Why You Should Eat Sweet Potatoes?

If you are not a fan of sweet potatoes yet, explore the amazing benefits below; you might change your mind and eat them more often.

Sweet potatoes have become a delicacy for many, not just for their taste but also for the numerous health benefits they provide. They are a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals.

Sweet Potatoes Are Nutrient-Rich

Sweet potatoes come in many colors worldwide, including white, yellow, orange, and purple. Orange sweet potatoes have a high carotene content as well as vitamin C, which promotes bone growth and development. Yellow sweet potatoes have the highest fiber content, which can stimulate bowel movement and increase satiety. Purple sweet potatoes are rich in anthocyanins such as cyanidin and peonidin, known for their antioxidant properties and also contain many minerals and vitamins.

A bowl of diced sweet potato provides nutrients such as: 103 grams of water; 114 calories; 2.09 grams of protein; 26.9 grams of carbohydrates; 3.99 grams of fiber; 5.56 grams of sugar; 39.9 mg of calcium; 0.811 mg of iron; 448 mg of potassium; 62.5 mg of phosphorus; 73.2 mg of sodium; and 3.19 mg of vitamin C.

1. Antioxidant Properties

Sweet potatoes are packed with strong antioxidants. The anthocyanins found in purple sweet potatoes are among the best antioxidants and also possess anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent various diseases.

2. High Manganese Content

An average sweet potato contains 28% of the daily manganese requirement. This mineral is crucial for metabolizing carbohydrates and makes you feel more energized.

Manganese aids in the absorption of other essential nutrients and helps keep bones strong.

3. Rich in Beta-Carotene

Sweet potatoes are very high in beta-carotene. A medium sweet potato typically contains more than 200% of the daily beta-carotene requirement.

You may know that beta-carotene is an essential nutrient that the body converts into vitamin A, which keeps your eyes healthy and boosts the immune system naturally.

Additionally, beta-carotene is one of the components that make up “rhodopsin,” similar to the photosensitive material in photography, responsible for visual reactions.

4. Beneficial for Allergy Sufferers

Sweet potatoes contain many important nutrients, including quercetin. Quercetin is a key flavonoid in the diet for maintaining a healthy body. It keeps LDL cholesterol levels low and reduces inflammation.

Furthermore, it acts as a natural antihistamine to combat allergies, assisting those with seasonal or chronic allergies.

5. Helps Control Blood Sugar Levels

Although sweet potatoes contain carbohydrates, they are excellent for controlling blood sugar levels. This is because sweet potatoes increase the concentration of adiponectin in the blood, altering insulin metabolism to help regulate blood sugar levels.

Sweet potatoes are also very high in fiber, which slows the metabolism of glucose into the blood, preventing spikes in blood sugar levels.

6. Heart Healthy

They are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin B6, two essential nutrients beneficial for your heart.

Potassium helps prevent high blood pressure, while vitamin B6 helps break down homocysteine—a substance that causes arterial stiffness and leads to cardiovascular diseases.

7. Very High in Vitamin C

When we think of vitamin C, we often first think of citrus fruits. However, sweet potatoes also contain a significant amount of vitamin C.

A medium sweet potato contains about 40% of the body’s vitamin C requirement.

It promotes collagen production, keeping your joints and skin healthier. Additionally, sweet potatoes are helpful in dealing with daily stress.

8. Contains Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for the immune system and overall health. It plays a crucial role in energy provision, helps improve mood, and builds strong bones. It’s also beneficial for the heart, skin, and teeth.

Regularly eating sweet potatoes is also a way to supplement vitamin D.

Sweet potatoes are a great snack with numerous health benefits. Why not add them to your daily diet?

9. Boosts Brain Function

There is not enough evidence to say whether sweet potatoes improve brain function in humans. However, promising studies have been conducted on animals.

For example, a 2010 study showed that anthocyanins, the antioxidant compounds in purple sweet potatoes, could inhibit inflammation in the brains of mice, and another study in 2010 found improved memory in older mice given anthocyanins. If this is true for humans, we can infer that sweet potatoes may enhance brain function in people, but this is still uncertain.

Sweet potatoes are great for health, but a balanced and varied diet is essential for good health. Add a variety of colors to your diet to maintain health, prevent chronic diseases, and ensure you receive all necessary vitamins and minerals.

10. Improves Your “Bad” Cholesterol

Consider sweet potatoes as a “essential tool in your arsenal” against high cholesterol.

Diana Gariglio-Clelland, a nutritionist at Next Luxury, states: “Sweet potatoes are very high in fiber, which can help reduce LDL cholesterol.”

If you eat sweet potatoes regularly, you can say goodbye to cravings.

11. Keeps You Full Longer

Are you looking for ways to combat cravings between meals? If you eat sweet potatoes regularly, you might say goodbye to those cravings.

Rachel Fine, a nutritionist and owner of To The Pointe Nutrition, says: “Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of carbohydrates and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber slows digestion, promoting stable releases of both insulin and leptin, and enhances the “fullness” sensation during meals, helping you manage portions naturally,” according to Eat This, Not That!

12. Reduces Risk of Cramps During Exercise

Want to avoid cramps after a strenuous workout? Instead of eating a protein bar, try a sweet potato.

Meghan Sedivy, a registered dietitian with Fresh Thyme Market, states: “Although, in calorie content, sweet potatoes are similar to regular potatoes, they contain fiber, antioxidants, and a surprising amount of potassium found in both the flesh and skin of sweet potatoes. In fact, sweet potatoes contain twice the amount of potassium found in a banana, which can reduce the risk of cramps due to potassium deficiency.”

13. Anti-Cancer Properties

Sweet potatoes are rich in anthocyanins, an antioxidant with anti-cancer properties, particularly against colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, and stomach cancer.

Sweet potatoes can inhibit the growth of cancer cells in colorectal cancer and trigger the mechanism of apoptosis in cancer cells. The anthocyanins in sweet potatoes can combat tumors. Additionally, purple sweet potatoes have been found to possess anti-cancer activity, capable of inhibiting the growth of cancer cell lines, including breast cancer, stomach cancer, and colorectal adenocarcinoma.

14. Enhances Immune Function

Vitamin A is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. Orange sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Purple sweet potatoes are rich in polysaccharides, which can enhance immune function. Studies have shown that these polysaccharides can stimulate the immune response of macrophages and can modulate the immune response of individuals by increasing the production of immunoglobulin.

Some Effective Remedies Using Sweet Potatoes

Dr. CKII Huỳnh Tấn Vũ from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City states that sweet potatoes are used in traditional medicine for various simple remedies. For individuals suffering from heat-related fevers who cannot sweat, cooking white sweet potatoes with mustard greens and consuming it instead of rice can help induce sweating, lower fever, and relieve colds. Additionally, these individuals can use the following sweet potato remedies:

Remedy 1: A handful of dried white sweet potatoes, one piece of turmeric, and half a cup of vinegar, simmered and consumed hot.

Remedy 2: 16 grams of dried white sweet potatoes and 16 grams of ginger, simmered for drinking or cooked into porridge.

Remedy 3: Boil fresh white sweet potatoes until cooked, then inhale the steam, eat the hot potatoes, and drink the hot potato water to induce sweating.

Remedy 4: 400 grams of sweet potato, 200 grams of rice, half a bowl of green beans, four pieces of lotus root, one radish, three cloves of garlic, 150 grams of chicken, 70 grams of shrimp, and seasonings. All ingredients are crushed or finely chopped and cooked until tender, adding the green beans and lotus root later to continue cooking. This remedy helps eliminate fever and boost health.

Sweet potatoes are a delicious food and a valuable remedy. (Photo: thedailymeal)

According to Dr. Vũ, sweet potatoes have a laxative effect and are often used in remedies to alleviate constipation. To treat constipation, one can eat boiled sweet potatoes or mash boiled sweet potatoes into a smoothie. Other dishes prominently featuring sweet potatoes include sweet potato dessert and sweet potato cakes, which also help relieve constipation.

Individuals with hemorrhoids can consume the water from boiling fresh or dried sweet potatoes in the morning to improve their condition. Women suffering from mastitis can peel white sweet potatoes, mash them, and apply them to the breast, possibly combining them with crushed garlic for application.

Sweet potatoes are also very beneficial for kidney health. In remedies for kidney health, this food serves as a key medicinal ingredient.

Dr. CKII Huỳnh Tấn Vũ advises that individuals with kidney yang deficiency who frequently urinate can use a remedy of dog meat stewed with sweet potatoes, adding a bit of alcohol and seasoning. For kidney yin deficiency, with symptoms of lower back pain and knee weakness, use 30 grams of fresh sweet potato leaves and 30 grams of tortoise shell, simmered well to extract the juice for drinking.

For cases of boils, use the following remedy:

40 grams of sweet potato, 40 grams of dandelion leaves, sugar or molasses mashed and wrapped in cloth, applied to the boils. To draw out pus from an already ruptured boil, take 50 grams of young sweet potato leaves, 12 grams of green beans, add a bit of salt, mash it, wrap in cloth, and apply.

Additionally, for motion sickness, fresh sweet potatoes can be chewed and swallowed whole along with the pulp.

Experts indicate that sweet potatoes are a food that can be consumed daily due to their high nutritional value. When consuming raw sweet potatoes, it is essential to ensure all soil, dust, and dirt are thoroughly removed. Do not use sweet potatoes that are spoiled, rotten, or moldy.

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