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23FALL2014andcolouredvegetablessuchaspotatoesisassociatedwithhealthbenetsbecauseofantioxidantpropertiesproducedbyanthocyaninsagroupofavonoidsresponsibleforcreatingthepurplepigment.Caobelievesconsumerswouldbebetterservedtogettheirnutritionfromthesourceratherthantakingcommercialsupplementstoreplacenutrientswethinkwelack.AspartofhisresearchCaoisexaminingthephytochemicalsthatarefoundmostlyontheskinpeelandseedcoatsofvegetablesfruitsandgrainsrespectively.Thesecompoundsareproducedbytheplantstoprotectthemselvesheexplains.Buttherearesubgroupsandeachoneworksondifferentaspectsofhumanhealth.ForexamplepolyphenolsarenotonlythemselvesantioxidantsbutalsohelptoregeneratevitaminsCandE.Ifthesevitaminsdontregeneratetheymustbereplacedoften.Caosresearchmightexplainhowpigmentedpotatoescanbeincorporatedintoourdietforincreasedhealthbenetssuchasanimprovedantioxidantandanti-inammatorydefencesysteminhumans.AccordingtoCaoallthebioactivephytochemicalsneedtobestableinorderforthebodytoabsorbthembutthatcanbeanissueduringstorageprocessingordigestion.Hesaysresearchshowsthatthebodyisbetterequippedtoabsorbthesecompoundsbyacquiringthemthroughfoodratherthanpills.RecentresearchshowsthatcertainphytochemicalsinpotatoesparticularlypurplecolouredonescansignicantlyinhibitkeyenzymesregulatingbloodglucoseCaoexplains.Wehavealsofoundthatcolouredpotatoeswillreducebloodglucoselevelinanimalsandhumans.Peoplearestartingtoaskforpurplepotatoesbutsofartheindustryhasnotbeenabletosupplyenoughloosestocktosatisfyconsumerdemand.EducatingConsumersAnewresearchprojectstartedin2014bytheUniversityofGuelphsPinherowillenhancetheworkofCaoandhisteam.Pinherosworkisdesignedtohelpeducateconsumersaboutwhypotatoesareahealthychoice.Shesaysmostconsumersdontunderstandthatpotatoesoffergoodnutritionalvaluefortheircost.Thatsthereasonherresearchfocusesonspreadingthemessage.Potatoesareacarbohydrate-richfoodwhichhasmadethemundesirablePinherosays.Butwhenconsumedinmoderationpotatoesdonotcontributetoweightgain.Whiletheglycemicindexofsomepotatoesreportedaremediumtohighthatneedstobebalancedagainsttheamountperserving.Potatoesare80percentwaterandonly20percentcarbohydratessheexplains.TheyarealsohighinvitaminsBandCandpotassiumandareasourceoffolateandiron.AndasCaosresearchhasshowncolouredpotatoesarealsohighinantioxidants.Whilepotatogrowersarefamiliarwiththenutritionalvalueoftheircrophowtosharethisinformationandprovideconcreteproofcanbechallenging.OurresearchwillconsidermaturitygrowingconditionsandvarietyversusmoisturecontentproteinthestructureandconditionofstarchphytochemicalsglycemicindexandglycemicloadPinherosays.Sheexplainsthatitsimportanttocompareglycemicindexwithglycemicloadbecausetheglycemicindexshowsthepotentialoffoodstoraisebloodglucoselevelswhiletheglycemicloadistheamountactuallyconsumedperserving.InitiallyPinherowillanalyse11to15earlycolouredpotatovarietiessuchasPurpleFiestaDakotaPearlChaleurandAdora.Shewillexaminethevariouscomponentsthatcouldmodifypotatostarchdigestibilityandtheeffectonglycemicindexandglycemicloadaswellasothernutritionalqualities.Thisresearchisdesignedtoprovidethepotatoindustrywithnutritionalinformationondifferentvarietiesidentifyvarietieswithhighantioxidantbenetslowglycemicindicesandglycemicloadsandimprovethesustainabilityoftheindustry.OurgoalistoofferinformationtoeducateconsumersaboutthebenetsofpotatoesPinherosays.BothPinheroandCaoarecommittedtogivingthepotatoindustryconcreteinformationthatcanbesharedwithconsumersinanefforttorestorepotatoestotheirprimaryperchasaNorthAmericanfoodstaple.CaoadmitsthatCanadiansocietaltasteshavechangedandstarchisnowbeingingestedfrommanysourcessuchaspastaorrice.Whereonceeverymealmighthavecontainedaservingofpotatoesconsumersarenolongereatingpotatoeswiththatkindofregularity.Pinherobelievesthatpoundforpoundconsumerscangetahigheramountofantioxidantsfromcolouredpotatoesthantheequivalentamountofblueberries.Sheaddsthatcentforcentpotatoesareamuchmorevaluableandeconomicwaytogetantioxidantsthanblueberries.Inadditionpotatoesareavailableformuchoftheyearversusblueberriesorotherantioxidant-richfoodsthatareonlyavailableforashorttime.WhilemanyofCaosresearchresultsareavailabletothepublicPinheroisintheinitialstagesofherresearchwithrecommendationsexpectedintwotothreeyears.Inthemeantimegrowerscandotheirbittospreadthemessageaboutthenutritionalbenetsofpotatoesbysharingsomehealthfactsthatarealreadyavailable.Growerscanalsoincludenewcultivarsintheircroppingplanstoincreasetheavailabilityofantioxidant-richcolouredvarietiesforconsumers.