b'The Alliance For Potato Research And Education: Leading The Way To Uncover The Health Benefits Of Eating Potatoes Mitch Kantar, Chief Science Officer,APRElifestyle)andoutcomesovera NewResearchFindings,Newlonger period. Cause-and-effect can- Potato Applicationsnot be determined via observational WhilemostoftheAPRE-fundedevidence alone, but when contextu- researchisstillbeingconducted,alizedwithcontrolledtrials, recentfindingsarebeginningtostronger links between potato con- show new applications and uses forsumption and health outcomes can potatoes,specificallyforathletesbeuncovered.Tohelpbuilda looking for a whole food fuel source,strongerfoundationofscientific and people trying to better controlknowledge and challenge these mis- their blood sugar through diet.informed potato health perceptions,the Alliance for Potato Research and Its well accepted that optimal phys-Potatoesareanutritionalpower- Education(APRE)wasfoundedin ical performance requires high-qual-house providing an excellent source 2011.itynutrient-densecarbohydratesof vitamin C and potassium (more and proteins. While there are manythan a banana!). In fact, compared APRE is a not-for-profit organization commercial,processedproductstomanyotherpopularfruitsand comprisedofU.S.andCanadian available for athletes, APRE is inves-vegetables,potatoesprovidethe potato growers and processors dedi- tigatingifpotatoes,awholefoodbest nutritional value per dollar in catedtoadvancingthescientific sourceofcarbohydrates,canhavethe produce aisle. Even so, potatoes understandingoftherolewhite thesameperformancebenefitscontinue to be mischaracterized and potatoesplayinpromotingthe before, during, and after exercise asmisrepresentedamongvocal health of all people. While adhering commercial products. There are cur-researchersandinfluencers,who tostrictresearchintegrityguide- rently six APRE-funded studies dedi-continue to uphold dated assump- lines,foundathttps://apre.org/ catedtothisareaunderway,andtions largely supported by observa- grant-program/research-integrity- onepublication,foundattional research.guidelines/, APRE has invested more https://www.physiology.org/doi/fullthan $4.5 million in research grants, /10.1152/japplphysiol.00567.2019.Unlikecontrolledtrials,which resulting in 30 studies and 6 publi- Results from that study showed thatinvestigate a specific cause (i.e., eat- cationstodate.Findingsfromthe potatoes can be as effective as sportsing potatoes) and effect (i.e., heart six published studies are beginning gels, and better than just consuminghealth) usually over a shorter time torefutemisinformedperspectives water, for endurance during a timedperiod, observational studies inves- onpotatohealthbenefitsheldby cyclingtrial.Futurestudieswilltigate general associations between some researchers and influencers. investigateothercomponentsofbehaviors(foodintake,exercise, potatoes(i.e.,protein)andits10 POTATO GROWER FEBRUARY 2020'