In addition to getting exercise every day, staying hydrated, and ensuring you get enough sleep each night, your diet is a crucial aspect of your overall health. That means that in order to lead your healthiest life, you should prioritize whole, nutritious foods (like these) that can provide your body with all of the nutrients it needs to thrive and cut back on unhealthy processed options like these. And it isn’t just your weight that your diet can affect; choosing the right foods can also help you improve your blood pressure and lower blood sugar levels in order to promote a healthier body overall. While your mind may immediately jump to leafy greens and crunchy veggies when you think about the healthiest foods out there, we have good news for carb lovers: there’s one type of potato that could help you reap these benefits: purple potatoes.
To learn more about how these potatoes can help you lower your blood pressure and blood sugar, in addition to other benefits (like their high fiber content), we spoke to registered dietitian Sheri Berger, RDN, CDCES. Find all of her expert insight below.
Health benefits of purple potatoes
Berger tells us there are many benefits to adding this colorful potato your diet. Let's take a look at just a few of them below.
Lower blood pressure
Over time, high blood pressure (aka hypertension) can lead to serious health risks, including cardiovascular disease. While there are several ways to manage your blood pressure (including taking certain medications), your diet can play a significant role. In fact, experts say that upping your potassium intake is one great way to lower your blood pressure—and Berger tells us that purple potatoes are a great source.
"Purple potatoes are bursting with potassium; they have even more potassium than a banana," she says, noting that "Potassium is a key mineral for lowering blood pressure."
Additionally, Berger says that some studies suggest that the pigments that give potatoes their purple color (antioxidants called anthocyanins) "may help to decrease artery stiffness, which helps to lower blood pressure."
Learn more about the benefits of antioxidants here.
Lower blood sugar
In addition to their ability to lower your blood pressure levels, purple potatoes (along with these foods) may also help you manage your blood sugar. This is essential to your overall health, as consistently high blood sugar can result in issues like diabetes, insulin resistance, weight gain, and more.
According to Berger, who cites one nutrition study, those same purple pigments that can help lower your blood pressure also "promote lower blood sugar levels for diabetics due to a decrease in oxidative stress." Incredible!
How to add purple potatoes to your diet
If you love potatoes, we probably don't have to tell you twice to add more of this colorful variety to your diet. Luckily, there are so many ways to do just that. Berger offered us some of her best advice:
"Roasted purple potatoes are my favorite side to pair with fish or chicken and veggies," she says. "I thinly slice them, drizzle them with oil, and add a dash of salt, very simple and delicious!" Yum!
Additionally, she notes that "Purple potatoes are a colorful addition to a soup or stew, providing fiber to make the dish filling and satisfying."
The bottom line
Ultimately, keeping your body healthy—including when it comes to your blood pressure and blood sugar—requires a range of daily habits, from getting enough sleep to limiting your intake of processed foods. There's no single food that can work a miracle and solve all of your health issues. However, a nutritious diet is always key, and purple potatoes are one great food to add to your plate in order to reap these benefits.
