Nutritional studies examine starch in potatoes and calories in coffee

Recent nutritional research highlights how food preparation and additives impact caloric and glycemic responses.

Regarding potato consumption, experts note that boiling or baking potatoes and allowing them to cool before eating can increase levels of resistant starch. This type of carbohydrate is not fully digested in the small intestine, which may influence post-meal glycemic responses and support gut microbiota. The extent of this effect depends on the potato variety, preparation method, cooling duration, and accompanying foods.

In a separate study involving approximately 30,000 adults in the United States, researchers from Tufts University found that non-dairy coffee creamers have become a primary source of added calories in coffee, surpassing both sugar and regular milk. Between 2003 and 2018, the average daily caloric intake from coffee rose from 43 to 60 calories, driven largely by an increase in the use of non-dairy creamers, which contributed an average of 18.5 calories per day by 2018.