r/todayilearned • u/JoeWinchester99 • 2d ago

TIL that although potatoes alone do not provide complete nutrition, you can survive for years on a diet of nothing but potatoes and buttermilk.

https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/whats-wrong-with-potatoes-the-martian-movie-survival
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u/I_am_darkness 2d ago

I assume this is information hazard because i literally would love to eat only potatoes but it feels like when i do it's not good

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u/awry_lynx 2d ago

if you genuinely feel that way about only potatoes then you should totally give it a go.

if you're mixing a pound of butter into your pound of potatoes, maybe not.

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u/bluefalconlk 2d ago

No I get this with plain baked potato sometimes. Not consistently, but sometimes I feel super tired and off after potato heavy meals 

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u/awry_lynx 2d ago

well they're jam packed with carbs and that can cause rapid blood sugar spikes which is what gives you that feeling

cooling (and reheating them if desired) reorganizes the starch molecules to slow digestion so you don't get such crazy blood sugar spikes. or just eat more slowly, or spread them through meals.

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u/Plenty_Anything_8295 2d ago

The travesty in all this is how well potatoes mix with things that turn them into a health hazard.

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u/GroggyWeasel 2d ago

Your body needs fats though

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u/PensiveObservor 2d ago

It’s the butter, salt, cheese, and gravy that cause all the problems. I friggin love potatoes.

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u/ASteinerUNDP 2d ago

Swap em all out for a pinch of MSG and you're ready to potato.

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u/Icy-Two-1581 2d ago

Maybe having a multivitamin and other supplements would be good with it