Potatoes And Buttermilk Sustained Ireland

Although potatoes alone do not provide complete nutrition, people can survive for years on a diet of potatoes and buttermilk. Potatoes provide calories, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iodine, and certain B vitamins, while buttermilk supplies vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin A. This combination sustained much of Ireland's population for generations before the 1845 potato blight, with some adult men consuming 5 to 6 kilograms of potatoes per day.

Previous Fact Next Fact