Changing regular white potatoes for purple potatoes could help reduce blood pressure levels without unwanted weight gain, says a new study from America.
Pigmented potatoes contain high concentrations of phenolic acids, anthocyanins and carotenoids, all powerful antioxidants that pack a nutritional punch, it was reported by team of US researchers in a study announced by the American Chemical Society.
In what is described as the first study of its kind to observe the effects of potato consumption on blood pressure in humans, researchers followed 18 overweight volunteers with high blood pressure over a two month period as they went from a diet consuming regular or no potatoes to a regime heavy on purple potatoes.
After four weeks of eating 6 to 8 microwaved purple spuds, researchers found that the average diastolic blood pressure dropped by 4 percent, while systolic pressure decreased by 3.5 percent — enough to reduce the risk of developing several forms of heart disease, researchers say.
They concluded that “purple potatoes are an effective hypotensive agent and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke in hypertensive subjects without weight gain.”
Following the results of their investigation, scientists recommend eating two small helpings of purple potatoes a day to help lower blood pressure levels. The study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The most popular veggie in the US is the potato, with the highest daily per capita consumption of all vegetables in the American diet.
