One of the greatest natural gifts is sweet potatoes. They are packed full of essential nutrients and can be prepared in a variety of ways. They are mildly savory-sweet and creamy, so they can be used with many different ingredients. Add a little butter to the potatoes and sprinkle with some roasted pecans. You can also bake sweet potatoes in garlic fries or add them to hearty stews and spiced pies.
Continue reading to learn why sweet potatoes can be so healthy for you.
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What are sweet potatoes?
Although sweet potatoes may be placed in the same metaphorical pot as root veggies like carrots or beets they are actually a root tube. Cassava and sweet potato root tubers are bulbs-like parts of the root that store extra nutrients for winter. They are essentially nutritional silos and sweet potatoes have a high level of vitamins, minerals, as well as other beneficial compounds. They are also very different from yams. Although they might be labeled the same (i.e. incorrectly) at the grocery store, true yams look blackish brown on the outside and white on the inside. They are also less sweet than sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes have bright orange flesh. However, they also come in many colors, including pink, purple, yellow, and white. Each variety of sweet potato has its own unique nutritional profile, however, all can benefit your health. We’ll dive deeper into the reasons.
What makes sweet potatoes good for you?
Sweet potatoes have many health benefits. They are a good choice for supporting overall health. We believe so.
1. Sweet potatoes contain important vitamins
Although sweet potatoes are most famous for their high vitamin A content, they also contain vitamin C and vitamin D. One medium-sized sweet potato can provide more than 100% of your daily vitamin A and vitamin C needs, as well as 19% of your daily vitamin B6 requirements. This is a huge nutritional value for the buck.
2. Sweet Potatoes Provide Essential Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are equally important. A medium-sized sweet potato contains 25% of the daily manganese and copper values, as well as 12% and 20%, respectively, of potassium. Manganese is vital for bone health and production of sex hormones. Copper helps with many functions, such as red blood cell formation. Potassium is crucial for maintaining healthy nerve function, fluid balance and contracting muscles.
3. Sweet potatoes have complex carbs
Even though ultra-low carb diets are popular, the body still needs adequate carbohydrates for survival. Carbohydrates are our primary source of energy. While all carbohydrates are eventually broken down to glucose, there is a difference in how they affect blood sugar. The complexcarbohydrates found in sweet potatoes are slower to digest, leading to a lower spike in blood sugar levels and longer-lasting energy. This is in contrast to simple carbohydrates, such as sugary beverages, candy and pastries that are quickly digested and give a short but sustained energy boost.
4. Sweet potatoes are good for your gut health
A good source of fiber is also sweet potatoes. This has been shown to have a number of health benefits including promoting heart health and reducing the chance of developing diabetes or other types of cancer. Even with all these amazing benefits, 9/10 of Americans aren’t getting enough. This is quite shocking.
We will be focusing on the benefits of sweet potatoes’ fiber for gut health. A sweet potato provides 4g of fiber (or 14% of your daily fiber needs based on the daily value), and it also contains both kindsof fiber: insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. The insoluble fiber helps maintain bowel regularity, which can help you avoid constipation. While the soluble fiber fuels your gut microbiome (also known as your gut’s good bacteria), A healthy microbiome has been linked to lower diabetes risk, reduced inflammation and other health benefits. It’s not too late to improve it. Recent research found that just two weeks of eating a high-fiber diet were enough to make significant changes.
5. Sweet potatoes could help protect your vision
The best source of whole foods beta-carotene is orange sweet potatoes. The plant pigment beta-carotene is what our bodies turn into vitamin A. It helps to prevent dry eyes as well as keeping you seeing clearly in the dark. It protects the eye cells against free radical damage, inflammation and other carotenoids. Because beta-carotene can be absorbed with fats like avocado, butter and olive oil (fat-soluble), it is best to consume sweet potatoes with them.
6. Sweet Potatoes May Improve Brain Function
Sweet potatoes contain a variety of antioxidants, which are believed to prevent the age-related decline in brain function as well as neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that orange sweet potato carotenoids slow down cognitive decline, so they keep your brain sharper and longer. Purple sweet potato anthocyanins have also been proven to enhance memory and learning.
7. Sweet Potatoes could help your body fight off harmful radicals
Sweet potato antioxidants help fight off free radicals. These are unstable molecules that our bodies create in response to environmental factors like smoking, exercise and UV rays. They can cause damage to our DNA and membranes. Free radicals will always be present so it is important that you get antioxidants in your diet. Antioxidants, which by their nature counteract and neutralize free radicals, can help prevent them from doing any damage. An overdose can be dangerous so make sure to get antioxidants from different sources than a supplement.
8. Sweet potatoes can promote healthy skin and hair
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Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is vital for the body to produce collagen. This protein can be found in skin, hair, muscles, tendons and ligaments. It keeps them healthy and looking great. Although collagen production naturally declines with age, it is vital to get enough vitamin C. Sweet potatoes provide vitamin A, which can be beneficial for hair and skin, as well as keeping them from drying out.
9. Sweet Potatoes Can Support Your Immune System
Vitamin C can also be important for keeping your immune system in top shape. It stimulates white blood cell production (our bodies’ infection fighters). A sweet potato can provide 25% of the daily recommended vitamin C intake. Although it won’t prevent you from getting sick, studies suggest that it can reduce the time it takes to get one. And when we feel unwell, we will take all the help we can. Vitamin C cannot be stored in our bodies so it must come from supplements or diet.
10. Sweet potatoes could help you maintain a healthy weight
Although it’s possible that you have been advised to avoid starchy vegetables, sweet potatoes and other starchy veggies like squash and peas can still be part of your healthy, balanced diet to help you lose or maintain weight. Because sweet potatoes contain complex carbs and fiber, they are very filling and provide a long-lasting feeling of satisfaction and energy. Sweet potatoes are also very nutrient dense, meaning that they have a high nutrient density. This means that there is little calories for sweet potatoes of medium size. This is in contrast to other foods, such as a slice of cake that has little nutrients but much more calories.
Sweet Potato Recipes
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Sweet potatoes are versatile. You can bake, microwave, roast, bake, cook, stir fry, broil, simmer, saute, steam, puree, grill, or grill them. There’s lots of sweet potato recipes. Certain cooking techniques are more effective at retaining nutrients. Boiling sweet potatoes preserves beta-carotene better and is easier to absorb. Cooking them with their skin on protects both vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Now that you are an expert on sweet potatoes, grab some and start cooking!
Faqs
– May Lead to Stones. Sweet potatoes have a high oxalate content.
– Vitamin A Toxicity. They are a rich source of vitamin A.
– Kidney Failure. If you are struggling with liver or kidney issues then you should probably avoid eating them.
– Heart Problems.
– Stomach Problems.
– Blood Sugar Issues.
Vitamins and Minerals Just one sweet potato gives you 400% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body’s defense against germs. It’s also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.13-Jun-2021
Sweet potatoes, often inaccurately called yams, are considered a superfood, thanks to their many health benefits, says nutritionist Katherine Tallmadge. They’re loaded with beta carotene, which functions as a potent antioxidant and a rich source of vitamin A.15-Feb-2012
Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.
Just one sweet potato gives you 400% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body’s defense against germs. It’s also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.13-Jun-2021
– B vitamins.
– Vitamin C.
– Calcium.
– Iron.
– Magnesium.
– Phosphorus.
– Potassium.
– Thiamin.
Conclusion
Sweet potatoes are healthy because they are packed with nutrients and can be prepared in many ways, plus they come in a variety of colors. They can provide important vitamins, minerals, and complex carbohydrates.
