Little Potatoes are most definitely a delicious comfort food that’s sure to please, but did you know they also provide some amazing nutrients to keep your heart in tip-top shape? As they say that the way to one’s heart is through their stomach, Little Potatoes give you the most nutritious and delicious way to woo your love’s heart and keep it healthy for years to come.

1. Vitamin C

Found only in fruits and vegetables, humans neither have the ability to make Vitamin C or store extra in our body. This makes it crucial for us to get if from our diet every single day.

Although Vitamin C has a wide variety of roles when it comes to our health (wound healing, collagen production and assisting with the absorption of iron, to name a few) arguably it’s most famous role is as an antioxidant. If you aren’t sure what an antioxidant does, it helps to neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals—reactive molecules that have the ability to harm our cells, tissues, and DNA. Over time, free radical damage may accelerate aging, and lead to the development of heart disease, as well as other chronic diseases. Vitamin C has also been shown to help relax blood vessels, which helps to keep blood pressure healthy (another win for your heart!).

2. Potassium

One of our body’s main electrolytes, potassium is important to both the cellular and electrical functioning in our bodies. What exactly does that mean? Along with sodium, potassium plays an important role in regulating the water balance in our blood and tissues. It also plays a role in how our nerves fire, directly impacting muscle contraction and heartbeat. For many individuals with high blood pressure, increasing the amount of potassium in their diet (through consuming more fruits and vegetables), and decreasing the amount of sodium (by switching to a whole foods diet) is a helpful way to promote healthy blood pressure.

As a whole food veggie, Little Potatoes can offer as much as 10% of your Daily Value of potassium in just one serving.

3. Iron

Iron-deficient anemia is a type of anemia where the blood lack sufficient red blood cells (the cells that carry oxygen from our lungs to our tissues). When we don’t have enough red blood cells, our heart must pump harder and faster to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Women of reproductive age, those who follow a plant-based diet, and endurance athletes are all at risk of developing anemia. If you are in one of these groups, it is advised to consume a wide variety of iron-rich foods to help compensate for your increase demands.

Little Potatoes are a rich source of plant-based (non-heme) iron, with many varieties providing up to 6% of your Daily Value.

4. Fiber

Fiber is a carbohydrate that is found in fruits and vegetables. Unlike other types of carbohydrates that we derive energy from, fiber moves through us undigested, which has many benefits for keeping our hearts healthy.

Fiber helps to slow down our digestion, helping to keep us fuller for longer, and in turn, promotes a healthy weight (a major plus for a healthy heart!). Fiber has also been shown to help lower our cholesterol and keep blood sugar levels stable.

Adults need 21 to 38 grams of fiber per day, and upping your fiber intake is as easy as choosing to put more plants on your plate, like Little Potatoes, which contain up to 2 g of fiber per serving.

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Resources

“Anemia and Your Heart.” EverydayHealth.com. 10 Dec. 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.

Haas, Elson M., and Buck Levin. Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 2006. Print.

“Vitamin C Benefits: May Be as Helpful to Your Heart as Walking.” Mercola.com. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.

“Whole Grains.” Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.