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The potato is a nutritional tour de force, rich in 12 essential vitamins and minerals and 99.9 percent fat-free. Annually, Americans consume 140 pounds of potatoes per person (only 49 of which are fresh; the rest are processed). Spuds are also well represented in folk remedies: Put a potato in your pocket to ease a toothache; more plausibly, apply a raw, grated potato to sunburn or frostbite.
