Posts Tagged “purple potatoes”
Purple potato varieties have recently been developed by researchers at Colorado State University, which can satisfy nutritional needs and could potentially act as a preventive measure to several diseases. So is it a superfood?
The research team works with the CSU Potato Program and is composed of David G. Holm, a professor and potato breeder; Sastry S. Jayanty, a post-harvest physiologist; and Diganta Kalita, a postdoctoral researcher at CSU’s San Luis Valley Research Center. According to the research team, “There are different colored potatoes such as red, purple, yellow and white with distinctive skin and flesh color. Among them, purple and red potatoes are high in antioxidants.”
Additionally, these colorful potatoes could be a good source of nutrition such as vitamin C, resistant starch, folic acid, minerals, potassium, iron, zinc and phenolic compounds.
Antioxidants found in the newly developed potatoes play a critical role in the prevention of several pathological conditions, including cancer, heart disease and atherosclerosis. At a microscopic level, the antioxidants scavenge the action of some free radicals that cause damage to biological molecules, such as proteins and DNA. Jayanty and Kalita describe the newly developed potatoes as comparable to superfoods like blueberries and pomegranates.
Healthy replacement
Even purple and red French fries could be a healthy replacement to the traditional French fries from white and yellow potatoes. Some of the newly developed potatoes have lower levels of acrylamide, a chemical formed during the frying or baking of potato tubers. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide is a probable carcinogen.
Collaborative work with Jonathan M. Petrash, a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus, further reveals that phytochemicals present in purple and red potatoes have significant properties to reduce cataract formation in diabetic patients.
Findings from the research team could greatly benefit the potato industry, which has suffered a decline in consumer demand due to health concerns.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Compounds found in purple potatoes may help kill colon cancer stem cells and limit the spread of the cancer, according to a team of researchers.
Baked purple-fleshed potatoes suppressed the growth of colon cancer tumors in petri dishes and in mice by targeting the cancer’s stem cells. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and responsible for more than 50,000 deaths annually, according to the American Cancer Society.
Attacking stem cells is an effective way to counter cancer, according to Jairam K.P. Vanamala, associate professor of food sciences, Penn State and faculty member at the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute.
“You might want to compare cancer stem cells to roots of the weeds,” Vanamala said. “You may cut the weed, but as long as the roots are still there, the weeds will keep growing back and, likewise, if the cancer stem cells are still present, the cancer can still grow and spread.”