--- title: Why Purple Yams Are the Trendiest New Dessert Ingredient description: Ube is in the same family as root veggies like sweet potatoes and yuca, and has long been a staple in the Philippines. canonical: https://time.com/4653630/ube-health-benefits/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-30T19:18:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T03:01:49.470Z article:section: Health og:title: Why Purple Yams Are the Trendiest New Dessert Ingredient og:description: There are some benefits, but don't splurge just yet og:url: https://time.com/4653630/ube-health-benefits/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbc5ea034628e7c8a/6988b7d3f887dc3053e98df9/gettyimages-677188319.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2448 og:image:height: 1377 og:image:alt: Ube : The Purple Yam og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Purple Yams Are the Trendiest New Dessert Ingredient twitter:description: There are some benefits, but don't splurge just yet twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbc5ea034628e7c8a/6988b7d3f887dc3053e98df9/gettyimages-677188319.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Purple Yams Are the Trendiest New Dessert Ingredient > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=09693145-dc7e-40ca-a376-b934a66ac1d5&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Contributor Jan 30, 2017 7:18 PM UTC  Filipino ube ice cream is made with purple yam. Filipino ube ice cream is made with purple yam. Peter Tsai Photography—Getty Images by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Contributor Jan 30, 2017 7:18 PM UTC Have you noticed the gorgeous, violet-hued desserts popping up on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/ube/) and [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=%23ube&rs=typed&term%5Fmeta%5B%5D=%23ube%7Ctyped) lately? The star ingredient is ube (pronounced OO-BAE), a purple yam that can be mashed or pureed and incorporated into sweet treats. There’s ube ice cream, pudding, frosting, doughnuts, even pop tarts. But can it really make your favorite dessert healthier? Ube is in the same family as root veggies like [sweet potatoes](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20600272,00.html) and yuca, and has long been a staple in the Philippines. With a nutrient profile similar to orange-colored yams, one cup of ube contains almost 40 grams of carbohydrates (5 of which are dietary fiber), some protein (roughly 2 grams per cup), and no fat. Like the more common yams, ube is packed with immune-supporting [vitamins A](http://www.health.com/beauty/best-retinol-cream) and [C](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20745689,00.html), as well as [potassium](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20721159,00.html), a mineral that acts as a natural de-bloater, and helps regulate heart function and [blood pressure](http://www.health.com/hypertension) while fighting muscle cramps. But ube’s purple pigment provides beneficial antioxidants. A study published in the journal _Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry_ found that [purple yams](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09168451.2015.1027652) from the Philippines contain several antioxidants, including [anthocyanins](http://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2008/when-it-comes-to-red-cabbage-more-is-better/), which have been linked to [anti-inflammatory effects](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20705881,00.html), brain health and protection against [heart disease ](http://www.health.com/heart-disease)and [cancer](http://www.health.com/breast-cancer). **_Health.com_**_:_ [_28 Healthy Chocolate Recipes_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20618002,00.html/?xid=time) Anthocyanins may also have some fat-fighting potential. In a recent Japanese study, published in _Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,_ researchers fed groups of mice a [fatty diet](http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jf073113b) with and without anthocyanins. The mice given anthocyanins didn’t gain body weight or body fat, and didn’t experience a rise in blood sugar, insulin, and blood fats. Researchers concluded that anthocyanins may act as a “functional food component” that offers protection against [obesity](http://www.health.com/obesity) and [diabetes](http://www.health.com/type-2-diabetes)—at least in mice. This doesn’t exactly mean you should feast on unlimited ube treats, of course. While ube desserts can be made with nutritious, plant-based add-ins, like coconut or almond milk, other recipes use ingredients like sweetened condensed milk. And a purple yam wrapped around a pastry crust made from refined carbs and sugar definitely doesn’t qualify as health food. Plus, any time you eat more carbs than your body can use for fuel, the surplus can prevent [weight loss](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20967696,00.html) or lead to weight gain, even when the carbs are bundled with fiber and antioxidants. Bottom line: Ube can add nutrients to any dish, including sweets. But still limit ube desserts to occasional indulgences, and create balance with smart [strategies](http://www.health.com/nutrition/healthy-eating-resolutions). For example, if you’re going to order ube ice cream for dessert, choose a lower carb entrée, like a protein-topped salad, rather than a sandwich or wrap. And try incorporating purple yams into savory meals in place of other “good carbs” like [quinoa](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20844296,00.html), sweet potato, and brown rice. Ube is delicious oven-baked, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with rosemary, or sautéed in EVOO and garlic—no added sugar needed. **_Cynthia Sass is_** **Health** **_’s contributing nutrition editor, a New York Times best-selling author, and consultant for the New York Yankees. See her_** [**_full bio here._**](http://news.health.com/author/cynthia-sass/) _This_ [_article_](http://www.health.com/nutrition/ube-healthy-dessert/?xid=time) _originally appeared on_ [_Health.com_](http://www.health.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4653630/ube-health-benefits/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4653630/ube-health-benefits/"},"headline":"Why Purple Yams Are the Trendiest New Dessert Ingredient","datePublished":"2017-01-30T19:18:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T03:01:49.470Z","description":"It has some benefits, but don't splurge just yet","url":"https://time.com/4653630/ube-health-benefits/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","Food & Drink","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbc5ea034628e7c8a/6988b7d3f887dc3053e98df9/gettyimages-677188319.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cynthia Sass / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbc5ea034628e7c8a/6988b7d3f887dc3053e98df9/gettyimages-677188319.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ube : The Purple Yam","caption":"Ube : The Purple Yam","creditText":"Peter Tsai Photography—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4653630/ube-health-benefits/","name":"Why Purple Yams Are the Trendiest New Dessert Ingredient"}}]}] ```