Purple sweet potato, Local Food Rich in Antioxidants

Foods with high antioxidant content is often referred to as functional foods or superfoods. From Indonesia, purple yam included in the meal cost and superior in antioxidant content.

Antioxidants contained in purple yam is anthocyanin. According Prof.Ali Khomsan, Professor of Nutrition Society of Bogor Agricultural University, anthocyanins have benefits as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and is able to relax blood vessels.

Another advantage is that it contains complex carbohydrates that do not quickly make blood sugar, high-fiber, non-gluten, and contains a high beta-carotene.

"The content of anthocyanin in purple yam about 110 mg, while the white yam 0:06 mg and 4.56 mg of yellow sweet potatoes. Meanwhile betacarotene purple yam reached 9.900 mkg, 260 mkg white yam and yellow yam 2900," Ali said in a media gathering Jakarta (09/05/2016).

Antioxidants are substances antidote to free radicals trigger premature aging, inflammation in the body, and cancer.

With all the advantages of the purple sweet potato, according to Ali, foodstuffs can be classified into functional food.

"Functional Food means reliable as a custodian of the health and fitness of the body. In fact, it can cure or eliminate the negative effects of certain diseases," he said.

Tubers actually have long been cultivated and consumed by the people of Indonesia. However, the longer the amount of consumption continues to decline displaced by increased consumption of rice.

"Food-based tubers could be an option in diservifikasi food, superior nutritional content likely to be developed as a staple food to reduce consumption of rice," said Ali.

A simple form of diversification can be done through a rainbow diet or diet that includes a variety of colorful natural foods. In addition, the eating patterns could also be introduced since childhood.

Purple yam can be eaten with boiled, steamed, baked, or dried to make flour.