Purple Potatoes Could Help Blood Pressure

Good news for the woman addicted to cheesy potatoes: Two small helpings of Purple Majesty potatoes could decrease blood pressure by 4 percent for obese subjects.

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, even found that the potatoes decreased blood pressure without causing weight gain. Lead researcher Joe Vinson claims that this could reduce the risk of certain forms of heart disease.

The research team says that most people eat more potatoes than any other vegetable, and even though the USDA has been giving the tuber the stink eye for a while, the researchers say pigmented potatoes (red or purple) have high concentrations of antioxidants such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids.

Anthocyanins, which causes the color, are natural nutrients which may help decrease the risk of heart disease.

Of course, this probably depends on how one eats the potatoes. Subjects were served six to eight small, microwaved purple potatoes twice a day. Fried potatoes slathered with cheese probably won't have the same effect.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.