In recent years, hypertension or high blood pressure has affected millions of people across the globe along with diabetes. If high blood pressure is left untreated for a long period of time, it can result to complications that will affect the cardiovascular system of a person.
Arteries can be damaged due to high blood pressure, which would in turn result to a stroke. Aside from the arteries, the kidney as well as the brain can also be affected by high blood pressure.
But a recent study discovered that purple potatoes can help reduce the blood pressure of patients who have hypertension. According to Joe Vinson, PhD of the University of Scranton, a single potato only has 110 calories aside from a number of vitamins and phytochemicals which are beneficial to a person’s health. It can also help in reducing high blood pressure.
The research involved eighteen obese participants who had high blood pressure. The participants were split into two groups with one group consuming following their regular diet while the second group consumed around six to eight servings of purple potatoes that were approximately the same size as a golf ball. These were cooked using a microwave.
After four weeks, the research noted that the group that included potatoes in their diet was able to reduce their high blood pressure by around 4.3 percent. On the other hand the other group which followed their regular diet saw no changes in their blood pressure.
Experts have indicated that the potatoes have a kind of anti-oxidant which prevented damage to healthy cells and resulted to the protection of the heart.
Potatoes reportedly also have chemicals which have the same effect as high blood pressure medication although these components will be lost if the potatoes are cooked using high temperatures
According to Vinson a number of people look at potatoes as fattening and contain empty calories which may cause some people to minimize if not eliminate it from their diet. Vinson is urging people to include potatoes in their diet although they should avoid frying it or serving it with margarine, butter or sour cream.
Vinson also added that even though the research used purple potatoes in the study about high blood pressure, additional research should be made using other varieties of potatoes to check their effect on high blood pressure.
