The differences in color between varieties of potatoes
are basically differences in carotenoid and flavonoid content.
All colorful potatoes provide carotenoids (flavonoids) that white potatoes do not.
Carotenoids and flavonoids are pigments, and according to nutritional research,
they provide us with many health benefits, including cancer protection.
Red(purple) potatoes are usually have less starch than white potatoes.
The nightshade family includes peppers, tomatoes,
white potatoes, eggplant, and spices
white potatoes, eggplant, and spices
like chili, paprika, and cayenne.
Nightshades contain toxins called glycoalkaloids, the most prevalent of
which are solanine and *chaconine.
Glycoalkaloids may cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps, joint pain,
and body aches in susceptible individuals.
Research Source:
- Kresser, Chris (2014). The Paleo Cure. Little Brown.p. 192.
ISBN 978-0-316-32292-8.
(*Chaconine is a steroidal glycoalkaloid that occurs
in plants of the Solanaceae family.
It is a natural toxicant produced in green potatoes and gives the potato a bitter taste.
Tubers produce this glycoalkaloid in response to stress,
providing the plant with insecticidal and fungicidal properties)
Purple potatoes are a type of potato popular in South America,
with their origins in Peru and Bolivia.
The one significant difference between purple potatoes
and Russet potatoes(white or yellow) is the antioxidant content;
purple potatoes contain 4 times as much antioxidants as
Russet potatoes. Anthocyanin is a pigment that creates the purple color
in the potatoes and also acts as an antioxidant.
Nutritional Value:
Purple potatoes are very similar to the popular
Russet potatoes in nutritional value.
One-half cup of purple potatoes contains
15 grams of carbohydrates,
1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein and no fat.
One-half cup of Russet potatoes contains
16 grams of carbohydrates,
1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of protein and no fat.
Health Benefits:
All potatoes are naturally high in potassium,
which helps regulate blood pressure.
But the extra antioxidants in purple potatoes make them
even more effective than other potato varieties.
These antioxidants also strengthen your immune system
and can help prevent certain heart diseases and cancers.
Research Source:
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/purple-potatoes-nutrition-2182.html
(Purple) Potatoes reduce blood pressure in people with obesity and high blood pressure
Scientists reported on the research;
“The potato, more than perhaps any other vegetable, has an undeserved bad reputation that has led many health-conscious people to ban them from their diet,” said Joe Vinson, Ph.D., who headed the research.
“Mention ‘potato’ and people think ‘fattening, high-carbs, empty calories’.
In reality, when prepared without frying and served without butter,
margarine or sour cream, one potato has only 110 calories and
dozens of healthful phytochemicals and vitamins.
In the new study, 18 patients who were primarily overweight/obese with high blood pressure
ate 6-8 purple potatoes with skins twice daily for a month.
They used purple potatoes because the pigment, or coloring material,
in fruits and vegetables is especially rich in beneficial phytochemicals.
Scientists monitored the patients’ blood pressure, both systolic
(the higher number in a blood pressure reading like 120/80) and diastolic.
The average diastolic blood pressure dropped by 4.3 percent
and the systolic pressure decreased by 3.5 percent, said Vinson,
who is with the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and has done
extensive research on healthful components in foods.
The majority of subjects took anti-hypertensive drugs and
still had a reduction in blood pressure.
None of the study participants gained weight.
Vinson said that other studies have identified substances in potatoes
with effects in the body similar to those of the well-known ACE-inhibitor medications,
a mainstay for treating high blood pressure.
Other phytochemicals in potatoes occur in amounts that rival broccoli,
spinach and Brussels sprouts, and also may be involved, Vinson added.
Unfortunately for French fry and potato chip fans,
those high cooking temperatures seem to destroy most of the healthy
substances in a potato, leaving mainly starch, fat and minerals.
Note to journalists:
Please report that this research was presented
at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the
American Chemical Society (ACS) Aug. 31, 2011
Funding for the study came from the United States Department of
Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) State Cooperative Potato Research Program.
Source:
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2011/august/potatoes-reduce-blood-pressure-in-people-with-obesity-and-high-blood-pressure.html
