Potatoes, the king of all vegetables, fruits

Researchers have found that white potatoes are the largest and most affordable source of potassium of any vegetable or fruit.

The high cost of meeting federal dietary guidelines for potassium, 4,700 mg per person per day, presents a challenge for consumers and health professionals, alike.

However, the cost of potassium-rich white potatoes was half that of most other vegetables.

"Potatoes deserve credit for contributing to higher diet quality and increasing vegetable consumption," said lead researcher Adam Drewnowski, from the University of Washington.

"Potatoes also play an important role in providing affordable nutrition to Americans. You can afford to meet key dietary guidelines if you include potatoes in your diet," he stated.

For the finding, Dr. Drewnowski and colleagues merged nutrient composition data from the USDA Food and Nutrition Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS 2.0) with the USDA Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) national food prices database.

Frequency of consumption data was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2003-4).

The study also found that putting potatoes on the plate did improve overall diet quality.

Individuals who consumed potatoes (baked, boiled and roasted) had higher intakes of potassium and vitamin C and consumed more total vegetables in a day compared to those who did not consume potatoes.

The study was presented at the American Dietetic Association's (ADA) Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE).