Purple Sweet Potato Health Benefits

The purple-fleshed "Okinawan sweet potato" is known as beni-imo. It has a rich, almost winey flavor but is denser and drier than regular sweet potatoes

Protective A Factor

Measured in g

Vegetables

Nutrition

Minor decreased risk of Stroke Brain system	2 studies Total Antioxidant Capacity of Diet and Risk of Stroke: A Population... Study in 2012 -17% with High evidence in 12 years 31 subjects Flavanone Intake Is Inversely Associated with Risk of Incident Isch... Study in 2016 -11% with Moderate evidence in 6 years 6 months 20,024 subjects
Minor decreased risk of Coronary Heart Diseas... Cardiovascular system	1 study The relation between dietary flavonol intake and coronary heart dis... Study in 2002 -20% with Moderate evidence in 10 years 2,087 subjects
Minor decreased risk of Lung cancer Respiratory system	1 study β-Cryptoxanthin Reduced Lung Tumor Multiplicity and Inhibited Lung ... Study in 2016 -57% with Low evidence
Minor decreased risk of Oxidative stress Lymphatic system	1 study Purple sweet potato color attenuates oxidative stress and inflammat... -12% with Low evidence
Minor increase risk of Immune system Lymphatic system	1 study Characterization and immunostimulatory activity of an (1-->6)-a-D-g... Study in 2016 +11% with Low evidence in 7 days

Create an account to view full list of Benefits

Create an account to view full list of Risks

Longevity Food

Okinawans over the age of 65 enjoy the world’s highest life expectancy: Men are expected to live to about 84, while women are expected to live to almost age 90. They suffer only a fraction of diseases that kill Americans: a fifth the rate of cardiovascular disease, a fifth the rate of breast and prostate cancer, and less than half the rate of dementia seen among similarly aged Americans.

Before 1940, the vast majority of the calories consumed — more than 60 percent — came from one food: the imo, or Okinawan sweet potato. A purple or yellow variety related to our orange sweet potato, the imo came here from the Americas about 400 years ago and took well to Okinawan soils. This sweet potato — high in flavonoids, vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids, and slow-burning carbohydrates — is one of the healthiest foods on the planet.