Add Extra Antioxidants to Your Diet with Blue Potatoes

Deeper hues in our foods mean more antioxidants to protect our health. Now the potato has gotten in on the act.

Even in potatoes the more vibrant the color the more nutrition there is.

Red and blue colored potatoes get their pretty pigments from anthocyanins, and like grapes and berries that share these colors, the deeper hued potatoes contain properties which can help to protect cells from oxidative damages. Oxidative damage is responsible for many age-related diseases.

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Blue potatoes retain 75% of their antioxidant qualities after cooking.

A research genetecist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Charles Brown according to findarticles.com  did a study where naturally colored potatoes were crossbred to produce vibrantly colored red and purple ones. He then tested them for antioxidant capacity. Brown states that although no studies have been performed on them to rank health benefits the antioxidant levels ranked right up there with kale, spinach and brussel sprouts. Not only did they rank high without cooking but they retained 75% of their antioxidant qualities after cooking. The colorful potatoes prove to contain more than four times the antioxidant levels and still are a good source of complex carbohydrates, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid and iron.

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Potatoes rank fourth as the most commonly grown food.

Potatoes rank right at the top of the largest food crops, coming in fourth after wheat, corn and rice. They are grown in 128 of 173 nations and we love them for their nutritional value, taste, and versatility. There are over 400 varieties cultivated and most of us have a favorite – bluegreenearth.us. Once you try these potatoes, you may have a new favorite. Every source I read states they are quite tasty.

Imagine the look of surprise from family and friends if you were to serve a potatoe salad for the fourth of July with colorful red, white, and blue potatoes. For more potatoe recipes click on the link below the first picture.

I first found out about blue potatoes while browsing through a seed catalog. You can order through the catalog or online at Farmer Seed and Nursery.

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