Eating Small Portions Of Purple Potatoes Reduces Blood Pressure In Overweight People

U.S. researchers who investigated the effects of eating microwaved purples potatoes on blood pressure found that overweight people experienced an average drop of 4.3 percent in diastolic blood pressure and a 3.5 percent drop in systolic blood pressure over eight weeks. Eighteen volunteers ate 6-8 small microwaved purple potatoes (Purple Majesty) twice a day. Blood pressure dropped without weight gain, the researchers noted. The researchers said that the decrease seems small, but is enough to potentially reduce the risk of heart disease. The scientists acknowledged that they did not know what substances in the potatoes caused the drop in blood pressure, nor did they know whether white potatoes would have the same effect.