The Potato Diet: Can Eating Only Potatoes Help You Lose Weight?

Have you heard of the potato diet? It has gained popularity as a rapid but controversial weight-loss method.

Supporters argue that limiting the diet to potatoes can lead to rapid weight loss, increased satiety, and even better digestion. The diet, with its history, has been popularized among social media influencers and entails consuming just potatoes for a certain period of time, typically a week or up to two weeks.

Is a high-carb, high-starch diet beneficial for fat loss, though? And is it safe?

In this article, we will demystify how the potato diet works, the science behind its weight-loss impact, potential benefits, disadvantages, and expert opinion to determine if this method works or if it’s just another fad diet.

How the Potato Diet Works

The Potato Diet is a very brief weight loss diet that involves consuming plain potatoes alone for a brief period of time, typically three to five days.

During this period, you eat 2 to 5 pounds (0.9 to 2.3 kg) of potatoes a day, prepared without added fat or toppings. Seasoning ingredients like salt are typically avoided, though small quantities are allowed sparingly.

Fluid intake is limited to water, unsweetened tea, or black coffee. Intense exercise is also not recommended, with walking as a preferred alternative.

Also, Read: 27 Benefits of Potato Juice for Better Health, Skin, and Hair

The Science Behind Potatoes and Weight Loss

Potatoes have a love-hate relationship with the nutrition world, but science shows they can contribute to weight loss under certain conditions. Their impact on satiety, calorie intake, and metabolism is why some people claim success with the potato diet.

Nutritional Profile of Potatoes

Potatoes are known for their high carbohydrate content, but are also rich in:

1. Fiber & Resistant Starch: Potatoes’ fiber aids digestion and satiety, and resistant starch (especially in cooked and cooled potatoes) behaves like soluble fiber, slowing down digestion and suppressing appetite.
2. Low in Calories: A medium potato (about 150g) contains around 110 calories, making it a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food when eaten without added fats.
3. Vitamins & Minerals: Potatoes are rich in vitamin C, B6, potassium, and magnesium, all required for energy production and overall health.

How Potatoes Influence Satiety and Calorie Intake

Science shows potatoes are at the top of the satiety index, meaning they keep you fuller longer than many other foods (R).

A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found boiled potatoes were more satiating than other carbohydrate sources, leading subjects to eat fewer calories naturally during the day (R).

Potatoes’ high water and fiber content also slows down digestion, keeping blood sugar levels in balance and suppressing hunger for high-calorie snacks.

Studies on Potatoes and Weight Loss

Several studies demonstrate potatoes, when consumed in a whole-food, minimally processed state, do not necessarily lead to weight gain:

A 2014 Journal of the American College of Nutrition study illustrated that those who consumed potatoes on a calorie-restricted diet lost weight, as did those who consumed no potatoes (R).

A 2019 paper in Nutrients illustrated that resistant potato starch can increase insulin sensitivity and fat oxidation, which can cause weight loss (R).

Potential Benefits of the Potato Diet

The potato diet has some possible benefits:

1. Weight Loss: Potatoes are low in fat and calories, and this can lead to weight loss when eaten alone. Some individuals have lost a lot of weight on this diet.

2. Digestive Health: Potatoes are rich in fiber and resistant starch, and these support a healthy gut by feeding good gut bacteria. This can enhance digestion and general gastrointestinal health.

3. Nutrient Intake: Potatoes contain many nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6. These nutrients are responsible for many different functions in the body, including immune function and blood pressure control.

4. Simplicity and Affordability: The diet is simple: just eat potatoes. It is easy to continue without complicated meal planning or specialty ingredients. Potatoes are inexpensive and ubiquitous, so this diet is affordable.

5. Satiety: Potatoes are high on the satiety index, meaning that they can keep you full for longer, and this can result in lower calorie consumption.

Risks and Downsides of Eating Only Potatoes

Even though the potato diet can yield temporary weight loss, it has a series of serious risks and limitations:

1. Nutritional Deficiencies: While they contain some vitamins and minerals, potatoes don’t provide all essential nutrients such as protein, fats, and certain vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to thrive. Deficiencies arise due to potato diets, which have negative impacts on health.

2. Loss of Muscle: The diet is protein-poor, which can result in muscle loss, and the body starts using muscle tissue to compensate for protein needs. This can prove harmful to metabolism and strength.

3. Unsustainability: It is uninteresting and difficult to maintain a strict diet of only potatoes over a long time. Such drastic diets usually end in overeating or lapse into unhealthy dieting once the diet is finished.

4. Slowing Down of Metabolism: Severe calorie restriction can lead the body to conserve energy by slowing down the metabolism, so it becomes progressively harder to keep weight off over the long run.

5. Possible Toxicity: Green potatoes or improperly stored potatoes have too much solanine, a toxin that causes gastrointestinal and neurological effects with mass-level consumption.

Given these risks, the potato diet is best approached cautiously. It is strongly advised to consult a dietician or health expert before undertaking extreme dietary methods.

Also, Read: Simple Meal Prep Tips for Sustainable Weight Loss

Expert Opinions: Should You Try the Potato Diet?

Health experts are divided on the potato diet, with most voicing concerns about its long-term viability and nutritional sufficiency.

While its simplicity and low-calorie content may lead to short-term weight loss, health experts warn that relying on potatoes as the only source of food will lead to nutrient deficiencies and health issues.

Before you attempt the diet, you should read what the experts have to say regarding the safety and efficacy of the diet as a weight loss tool.

Expert Comments on the Potato Diet

Willow Jarosh, MS, RD, notes that the potato diet, like other fad diets, is predicated on weight loss at the cost of general health (R). She notes the possibility of nutrient deficiencies and encouragement of disordered eating habits due to its restrictive nature.

Dr. Mike Roussell, PhD, a nutrition scientist, warns that while potatoes contain fiber and resistant starch, they lack essential nutrients such as protein and healthy fats. He notes that weight loss should not come at the cost of muscle loss or lowered metabolism, both of which are possible risks of extreme mono-food diets.

Read Dr. Mike Roussell’s Men’s Health The MetaShred Diet: Your 28-Day Rapid Fat-Loss Plan. Simple. Effective. Amazing.

Penn Jillette, a magician and performer, attempted a potato-only diet as a means of “resetting” his diet (R). He lost considerable weight in the first week but returned to a balanced, plant-based diet thereafter. Jillette concedes that while the potato diet was effective in removing unhealthy food addictions, it was not a long-term solution.

Health professionals recommend that such diets lead to a deficiency of necessary nutrients and are not healthy in the long run. They can also encourage unhealthy food relationships and are typically not recommended for the long-term maintenance of good health.

Final Thoughts: Is the Potato Diet a Sustainable Weight Loss Solution?

While the potato diet could provide short-term weight loss, it is neither practical nor sustainable in the long run, mainly owing to its simplicity and low-calorie content.

Potatoes are full of nutrients and keep you feeling full, but they do not have the proteins and healthy fats needed for balanced growth and development.

Health experts have repeatedly advised against extreme mono-food diets, which may result in nutrient deficiencies, loss of muscle mass, and metabolic malfunction later on.

A more balanced incorporation into a diet with other whole foods is a more sustainable approach to weight maintenance. Instead of depending entirely on potatoes, have a balanced diet whereby potatoes are part of a healthy, nutrient-rich eating plan, with plenty of whole foods, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats.