Scientists at the Norwich institute were conducting a study on potatoes that was funded by the Food Standards Agency when they found that potatoes contain chemicals which can lower blood pressure.
The chemicals, called kukoamines, occurred naturally in many common types of potato.
These natural chemicals have been associated with reduced blood pressure and they selectively affect a chemotherapeutic target for trypanosomes and similar diseases such as sleeping sickness which is widespread in parts of Africa.
Food scientist Dr Fred Mellon from the Institute of Food Research (IFR) said” Potatoes have been cultivated for thousands of years, and we thought traditional crops were pretty well understood”, “But this surprise finding shows that even the most familiar of foods might conceal a hoard of health-promoting chemicals”.
