Maybe most of us are already used to eating and seeing the typical yellow or white-fleshed potatoes. You may have also eaten sweet potatoes on a regular basis and thus you might be well familiar to the orange as well. Did you know that there are also purple varieties of the sweet potatoes? Yes, pal, a purple one! The purple sweet potatoes are not just delightful and delicious, they are also home to various nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. The health benefits of purple sweet potato are so wide-ranging and are all for the betterment of the overall health. If you want to know these facts about the purple sweet potatoes and more, feel free to give this article a read.
What is Purple Sweet Potato?
The purple sweet potato is actually a type of potato that has a purple skin and flesh. Furthermore, this type of root crop is widely available all year-round. Additionally, they are usually starchy and dry and has a slightly nutty and earthy flavor. Not only that these are delicious, they are as what is stated earlier, oozing with health benefits too.
Did you know where does this person sweet potato came from?
The purple sweet potatoes that have brown, white or red-orange skin and white or orange flesh, are actually native to the countries of Southern Central America as well as Colombia. after the discoveries of Columbus, the purple sweet potatoes are then brought to the continent of Asia, and varieties that have white skin and speckled pale purple flesh were cultivated on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
In today’s day and time, purple sweet potatoes are widely cultivated in the country of Hawaii and are now exported to the mainland of United States. This is where the sweet potatoes are famous to Asians as well as to Latinos.
The taste of the purple sweet potatoes is rich and winey. However, they are way drier and denser than the regular sweet potatoes. When you cook the purple sweet potatoes, it’ll take longer than the regular ones. In fact, it’ll take about 90 minutes to about 2 hours in a 350F temperature. This is to make it perfectly moist.
Nutritional Value of Purple Sweet Potato
The purple sweet potatoes actually share the same sweetness of the more familiar varieties. Furthermore, just like the orange ones, they are also low in fat and carbohydrates content. Not just that, they are an excellent source of vitamins and fiber as well. Additionally, the purple sweet potatoes are also rich in anthocyanins. These have potential in reducing inflammation because of their anti-inflammatory properties.
Furthermore, the anthocyanins in the purple sweet potatoes are the same as the anthocyanins that makes the food look much touted. Moreover, these are also the ones that give many health benefits to the health. One of which is the eradication of the free radicals, which may have been attributed to causing cancer, lowering the blood pressure level, and protecting the liver. Purple sweet potato is also high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as potassium. Undoubtedly, this type of sweet potato is a wonder of nature.
Here is a more detailed nutritional value of purple sweet potato:
133 grams or 1 cup of purple sweet potato may have:
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Calories | 140 |
| Total Fat | 1 gram |
| Trans fat | 0 gram |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0 gram |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0 gram |
| Saturated fat | 0 gram |
| Protein | 2 grams |
| Sugar | 7 grams |
| Dietary fiber | 4 grams |
| Total Carbohydrates | 32 grams |
| Potassium | 271 milligrams |
| Sodium | 0 milligram |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligram |
| Iron 0% | Calcium 3% |
| Vitamin C 50% | Vitamin A 0% |
Health Benefits of Purple Sweet Potato
Here are some of the most staggering health benefits of purple sweet potato:
- Amazing anti-inflammatory properties: the anthocyanins in the purple sweet potato is what makes it beneficial in getting rid of inflammation. Furthermore, another that helps in this particular health benefit is the low fat and carbohydrate content of the root crop.
- Helps improve blood sugar regulation: studies show that the purple sweet potato is beneficial in improving the regulation of blood sugar levels, this is even with those who have type 2 diabetes.
- Protects liver cells against damage: studies show that the purple sweet potato is capable of offering protection to the liver against harmful substances. In fact, there is this particular study that shows the effectiveness of the purple sweet potato in protecting the liver against alcohol-related injury.
- Helps improve memory and cognition: the anthocyanins in the purple sweet potato is beneficial in improving the cognition as well as the memory. Moreover, this is one of the best health benefits of purple sweet potato.
- Helps in lowering the blood pressure levels: the purple sweet potato is beneficial in lowering the blood pressure level. This is even without terminating weight gain. Research actually shows that eating this type of sweet potato may help in lowering the levels of blood pressure drastically.
Truly, the purple sweet potatoes are one of a kind and are nature’s wonder!
