannot cure severe diseases.But with its help, you can achieve stable remission and alleviate the severity of symptoms in gastrointestinal pathologies, slow down the course and reduce mortality from heart and vascular diseases, and arterial hypertension. Potatoes and honey for osteochondrosis received good reviews,” — says specialist in the field of general medicine Strelnikova N.G.

Candidate of Medical Sciences K. A. Safronov claims that potatoes help only in combination with conservative methods: “Its effect is not enough to influence the course of the disease. As an independent remedy, potato tubers can be used to prevent gastrointestinal pathologies, hypertension, gout, varicose veins, and obesity.".

In order to achieve lasting results and not harm your health, any actions should be discussed with your doctor. Depending on the method of use, the vegetable has contraindications that must be identified or excluded before starting treatment.

Conclusion

Beloved by many, potatoes have a number of beneficial properties: they slow down the aging process, accelerate the healing of wounds and burns, act as a preventative against cardiovascular diseases, are necessary for the proper functioning of the immune system, and protect against upper respiratory tract infections.

It is difficult to predict the body's reaction to potato treatment. It all depends on the causes of the disease and its course. For potatoes to show maximum effectiveness, use them as a prophylactic or as part of complex therapy.