The white potato often hogs the spotlight—good and bad—as the potato of choice, whether it is baked or made into French fries. .editBody { } Purple potatoes are the eye-catching gems of the potato aisle. Purple-pigmented foods boast a range of health benefits and add a burst of color to your diet. Adding purple potatoes to your diet can help increase your fiber intake and add some gut-healthy resistant starch to your diet. width:120px; Substituting them for a lighter flesh potato is a great way to add more color and interest to your meals — after all, you really do eat with your eyes. Knowing the best ways to store potatoes can extend their shelf life and reduce food waste. Here are 16 purple foods that are as nutritious as they…. Purple potatoes have a nutrient content similar to that of other varieties of potatoes in the Solanum tuberosum family, though their mineral content can vary depending on the soil in which they were grown (1, 2, 3). They were simply labeled "Japanese sweet potatoes". font-weight: bold; The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the extent to which a food raises your blood sugar. This article determines…. An animal study observed similar results, finding that feeding purple potato extract to rats resulted in better glucose tolerance and improved short and long-term blood sugar levels (6). Around 2% of Australian sweetpotato production is devoted to WSPF. However with potatoes, the white and Russet don’t offer much in terms of vitamin A. That’s why the Okinawan purple vegetable – a sweet potato – measures as having 2-3x more antioxidants. Have you noticed purple potatoes at the grocery store and wondered how they get their color or what they taste like? text-align: left; WSPF: (White Skin, Purple Flesh) has a white skin with white and purple flesh. In fact, purple potatoes have been widely cultivated in Indonesia but not many people know about it. Rosemary and Garlic roasted Purple Potatoes is my favorite post in April and hence sending it off to Your Best Recipe Roundup for April ... and gourmet potatoes work equally well with this recipe and result in crisp on the outside and buttery on the inside wedges. margin:12px auto; Potatoes contain starch. Antioxidants are plant compounds that can protect your cells from the damaging effects of oxidative stress. .errMsg { Ironically, they appear similar to the white spots on the purple sweet potato I purchased at the asian grocery (shown here: Here are the many ways you can substitute potatoes into your diet every day. float:left; #preview { SKIN – Deep purple. White: Known as Health Benefits of eating Sweetpotatoes. They have a denser texture and slightly nuttier, earthier flavor than white potatoes. What makes purple potatoes purple and other purple potato facts. To reap the benefit of their resistant starch, use purple potatoes to make potato salad. .gLinkUnitBot { Purple Potatoes (left) Purple potatoes are a type of fingerling potato native to South America. All potatoes, including purple potatoes, are quite nutritious and provide a range of nutrients in both their skin and flesh. Roasting vegetables is a great way to make them in advance or even for entertaining. margin:4px 0 24px 36px; That’s very common; however, it would be ideal to get potatoes without green spots, brown spots, pink flesh, and of course, without purple spots or any veins. The health benefits of eating purple potatoes are quite amazing and you may never hear before. .editName, .editCountry { color: red; While white liquid ooze is completely normal in root vegetables and squashes, it isn’t a problem if you don’t see any either. This may partly be due to their higher potassium content, as this nutrient helps reduce blood pressure, but their antioxidant content likely plays a role, too. Boil, mash, or roast purple potatoes just like you would any other light-fleshed variety. These compounds contribute to improved gut health. font-weight: bold; The fiber content of potatoes varies slightly depending on the cooking method, but mostly depending on whether you eat the skin. Their vibrant color also means that they are packed with plenty of antioxidants, something that white potatoes can never compete with! This effect might be related to their polyphenolic antioxidant compounds, which work in a way similar to that of some blood-pressure-lowering medications. Part of the starch in purple (and all) potatoes is a type of fiber called resistant starch. They have a taste very similar to the more common orange sweet potatoes but are generally believed to have more potent antioxidant properties. You can prepare them similarly to how you would prepare white or yellow flesh potatoes, but if you swap them in, you’ll enjoy quite a few health benefits. Use them to make mashed or baked potatoes and add your favorite toppings for a side dish that everyone will want to try. While all potatoes, including purple sweet potatoes, blue potatoes, white potatoes and yellow potatoes, are high in carbohydrates, they also contain fiber and an array of important vitamins and minerals. } Therefore, it’s unknown whether eating purple potatoes would have similar effects in humans. margin:0 8px 0px 0; The truth is that no vegetables are absolutely perfect and that includes the potatoes. NUTRITION – Data from Whole Foods. Another study in men who ate 5.3 ounces (150 grams) of different colored potatoes each day for 6 weeks observed that the purple potato group had lower levels of inflammatory markers and markers of DNA damage, compared with the white potato group (10). } In fact, the polyphenol compounds in purple potatoes and many other foods work to reduce blood pressure in a way similar to that of some types of blood-pressure-lowering medications known as angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (12). Dietary fiber helps keep you feeling full, prevents constipation, stabilizes blood sugar, and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Why it has like purple veins inside?Answer:Hi Hanna, you mentioned that you found some “purple veins” inside a potato. Eating purple potatoes may promote blood vessel and blood pressure health. Many of their health benefits, including those related to blood pressure and cancer protection, stem from their content of anthocyanins — important antioxidants that are abundant in these colorful potatoes. New potatoes are mostly used for the delicate look they bring to a plate. Baking (in skin) 40 min @350F: Orange are highest moisture and can be a little stringy, develop to a very soft consistency like cooked pumpkin. Murasaki sweet potatoes have a sweet taste with notes of brown sugar and vanilla, and a very starchy, moist texture, … Vitamins in purple fruit can differ too, but the vitamin C and A rarely produce the lion’s share of activity in these plants. Next time you head to the supermarket, see if you can find this unique potato variety and give it a go. "Michigan Purple" is a medium-season potato with smooth purple skin and bright white flesh. Purple potatoes have been found to improve blood pressure. The purple color can give a twist in the appearance of many dishes. We almost always bake our sweet potatoes and were quite delighted with them as they were very sweet. "Purple Viking" produces large, round potatoes with moist, firm flesh. In one study, cancer cells that were treated with purple potato extract grew more slowly. The current research is limited to lab studies, so it’s unknown whether adding purple potatoes to your diet affects cancer risk. If you are going to boil them watch them carefully, so you don’t overcook them. They bear white, pink, red, blue, or purple flowers with yellow stamens.In general, the tubers of varieties with white flowers have white skins, while those of varieties with colored flowers tend to have pinkish skins. Heirloom and hybrid purple potato varieties range from solid purple to a mixture of purple and white. This makes it ideal for baking, mashing, pan frying and doing pretty much anything else that you might do with a standard potato. These aren’t yet another problem thank goodness, but lenticels. }, by Hannah Red, yellow, purple and white potatoes have a similar flavor. text-align: center; Compared with regular potatoes, they have a lower glycemic index and may be better for your blood sugar. The skin can be white , yellow, red, purple or brown, and the flesh can be white , yellow, orange or purple. Last medically reviewed on November 20, 2019. Here are 7 surprising benefits of purple potatoes. Chill them in the refrigerator and serve them cold. During this fermentation process, compounds known as short-chain fatty acids are produced. The term whipped potatoes can make many wonder what exactly it entails. But eating a greater amount, let's say for example that you eat two or three … White are somewhat like regular baked potato in texture. These compounds may decrease the absorption of starches in the intestines, therefore minimizing purple potato’s impact on blood sugar levels (5). To reap the greatest fiber benefits, eat them with the skin on and cook them ahead of time, eating them chilled, such as in a salad. In addition, a serving of potatoes provides 3 grams of fiber, from both the flesh and skin, and they’re naturally low in sodium (3, 4). Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions we get about this brightly colored veggie. Potatoes are naturally gluten-free. (Centerburg, Ohio ). However, in the United States, there are two main varieties of sweet potato : One has a golden skin with creamy white flesh and a crumbly texture. They’re especially rich in minerals and boast more potassium than a banana. 3) Purple Potatoes: “These are considered to be part of the sweet potato family, but instead of being orange on the inside, they’re purple,” Friedman explains. Japanese sweet potatoes (Satsuma Imo) are sometimes referred to as white sweet potatoes, even though they’re purple on the outside and yellow on the inside. It is caused by they prefer to consume white potatoes. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. In contrast, eating a similar amount of refined potato starch in the form of biscuits caused a decrease (9). Serving Size: 1 cup (150g) Calories: 116; Fat: 0.14g; Carbohydrates: 26g (3.2g fiber) Protein: 3%; Vitamin A: 0%* Vitamin C: 50%* Calcium: 2%* Iron: 6%* Potassium: 638mg (18%*) Vitamin B6: 22%* Japanese Sweet Potatoes. float:right; } Potatoes 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects, 7 Health and Nutrition Benefits of Potatoes, 7 Benefits of Purple Yam (Ube), and How It Differs from Taro. We often get questions about them. Lenticels are minute organs used by the tuber to breathe but in waterlogged soils they become blocked and swell up. padding: 0px; What the heck is this stuff? In addition to their high anthocyanin content, purple potatoes pack other antioxidants common to all types of potatoes, including (9): A small study in eight people found that loading up on one meal of whole purple potatoes increased their blood and urine antioxidant levels. } Eating purple potatoes can boost your antioxidant intake and reduce inflammation. Purple potatoes are the eye-catching gems of the potato aisle. But I’m specifically talking about those golf ball sized potatoes that are 100% purple inside and out. Potatoes Small White Spots – Lenticels. They don't taste like grapes or eggplants just because they have the same color inside. The reds (can’t remember the variety offhand) are reasonable but covered in small white spots. However, in the potato world there are about 4,000 varieties and multiple colors, such as yellow, red, and even purple potatoes.Purple Potatoes: Facts, Nutrition, and Health Benefits . Resistant starch resists digestion in your gastrointestinal tract, but the bacteria in your large intestine ferment it (3). In fact, they have two to three times more antioxidant activity than white or yellow potatoes (7). They have a blue-purple to almost black outer skin and an inner flesh that’s brilliant purple, even after cooking. .GadSense { border: 1px solid #000; (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); To save time read some tips for leaving them already set up. They were as you describe with a purple skin and white flesh. They also offer these 7 health and nutrition benefits. If you find a Russet potato (or a variety other than purple potatoes) with purple spots or veins, while the rest of the potato is white, I would say that it’s not a good idea to eat it. In addition, some studies suggest that compared with eating white potatoes, eating purple potatoes may reduce arterial stiffness. Potatoes are a versatile root vegetable and a staple food in many households. It turns out that the purple potato tastes remarkably similar to standard white-fleshed potatoes. Purple fingerling potatoes can accompany many different main dishes and are a colorful and antioxidant-packed alternative to the regular white and red potatoes. "Yams are starchy tubers that have an almost black bark-like skin and white, purple or reddish flesh and come in many varieties. That goes for the inside too, from yellow, white, orange, and purple. © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Their name comes from the Japanese word for purple because of the color of their skin. This sweet potato variety has reddish-purple skin with a flesh that is actually white. In some cases, the extract even caused cancer cell death (13, 14). How To Cook Purple Sweet Potato: Recipe & Nutrition Benefits width:466px; They offer more antioxidants than their paler relatives, and have an earthy and slightly nutty flavor. Like other members of the potato family (Solanum tuberosum), they come from a tuber plant native to the Andes mountain region in South America. It’s important to note that the research thus far has been limited to cancer cells treated in a lab and cancers in lab rats. Sweet and regular potatoes are incredibly popular tubers. The resistant starch content of potatoes also varies depending on the cooking method, though it doesn’t seem to vary much between the color of potatoes. All rights reserved. TASTE – Not very sweet, and pretty dry inside. The tubers can be as small as regular potatoes or grow upwards of five feet long," AOL explained. (BTW, these were organic sweet potatoes from Whole Foods). What’s the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes? Why is the potato purple inside? Sweet potatoes come in many different colors. margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; Is it safe to eat? Are Purple Carrots Healthier? While all potatoes, including purple sweet potatoes, blue potatoes, white potatoes, and yellow potatoes, are high in carbohydrates, they also contain fiber and an array of important vitamins and minerals. .errMsgOn { Some people argue that nothing is going to happen, and if you ate already it, it’s possible that nothing bad is going to happen. Yams (often mislabeled as sweet potatoes in the grocery store) are a starchy, dry vegetable that originated in Africa and Asia. Eating purple potatoes instead of white potatoes is a good move when watching your blood sugar. Nutritional Value Purple fingerling potatoes are an excellent source of potassium and antioxidants. If the sap bothers you, just rinse off the sliced veggies or wipe … The Purple Potato. Like other colorful fruits and vegetables, purple potatoes’ bright color is a telltale sign that they’re high in antioxidants. visibility: visible; In fact, take one look at the purple potatoes nutrition profile and it’s easy to see why they’re so great for improving your health. While all potato varieties impact blood sugar levels because of their carbohydrate content, purple potatoes may exert less of an effect than other types due to their high concentration of polyphenol plant compounds. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked potato with the skin provides (4): Interestingly, potatoes have more potassium than bananas. Potato plants are herbaceous perennials that grow about 60 cm (24 in) high, depending on variety, with the leaves dying back after flowering, fruiting and tuber formation. Purple yams, also known as ube, are nutritious root vegetables that may offer several health benefits. Purple potatoes are a tasty way to add a pop of color to your plate while enjoying a serving of health benefits. Purple potatoes, sometimes referred to as blue potatoes, are a type of potato which are native to South America. It has a slightly nutty flavor and a creamier texture when compared to traditional potatoes. .errFldOn { You can use purple potatoes similarly to how you’d use white, yellow, or red varieties. The purple color doesn't mean it tastes fruity or anything like that. A few lab studies have indicated that some of the compounds in purple potatoes, including their antioxidants, may help prevent or fight cancer, including colon and breast cancer (13, 14). Purple potatoes have a lot of benefits for our health. Potatoes are types of starchy root vegetables called tubers. You’re not alone. } } #preview .editTitle { .editTitle { For example, a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) potato with the skin cooked in the microwave contains 3.3 grams of fiber, while a potato of the same size boiled without the skin has 1.8 grams (16). Sweet potatoes that have brown, red-orange, or white skin with orange or white flesh are native to Colombia and southern Central America. Purple potatoes are especially rich in polyphenol antioxidants called anthocyanins. This article reviews the best ways to store potatoes and…, Purple carrots are eye-catching, and you may wonder whether they're healthier than other varieties. Purple sweet potatoes are a type that has a light purple skin and a deep purple flesh. They are a good source of fiber and an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Folate and Calcium. In fact, take one look at the purple potatoes nutrition profile and it’s easy to see why they’re so great for improving your health. Purple potatoes are grown in both domestic and commercial capacities and have recently increased in popularity due to a market shift for antioxidant-rich foods. Leave the skins on, cut them into chunks, and boil them until they’re tender. If you’re wondering what this looks like—check your phone! They’re especially rich in anthocyanins, which are antioxidant compounds linked to improved eye and heart health, as well as a lower risk of chronic disease. Then drain and toss them with thinly sliced onions, a handful of fresh minced herbs, and some Dijon-vinaigrette dressing. A comparison study in humans found that purple potatoes have a GI of 77, yellow potatoes have a GI of 81, and white potatoes have a GI of 93 (5). I ended up cutting 1" wedges, and washed the white stuff off, and nuked them and tasted fine. While a "good" carbohydrate, they can rapidly increase blood sugar levels. Here are 7 surprising health benefits of purple…. They’re the same type of antioxidant found in blueberries and blackberries (3, 7, 8). Purple potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, is a general name encompassing dozens of heirloom and conventional varieties including Purple Peruvian, All Blue, Congo, Vitilette, and Purple Majesty. Most people don’t meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendation to consume 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories, but adding a few servings of purple potatoes to your diet each week can help fill the gap (15). In fact, more than half of their nutrients are found in their flesh (3). Generally a little harder to find than other types of sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes can be prepared in a number of different ways. Sweetpotatoes are fat free and cholesterol free. Some of the compounds in purple potatoes may slow the growth of — or even kill — certain cancer cells. I buy bags of them all the time and sometimes I get a bag where the purple flesh is faded or sometimes it’s completely white. White and red skinned potatoes work fine as well but not the russet potatoes. After Columbus' discoveries, they were brought to Asia, and varieties with white skin and speckled pale purple flesh were developed on the Japanese island of Okinawa. On a few future visits we asked workers at the market but no one knew the actual variety. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. border: 3px solid red; You can find some that are white, yellow, purple, red, brown. /* used in both edit and preview modes */ margin-top: 0px; The sweet potato emoji is actually a Murasaki! Purple potatoes are a healthy and colorful member of the potato family that’s worth getting to know. Potatoes often get a bad rap because of their high starch content, but they contain many other important nutrients and can be a very healthy addition to your diet (1). I have noticed some variation in their handling. } It ranges from 0 to 100, and a GI greater than 70 is considered high. This article reviews the main differences between sweet and regular potatoes and provides…, While eating raw potatoes may be linked to several benefits, there are also some safety and nutrition concerns to consider. } Ones I have gotten from the grocery store in the past have become more easily waterlogged and the color on the inside turned a not as pretty little purple or blue. They have a medium to starchy texture and offer a more earthy and nutty flavor than ordinary white potatoes. #edit textarea { Nutrition, Benefits, and Uses, polyphenolic compounds like caffeic acid, scopolin, chlorogenic acid, and ferulic acid. Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes. font-size: 22px; While the starch in purple potatoes increases blood sugar, it does so to less of an extent than the starch in yellow or white varieties. Learn more here. Its just really disappointing because the purple flesh has a savory buttery like flavor/texture to it while the white flesh just tastes kind of bland. padding:0 8px 8px 0; If you like them crispy like fries, slice them into wedges, toss them with olive oil, minced garlic, and rosemary, and roast them at 400°F (204°C) for about 20 minutes or until they’re tender. They are high in nutrients like potassium and vitamin C, and have many health benefits. vertical-align:top; Squash, potatoes, and pumpkins might produce a white liquid sap. Are sweet potatoes supposed to be white inside? A higher anthocyanin intake is linked to several benefits, including healthier cholesterol levels, improved vision and eye health, and a reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes (7, 8). A small 4-week study in people with high blood pressure found that eating six to eight purple potatoes twice daily reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure (the top and bottom numbers of a reading) by 3.5% and 4.3%, respectively (9). I cook a lot of sweet potatoes - with flesh inside that is white, orange (sometimes called yams in US) and purple (Okinawan). } This article reviews the benefits of purple…. .editName, .editCountry, .editBody { I know when you look at them it gives the impression they should taste like fruit but they don't. FLESH – Deep purple. Having stiff arteries increases your risk of heart attack or stroke, as your vessels can’t dilate as easily in response to changes in blood pressure (11). “What makes them different than the orange-colored sweet potatoes are two genes — IbMYB1 and IbMYB2 — that get activated to produce the pigments responsible for the rich purple tones of the flesh. Some common varieties include Purple Peruvian, Purple Majesty, All Blue, Congo, Adirondack Blue, Purple Fiesta, and Vitelotte. Resistant starch is highest when potatoes are cooked and then chilled, but not reheated (3). Just as there are a variety of healthier protein choices these days, there’s a crop of new healthier potatoes showing up that you may want to try. Purple potatoes have four times as many antioxidants as Russet potatoes. They don’t take any additional time to cook and add interest and a bright pop of color to your meals. We love roasted beets and sweet potatoes which can also be roasted up with these purple sweet potatoes. Today, they are widely grown in Hawaii and exported to the United States mainland where they are popular with Asian and Lati… .gLinkUnitTop { There is a misconception that all of the nutrients in potatoes are found in their skin. } padding: 3px; We smash them and serve them up with similarly earthy Brussels sprouts and crispy chicken legs in this fantastic fall chicken dish. In general, eating more polyphenol-rich foods, including those that contain anthocyanins like purple potatoes, may help relax and strengthen your blood vessels. .errFld { } Posted on September 23, 2016 • 19221 VIEWS. text-align: center; visibility: hidden; Purple potatoes are a variety of potato with purple-colored skin and flesh which originate from Bolivia and Peru. While very similar to their white grocery store counterparts, these potatoes exhibit a beautiful purple colored skin and flesh. } Meat’s best friend, the potato, is changing it up to meet the needs of health-driven consumers.