Lovers of purple rejoice!! The Organic Stokes purple sweet potatoes are back for their annual fall visit!! Stokes Purple sweet potatoes got their start by being grown on family farms amidst one of North Carolinas most unique and natural landscapes in and around Stokes County. The Stokes Purple is a sweet potato unusually rich in natural purple color and nutrients, both of which are retained after cooking. The chemical responsible for the purple color, anthocyanin, can reduce cardiovascular disease and improve vision. The purple variety has more antioxidants, with 8.5 times more Vitamin E than in an orange sweet potato, and more Vitamin C. And those antioxidants get stronger when the sweet potato is cooked. Since the Stokes Purple is locally grown in the USA, it is NOT irradiated before it reaches the consumer. Other varieties of purple sweet potatoes that are imported from overseas must be irradiated when they enter the USA. Also, Stokes Purples have not been genetically modified in any way and are classified as Non-GMO sweet potatoes. Purple sweet potatoes contain antioxidants that help to prevent diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. They boost immunity, are anti-inflammatory, and keep bones and skin healthy. The most powerful antioxidants are phytochemicals. Purple sweet potatoes obtain their rich purple color from the phytochemical, anthocyanin. Anthocyanin content is retained after cooking or freezing Stokes Purples. (Steed, 2008) Anthocyanin content in the Stokes Purple is 4 times greater than in Okinawan sweet potatoes.(Truong, 2009) Moderate consumption of anthocyanin products has been shown in epidemiological studies to reduce cardiovascular disease and improve visual functions. (Hou,2003) Purple sweet potatoes are high in anthocyanins and show strong radical scavenging activity thus reducing your risk of developing chronic diseases. (Kano, 2005) Anthocyanins in purple sweet potatoes exhibited memory enhancing effects, which may be associated with its antioxidant properties. (Cho, 2003) Stokes Purples were found to have nutraceutical components in competitive levels with other food commodities known to be good sources of antioxidants. (Steed, 2008) Purple sweet potatoes are also diabetic friendly. The Glycemic index is lower in sweet potatoes than in white potatoes. The carbohydrate in foods with a low Glycemic index breaks down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream. The best source of phytochemicals is in whole foods and NOT in expensive dietary supplements. (Liu, 2004)
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 14:10:46 +0000