White potatoes are a staple vegetable in many households, but this color of potato isn't your only choice. You can purchase potatoes with range of colors, including purple, red, yellow, orange and blue. These brightly colored potatoes provide many health benefits because of the nutrients they provide. Always consult your healthcare provider before eating potatoes as a means of disease treatment or prevention.
Zeaxanthin and Lutein
Orange-fleshed potato varieties may contain as much as four times the amount of zeaxanthin and lutein as white potatoes contain, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. These nutrients offer particular benefits for your eyes, reducing your risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and blindness. The zeaxanthin and lutein in bright colored potatoes are critical for keeping your vision clear.
Anthocyanins
Potatoes with bright skin and flesh, particularly red and blue potatoes, contain large quantities of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, or pigments that give these potatoes their color, provide antioxidant benefits. These pigments may help reduce your risk of developing heart disease and reduce inflammation in the body. A study published in the September 2, 2011 issue of "Nutrition and Cancer" indicates that the anthocyanins in potatoes may also stop the growth of colon and liver cancer.
Beta-Carotene
Sweet potatoes, which have an orange skin and orange to red color flesh, contain beta-carotene. This nutrient may decrease inflammation in your body. Research featured in a 2011 issue of the "Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology" looked at the effect of beta-carotene on stomach cells in a laboratory setting. Investigators report that beta-carotene decreased gastric inflammation that may lead to gastric cancer.
Lycopene
Eat a red-skinned potato or a potato with pink or red flesh, and you will get a boost of lycopene. This compound may protect against cancer. A study in the August 2011 "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" notes that lycopene tested against colon cancer cells in mice models suppresses the growth of colon cancer cells. More studies are needed to confirm this finding in humans.
References
- Agriculture Research Service; Colorful Potatoes Offer Nutrition, Variety; February 2005
- American Optometric Association: Lutein & Zeaxanthin
- "Natural Health"; Red Potato, Blue Potato; August 2002
- Linus Pauling Institute; The Possible Health Benefits of Anthocyanin Pigments and Polyphenolics; R. Wrolstad, Ph.D.; May 2001
- "Nutrition and Cancer"; Inhibitory Effect of Antioxidant Extracts From Various Potatoes on the Proliferation of Human Colon and Liver Cancer Cells; Q. Wang, et al.; September 2011
- Dole.com: Beta-Carotene Conundrum
- "Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology"; β-Carotene and Lutein Inhibit Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Activation of NF-κB and IL-8 Expression in Gastric Epithelial AGS Cells; Y. Kim, et al.; 2011
- North Dakota State University; What Color is Your Food?; J. Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., L.R.D.; February 2009
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Consumption of Lycopene Inhibits the Growth and Progression of Colon Cancer in a Mouse Xenograft Model; F.Y. Tang, et al.; August 2011
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