Rejoinder: Relating to an article by Dr.Anupa Basnet on "Potato - The villain in diabetes"(Sikkim Express, Dated: 03/05/2026)

   Dear Sir,

     From the article by Dr.Anupa Basnet on "Potato - The villain in diabetes", it seems the author is required to do further study on the good properties of potato.

     Potato is not a "villain" of diabetes, but it is diabetic friendly provided some changes are brought while preparing the potato dishes. Whatever good properties she wrote about potato, they rest with unpeeled one. The skin of potato possesses all minerals and vitamins, peeling it means you are converting into a dead vegetable, consisting mainly carbohydrate harmful to your gut even if you leave aside your diabetic tendency. So while cooking, it is wise to cook potato with skin on in water, so that its medicinal and nutritive qualities are not compromised. All of you might have noticed, if you chew a piece of unpeeled, raw potato, it gives some kind of peculiar taste, that particular bitter taste is highly anti-diabetic, which means it helps to control diabetes to a certain degree. Try out, and if you eat unpeeled potatoes cooked in water, your will find it had not made any difference in sugar of your body.

     Do you know one special medicinal property of potato, which helps maintain PH balance in your body. At night take some medium sized potatoes, cut into small pieces without peeling their skin, but before that wash them thoroughly. Now soak these potato pieces in a tumbler full of hot water and keep it overnight. Next day drain the entire water in a glass and throw away the residue. Now drink this water mixing it up with another glass of hot water. Just in a couple of days you will find your uric acid reading has gone down substantially. So this will help to ease your gout and joint pain. If you could take this potato soaked water two to three times a day means you will be free from uric acid triggered arthritis. Therefore, to my arthritis patients, I prescribe this concoction of potato. Try out, as seeing is believing!

So in my opinion potato is the best vegetable provided we learn how to cook it.

     Do you know potato is not native to our country? There is no mention of potato in our ancient Indian literature. It came from Hawaii islands brought by our ancient seafarers and there it is called "uala" and from Uala, it became "Aloo" in India. Therefore, in the Vedas, you will find mention of only sweet potatoes.

Yours etc,

Dr.P.K.Chhetri