Potatoes’ reputation as a fattening, high-carb food continues to be broken down with the latest research showing a daily dose can help lower your blood pressure – without any weight gain.

In the study, carried out by the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, volunteers were fed six to eight potatoes (unpeeled and cooked in the microwave) twice a day. After a month their average blood pressure readings had improved.

Potatoes New Zealand Food and Education Consultant Glenda Gourley says the results provide further evidence of potatoes as not only highly nutritious and delicious, but providing important health benefits.

“The potato has wrongly been given a bad reputation leading many people to remove them from their diet,” says Gourley.

“Yet, as this research shows, when prepared without use of additional fats, potatoes provide a low-calorie, delicious and highly nutritious daily vegetable, as well as giving major health benefits.”

Most of the patients in the study were overweight or obese and already taking drugs for high blood pressure. Yet the potatoes had a positive effect, The systolic blood pressure, the “upper” reading when blood is pumped with each beat of the heart, was down by 3.5%.

At the same time, the diastolic “lower” reading, showing the pressure between beats when blood vessels are relaxed, decreased by 4.3%. In addition, none of the volunteers put on any weight.

Purple potatoes were chosen for the research due to colour pigments in fruits and vegetables being rich in beneficial chemicals, but the scientists believe red-skinned or white potatoes may have similar effects.

Previous studies have identified substances in potatoes which act in the same way as chemicals used in drugs for controlling high blood pressure.

Microwaving was used in the study as it appeared to be the best way to preserve these and other potato nutrients which include abundant levels of fibre, potassium, iron, folate and Vitamin C.

 

ENDS

 

For more information please contact:

 

Jillian Keogh

Ideas Shop

04 381 2200

jillian@ideasshop.co.nz

 

Media Release

For immediate release

Potatoes New Zealand

 

2 September 2011

 

Tags: potato nutrition, potatoes

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