Purple Yam: 6 Major Benefits, Uses and Nutrition

Ashu’s Curiosity

Ashu and his family were invited to a wedding reception where Ashu saw a tuber vegetable that had purple flesh. It also had a sweet and nutty flavour.

When he returned to his home, he asked his mother about it but even she had no information about any such root vegetable.

He then asked one of his friends and he told him that this particular root vegetable is called “Purple Yam”. He also told him that recipes prepared with purple yam carry essential nutrients and have multiple health benefits.

Now, Ashu wants to get more information about Purple Yam, its benefits, uses and nutritional value. Know Ur Diet is a place where he can get all the required resources. Let us see what he finds:

What is Purple Yam (Ube)?

Purple Yam is a root vegetable that is also known as Dioscorea alata or Ube in the Philippines and most of the Southeast Asian countries. It is also a variety of other Yams available in the market.  

In the last decade, Purple Yam has gained popularity worldwide as a nutritious root vegetable that can provide multiple health benefits and usability.

Purple yam is native to Indonesia but is now cultivated throughout the Southeast and South Asian countries. Many Asian regional cuisines use Purple Yam in preparing various recipes. Due to multiple purple yam benefits, you can consume this food in both raw and cooked form.

Read more about Fruits & Vegetables

Purple Yam Nutrition Value

Before discussing health benefits, let us see how many calories and other nutrients you can have after consuming 100 grams of Purple Yam:

Source: US Department of Agriculture

Health Benefits of Purple Yam or Ube

Here are 6 major Purple Yam benefits that you can enjoy after adding this root vegetable to your meal:

Improves Brain Functioning

Maintaining brain health is essential to reduce the risk of brain-related diseases like Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s disease. Vitamin B6 in purple yam can play a crucial role in improving the proper functioning of brain cells.

Anthocyanins in the purple yam can help to reduce the inflammation in the brain which is called encephalitis. Inflammation of the brain can cause brain damage, stroke and even death.

Aids Gut Health

To maintain a healthy lifestyle, a person needs to maintain gut health. Having purple yam on your plate can help in this regard because it is rich in fiber and resistant starch.

Fiber is a natural carb that can help you in smooth digestion and proper absorption of nutrients in the gut. Also, resistant starch in purple yam boosts the growth of gut bacteria for better digestion of the food.

Helps to Regulate Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a major cause of many other chronic diseases like heart attack and stroke. To tackle high blood pressure, purple yam can be helpful because of the presence of antioxidants.

Studies have found that purple yam can have effects similar to other blood pressure-lowering medications. Secondly, antioxidants in it can reduce the pressure of blood on the blood-carrying vessels.

Boosts Immunity

During the winter season, you need to boost your immune system to protect from infections and illnesses. The presence of Vitamin C in purple yam can protect the human body against oxidative cell damage.

Also, as we have discussed above Anthocyanin, an antioxidant available in purple yam in good quantities can protect blood cells from free radicals. These free radicals can create oxidative stress and increase the risk of infections.

Good for Skin Health

Again, Vitamin C in the purple yam makes it a great option for maintaining skin health. Vitamin C is associated with the production of Collagen. Collagen is a compound that is essential to keep the skin smooth, firm and youthful.

Also, antioxidants in purple yam can be helpful to minimise the oxidative stress on the skin cells caused by exposure to pollution and UV rays.

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels

High blood sugar level is a major culprit behind Type-2 Diabetes. Purple yam contains a lot of Fiber that can slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood. This is helpful to prevent the sudden spikes in the sugar levels.

Also, recent research has proved that antioxidants in purple yam are helpful in reducing insulin resistance, a condition where your body doesn’t respond properly to the insulin hormone. At the same time, purple yam is low in Glycemic Index (GI) which makes it good for those having type-2 diabetes.

Purple Yam (Ube) vs Sweet Potato

You might have heard people using the terms “sweet potato” and “yam” interchangeably. Even purple yam is considered purple sweet potato.  But both of them can be distinguished based on their nutritional content.

Not only that sweet potato and Yam come from two different plant families as well. Sweet potato belongs to the Morning Glory family while purple yam belongs to the Dioscoreaceae family of flowering plants.

When we talk about comparing nutritional value then purple yam contains more calories than sweet potatoes i.e. (120 kcal vs 86 kcal).   

On the other comparisons, purple yam has more carbs than sweet potato (27 g vs 20 g) but has lower protein (1 g vs 1.57 g) & Iron (0.36 mg vs 0.61 mg). For other micronutrients, both of them carry Vitamins A & C.

Comparing both of them based on taste, sweet potato has a sweeter and starchy taste, similar to his name. On the other hand, Purple has a slightly sweet taste and a nutty flavour.  

Read more: Sweet Potato for Weight Loss

Purple Yam Recipes

As we know, purple yam is a local food and a common ingredient in many Asian cuisines. In this region it is also called Ube, so purple yam recipes are also called Ube recipes. Here are 4 such recipes that you can prepare from purple yam:

1. Purple Yam Chips

Enjoy the benefits of purple yam with crispy and delicious chips that you can have in your snack time.  To make these chips healthier, prepare them in grilled method rather than fried.

You can serve this recipe with tomato ketchup and plain yogurt as well. These chips can also be considered a great food during fasting.

2. Purple Yam Ice Cream

Purple yam or Ube ice cream is not so easily available in the market but you can prepare this mouth-watery ice cream at home also.

Start by pouring cold cream in a large bowl and then churn it with an electric mixer. Now you need to add some condensed milk to the paste to smoothen it. At last add some Ube powder to it.

Now pour the paste into the container and put it in the refrigerator for 5 hours.

3. Purple Yam Halaya

Also called Ube Halaya, it is a Filipino dessert that you can use as a jam with other dishes. You can prepare it with easily available ingredients like purple yam, sugar, cream, cheese, coconut milk and butter.

To prepare this recipe, take a pan and mix mashed purple yam, coconut milk, butter and sugar in it. Whisk the mixture properly. Boil until the sugar is dissolved and butter is melted and the purple yam is mixed with the whole paste.

Add some cheese and continue stirring until all melted. Continue until the paste thickens and then leave it to cool down.

4. Purple Yam Mamon

Also known as Ube Mamon, these buttery mini cakes are flavoured with purple yam. To make this recipe you need cake flour, baking powder, sugar, egg yolk, vegetable oil, milk, Ube extract and egg whites.

You can serve this particular recipe for the guests who will be delighted with this special dessert. One of the other reasons to add this sweet dish to your diet is that you can have the benefits of purple yam in it.

Health Risks of Purple Yam

Eating purple yam can get you a lot of health advantages but there are certain health issues of over consuming it. Here are some health risks of purple yam:

1. Allergic Reaction

It is rare but possible that you can have allergic symptoms like itching, swelling and even breathing problems after eating purple yam. Purple yam is a root vegetable so you can have similar allergic reactions to other root vegetables.

2. High in Carbs

If you are a regular gym-goer and have a diet to lower your carb intake then you should have limited consumption of purple yam. Carbs present in it are complex in nature which means they can last longer in digestion.  People with type-2 diabetes should also be cautious while consuming purple yam on a daily basis.  

3. Interference with Medications

There are instances when people have observed certain side effects after consuming purple yam. This is because some antioxidants and compounds present in it can cause interference with medications. The risk is high with people on medications related to high blood pressure and heart conditions. It is advisable to ask your doctor prior to having purple yam in your meal.

Conclusion

In the end, it is clear to Ashu that eating purple yam can provide him with multiple health benefits. Know Your Diet gave him enough understanding about what are the nutritional contents of Purple Yam, how it is different from sweet potato, and what various recipes he can prepare by using purple yam.

But he must remember that there are also certain risks of over-consuming purple yam. People with a history of allergies to root vegetables and taking medications related to heart conditions should be cautious while consuming purple yam.