

In one study published in The Journal of Nutrition, men who ate purple potatoes instead of an equal amount of white potatoes daily for six weeks had less inflammation, along with higher levels of carotenoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids (all disease- preventing antioxidants).
#Sweet potato nutrition skin#
Eat the skin to score the maximum amount of health benefits!) Purple Potatoes Help Fight Disease Great news: Anthocyanins have been linked to decreased risk for many chronic diseases. Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are rich in beta carotene (just as carrots are), while those with purple flesh are rich in anthocyanins (as with blueberries), a type of flavonoid. RELATED: The Powerful Antioxidant You’re Ignoring Health Benefits of Purple Potatoes Purple Potatoes are Loaded with Antioxidantsįor most whole foods, the darker and deeper the color, the higher the antioxidant level.

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(Plant taxonomy is complicated-but this distinction makes sense if you’re familiar with sweet potato vines, which grow with the same enthusiasm as morning glories.) Potatoes are edible tubers in the nightshade family, while sweet potatoes are actually roots in the morning glory family. You can tell that just from the taste, not to mention the density of the starch. Sweet potatoes are distinct from “regular” potatoes, of course. So, as long as you eat potatoes in something close to their natural state (i.e., not as potato chips), you can enjoy them regularly.Īnd you can up the nutrition ante by trading regular spuds for these vibrant violet beauties. Dive into the nutrient profile and you’ll find that both regular and sweet potatoes contain many micronutrients, including calcium, potassium and vitamin C. On the other hand, potatoes pack much more than carbs. In the age of all things keto and low-carb, potatoes and sweet potatoes tend to get villainized.
