The orange pigments in sweet potatoes contain anthocyanins,

[herbsandhelpers]

The orange pigments in sweet potatoes contain anthocyanins, which can prevent inflammation.

Nuclear factor- kappa" B (NFkB) is a protein that acts as a switch to turn inflammation on and off in your body. When NFkB detects threats like free radicals and infectious agents, it turns on the genes that produce inflammation. As you age, NFkB works overtime and chronic inflammation is the result. 

Nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is an enzyme that produces nitric oxide. Nitric oxide plays an important role in your nervous system and in decreasing blood pressure. Its overproduction, however, has been linked to neurological problems and stroke.

Cyclooxgenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that makes prostaglandins that cause inflammation, pain and fever.

The anthocyanins found in sweet potato help to reduce NFkb, iNOS and COX-2 when they become over-productive, and so reduce inflammation.

Not only can the color pigments in sweet potato reduce inflammation, but they can also reduce excess fibrinogen levels. 

Fibrinogen, with the help of other coagulating agents, is converted to fibrin, which is required to clot blood. However, fibrin excess can trigger unwanted inflammation in nerve tissue and increase the breakdown of the protective wrapping around nerve cells. 

Jin, M., et al., "Anti-inflammatory activity of 6-hydroxy- 2,7-dimethoxy-1,4-henanthraquinone from tuberous roots of yam (Dioscorea batatas) through inhibition of prostaglandin D2 and leukotriene C4 production in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells," Arch. Pharm. Res., Sept. 2011; 34(9): 1,495-501.