Purple Potatoes Pack Serious Antioxidants

Purple potatoes pack serious antioxidants compared to their white-fleshed counterparts

Monday, August 05, 2013 by: Danna Norek
Tags: purple potatoes, antioxidants, nutrition

Learn more: 

http://www.naturalnews.com/041491_purple_potatoes_antioxidants_nutrition.html#ixzz2bmOpTjAo

You may or may not have noticed a new potato in town at your local grocer or more likely at your local health food store. It is native to South America and is called the purple potato, named for its deep purple skin as well as the purple flesh within it. There are several types of the purple potato including the Purple Majesty, Purple Viking and Purple Peruvian varieties.

Purple potatoes are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals

The rule of thumb with fruits and vegetables is that the deeper and richer the color, the more nutritious the content tends to be. The purple potato is no exception to this rule. It is rich in the antioxidant that is characteristic of deeply colored blue or purple produce called anthocyanin.

This compound is from the powerful flavonoid family of antioxidants and is found in other nutritional powerhouse foods such as blueberries and pomegranates. It is most well-known for its immunity boosting and cancer fighting properties.

Further, this deeply pigmented antioxidant has shown great promise in protecting the integrity and structure of DNA and encouraging the production of cytokines which are vital to proper immune response. It also shows impressive anti-inflammatory properties, helps to protect the health and integrity of the capillaries and strengthen membranes, and may have a role in regulating estrogenic activity which can help lower risk of hormone-related disease.

Study shows purple potatoes aid in lowering blood pressure

A small study that was presented at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Denver in 2012 found that eating these potatoes lowered the blood pressure of the subjects who consumed them compared to non-consumers. This is likely due to their therapeutic effect on the capillaries and blood vessels as mentioned earlier and the purple potato's high concentration of another phytochemical called chlorogenic acid which has been linked to lower blood pressure in mice.

Potatoes are typically associated with weight gain and by some as a "forbidden food" due to their high starch content. So to many it was a surprising outcome that consuming six to eight small purple potatoes per day not only lowered the blood pressure of the participants but also caused no weight gain at all.

Is there a flavor or texture compromise for the increased nutrition?

So you may be thinking since the purple potato has so much more nutrition than the standard white potato that there must be some flavor or texture compromise? It turns out that the purple potato tastes remarkably similar to standard white-fleshed potatoes.

It has a slightly nutty flavor and a creamier texture when compared to traditional potatoes. This makes it ideal for baking, mashing, pan frying and doing pretty much anything else that you might do with a standard potato. It can be delicious when blended with various herbs and garlic and makes a great mashed potato dish since it has a creamier texture when cooked.

As with other varieties of potatoes, try to keep the skin on when cooking. Keeping the skin on when cooking helps seal the nutrients and moisture in the potato. In addition, the skin of any potato is rich in fiber and may also contain additional vitamins and minerals. The skin of the purple potato is rich in vitamin C and contains a lot of the polyphenols and potassium that makes it so beneficial.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.specialtyproduce.com

http://www.nbcnews.com

http://www.theanchoronline.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:
Danna Norek founded AuraSensory.com. Product line includes an MSM & Vitamin C Ester Hydrating & Brightening Face Cream and all natural plumping Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Sulfate Free Natural Shine Enhancing Shampoo and Deep Hydration Conditioner, a very effective natural deodorant, and other body care. Visit to learn more about what chemicals & ingredients to avoid in your beauty and personal care products at AuraSensory.com .

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041491_purple_potatoes_antioxidants_nutrition.html#ixzz2bmOOMfm

Recipe Bits - Kale

A few people have been asking us what to do with Kale, and while we have not tested it a lot, here are two different ways to prepare it:

Kale Chips:

1 bunch Kale (basically any amount you want to work with)
Olive Oil
Salt

Taking a sharp knife, cut the thick main stem out of the kale. Once you have them de-stemmed feel free to cut or tear them into the size you would like for chips. *Keep in mind that they will shrink a bit during bake time.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, followed by a sprinkle of salt to taste.

Different recipes advise varying oven temperatures, so it depends on how quickly you would like to bake the chips. If you are in a hurry a higher temperature will hasten the process, but if you don't mind keeping an eye on them a little longer a lower temperature might be helpful in avoiding scorched edges.

Bake at desired temperature (*250 works well upon last report) for 10-15 minutes, flipping chips now and again to ensure even crisping of both sides.
Remove and let cool when desired crispness has been reached.
Enjoy your healthy snack!

*If you would like a little variety in taste try sprinkling a little garlic salt, or lemon over your chips before baking. Feel free to experiment with different things until you find your favored flavor.



Steamed Kale

A quick, simple way to prepare your kale.
Simply place desired amount in a pan with a small amount of water and lightly steam until tender. (It will become a darker green in color as it cooks.)

Serve with butter and salt, or a light sprinkle of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

See you at the Market

We came in for lunch break today and suddenly realized that no one had posted for two months! In light of this realization it was decided we better let you all know we are still alive and kicking.

It is hard to believe that August is already here, yet everywhere we look we are reminded that summer is slowly beginning to wane.With the end of July we are wrapping up our first month of deliveries! After getting off to a slow start, the garden is beginning to produce in earnest and we are kept busy with the never ending tasks that are needed to keep the CSA going. In fact, that is the reason we have been neglecting to keep up our correspondance on the blog. At the end of a long, hot, day in the sun, it is hard to say anything intelligent to anybody, much less put it in print.

Tomorrow, August 3rd will be our first showing at the Farmers Market in Roseau. Stop by and say hi. We will be bringing: raspberries, pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, four varieties of new potatoes, chinese cabbage, kale, swiss chard, salad greens, onions, basil, cilantro, dill, parsley.  We will also be bringing a few boquets of freshly cut flowers.

Well, there are raspberries to pick, potatoes to dig, and flowers to cut, so we'd better get back to work.

Take care, Becky and Abby