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White potatoes rarely get the same praise as kale, broccoli, or sweet potatoes. But according to Plant Based Science London, the humble spud may deserve a second look. In a recent video, the group explores the health benefits of white potatoes. They highlight new research linking them to improved gut bacteria, stronger immunity, and better appetite control.
Plant Based Science London is dedicated to breaking down complex nutrition research into clear, bite-sized videos. The channel focuses on the science behind a whole-food, plant-based diet while helping people make evidence-based decisions about their health without the hype. In this video, the team highlights why the health benefits of white potatoes have been overlooked and why new research is starting to change that.
Read more: Potatoes Are Healthier Than You Think – 6 Reasons To Eat Them
Their starting point is a surprising comment from Dr. Michael Greger, who suggests that white potatoes might outperform many other plant foods in one key area. As the narrator says, “you don’t typically think of white potatoes being the top choice when it comes to our health.” But that assumption is precisely what this video sets out to question.
How white potatoes reshape the gut microbiome
A central focus of the video is a study examining how white potatoes affect gut bacteria. Researchers asked a group of healthy adults to continue eating their regular diets, but with one small change. For several weeks, they added a potato-based side dish each day. During another phase, they swapped that potato dish for a refined grain side like white rice or pasta.
The results were striking. After just a few weeks of eating one daily potato dish, researchers found that participants’ gut microbiomes shifted measurably. Not only did the types of bacteria change, but their proportions did as well.
In particular, beneficial bacteria like Roseburia faecis increased. This matters because these bacteria are linked to better digestion. They are also related to lower levels of inflammation and improved metabolic health. According to the video, “the overall microbial balance tilted towards a profile linked with better digestion, lower inflammation, and improved metabolic outcomes.”
What makes this more compelling is that this shift happened without major changes to the rest of the diet. It was just one added potato side dish a day.
The way the potatoes were prepared also mattered. The narrator explains that potatoes should ideally be “boiled and then cooled to maximize resistant starch.” Resistant starch acts more like fiber than a regular carbohydrate. It feeds beneficial gut bacteria and helps produce short-chain fatty acids. These are associated with improved immune function and gut barrier health. In this sense, the microbiome effects may help explain some of the broader health benefits of white potatoes.
White potatoes, resistant starch, and immune health
The video also links white potatoes to immune function through their impact on the gut. A large part of the immune system is connected to the gut microbiome. Improving the balance of bacteria can have wider effects beyond digestion.
By increasing the presence of beneficial species and improving microbial diversity, potatoes may indirectly help regulate inflammation and immune responses. The narrator highlights that this daily potato addition could lead to “stronger immunity” by shifting the gut environment in a healthier direction.
Resistant starch plays a crucial role here. When potatoes are cooked, cooled, and eaten, this form of starch becomes fuel for gut microbes, helping them produce compounds that support the intestinal lining and immune defenses.
Why white potatoes may be the most satiating food tested
The final part of the video features Dr. Michael Greger from NutritionFacts.org, who addresses another surprising property of white potatoes: their effect on fullness and calorie intake.
Dr. Greger challenges the common belief that protein is the most filling nutrient. He says, “Protein has a satiating effect more than other macronutrients.” However, he notes that what matters more is whether a food leads people to eat fewer calories later.
He then adds that while protein can make people feel full, it does not necessarily reduce how much they eat later in the day. Referring to a meta-analysis, he explains that increasing protein made people feel satisfied, but “it doesn’t actually translate into reducing calories later.”
White potatoes appear to behave differently. According to Greger, when people eat potatoes, their overall calorie intake later in the day actually drops. He says that after giving people “some boiled potatoes, you actually do get a significant decrease.”
He goes even further, calling boiled potatoes “probably the most satiating food that’s ever been tested that actually does reduce caloric intake.”
This effect matters for long-term weight management. Greger emphasizes that what counts is how many calories someone eats across the whole day, not just how full they feel in the moment. He explains that sustainable weight control comes from choosing filling foods. They should also be low in calorie density and rich in water and fiber. Potatoes match that profile.
As he puts it, “the best way to do that is eating the most satiating foods, which are packed with water, packed with fiber, low in caloric density.”
Why this changes the conversation around potatoes
For years, white potatoes have been dismissed as empty carbs or compared unfavorably to sweet potatoes. But Plant Based Science London’s video challenges that narrative by pointing to research on microbiome changes, immune markers, and real-world eating behavior.
It suggests that, far from being a nutritional weak spot, white potatoes may play a useful role in a balanced, whole food plant-based diet. From improved gut health to appetite regulation, the emerging science adds new layers to the health benefits of white potatoes. This may explain why Dr. Greger and others are paying renewed attention to this everyday food.
For more plant-based health and nutrition content, check out Plant Based Science London’s YouTube channel.
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