A Purple Potato a Day Could Keep High Blood Pressure and Obesity Away

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry people who were obese and had high blood pressure were able to decrease their blood pressure without experiencing any weight gain by having daily portions of purple potatoes. It was the first research of its kind that studied effects of eating potatoes on blood pressure in humans.

The study consisted of 18 volunteers who were overweight and had high blood pressure. The participants were fasting and ate six to eight small servings of purple potatoes twice daily or no potatoes at all for four weeks. The regimen was then reversed for the next four week. During this time researchers monitored the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the participants. Both blood and urine samples were taken to study other health indicators.

The results of the study demonstrated the average diastolic blood pressure of the participants dropped by 4.3 percent and their systolic pressure decreased by 3.5 percent. Most of the people involved in the study who took anti-hypertensive drugs also had a reduction in their blood pressure. None of the people who participated in the study gained any weight.

According to the study people in the United States eat potatoes more than any other vegetable. Pigmented potatoes have been determined to contain high concentrations of antioxidants including phenolic acids, anthocyanins and carotenoids. The purple-skinned potatoes used in the study are increasingly available in many different food stores. In Korea the purple potato is known for its use in folk medicine and is used as a way to lose weight.

Researchers did note that other studies have identified certain substances in potatoes that have a positive effect on the body. They do not yet know whether ordinary white potatoes would have the same beneficial effects as their purple counterparts.

Source

Press Release

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241074.php

Article

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf2045262?prevSearch=Potatoes%2BLower%2BBlood%2BPressure&searchHistoryKey=

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