The benefits of eating sweet potatoes have been known for hundreds of years. This vegetable is a tuber, like the potato, of American origin. It is obtained from a climbing plant that grows in temperate and warm climates. Therefore, the right time to collect and taste is usually between autumn and winter, although there are varieties that allow a larger harvest.
Also known as sweet potato, this vegetable is very versatile and delicious and can not only be added to savory or sweet dishes, but also contains a large amount of nutrients.
Discover everything you need to know about this incredible tuber
Sweet potatoes are vegetables grown all over the world. As with potatoes, the edible part of the plant lies underground in the form of a tuber, an adapted reserve organ rich in healthy carbohydrates. It can be orange, white or purple and its size depends on the variety and growing conditions.
It is a vegetable rich in various phytonutrients and trace elements. One of the most unique properties of the sweet potato, in addition to its high nutritional value, is its great versatility when it comes to combining it with a healthy diet.
Eating sweet potatoes provides you with lots of protein, very little fat, plant-based fiber, large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, pantothenic acid, potassium, niacin, vitamin B6 and copper. Orange and purple varieties are rich in antioxidants, which protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals.
In 100 grams of sweet potato we find:
- Calories: 115 kcal
- Protein: 1.6g
- Fat: 0.6g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 3.1g
They are so important that they are among the eight superfoods chosen to be grown on Mars. Therefore, consuming sweet potatoes can be a good option for your diet.
You can eat them in sweet dishes like sweet potato candies or in savory chips, as a baked side dish, roasted, pureed, in puddings and in a thousand other ways.
Benefits of Eating Sweet Potatoes
Improves intestinal health
There are two types of plant fiber in sweet potatoes: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber, also called viscous fiber, is good for absorbing water and softening stool.
Since the body cannot digest insoluble fiber, it enters the digestive tract intact and participates in the production of short-chain fatty acids that promote the health of the cells in the intestinal lining.
Improves eyesight
Beta-carotene not only gives vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots) their orange color, but is also an antioxidant that is converted into vitamin A in the body and strengthens light-sensitive receptors in the eyes. Its deficiency leads to a type of blindness called dry eye.
Improves brain function
Some antioxidants found in this root, such as the anthocyanins that give it its purple hue, may protect the brain by fighting free radicals and reducing inflammation. Eating sweet potatoes has been linked to improved learning and memory, as well as a lower risk of mental decline and dementia.
Provides energy
Sweet potatoes are nutritious foods that contain large amounts of starch, an essential carbohydrate that provides energy to the body as it is sugar that provides energy to muscles.
Whether you exercise to lose weight or simply live a healthy lifestyle, eating sweet potatoes is ideal for your diet.
Improves bones
Due to its manganese content: A 100 g portion covers a quarter of the necessary daily dose. This mineral is involved in the formation of bones and cartilage as well as blood clotting. In addition, manganese is part of an enzyme that protects against free radicals.
Anti-inflammatory effect
Purple sweet potatoes, rich in anthocyanins with strong antioxidant effects, also reduce inflammation for certain diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or asthma.
Chinese medicine
According to traditional Chinese medicine, eating sweet potatoes boosts mood chi and that xue, has a positive effect on the spleen and lungs and strengthens the kidneys; It also warms and strengthens the body.
Some contraindications
Since this vegetable contains oxalates, people with kidney disease, who are prone to stone formation, for example, or who are deficient in certain minerals should moderate their consumption.
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