Sweet Potato Benefits For Health
The health benefits of sweet potato include their ability to help lose weight, boost immunity, aid in digestion, treat asthma and bronchitis, and control diabetes. Sweet potatoes also help in treating arthritis and stomach ulcers.
What Are Sweet Potato?
Sweet Potatoes, also known as yams, are tuberous crops with the scientific name Ipomoea Batatas. The plant is a creeper with heart-shaped or lobed leaves. The color of the tuber varies from purple or red to pale yellow or white, depending upon the variety, soil type, climate, and available minerals.
The red variety has drier and harder flesh while the white and yellow types have juicier flesh. The red variety has a characteristic aroma which becomes more prominent on boiling. The more reddish or orange the color of the flesh of the sweet potatoes, the stronger the aroma will be. Perhaps, this is due to the presence of beta-carotene, the concentration of which also increases with the color.
Sweet Potato Health Benefits
Sweet potatoes have many health benefits. Let’s explore them in detail below.
Control Diabetes
Contrary to popular belief, sweet potatoes are beneficial for diabetics. Amazingly, they are very effective in regulating blood sugar levels by helping the proper secretion and function of insulin. Of course, that does not mean that diabetics should eat them indiscriminately. The idea is that sweet potatoes can replace rice or carbohydrate intake as a healthier option.
Treat Stomach Ulcers
Sweet potatoes have a soothing effect on the stomach and the intestines. B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, and calcium are all very effective in curing stomach ulcers. Moreover, the roughage in sweet potatoes prevents constipation and the resultant acid formation, thereby reducing the chance of ulcers. The anti-inflammatory and soothing properties of sweet potatoes also reduce the pain and inflammation of the ulcers.
Treat Bronchitis
Sweet potatoes are believed to be capable of warming up the body, possibly due to the sweetness and other nutrients that impact body temperature. This property is also beneficial for people suffering from bronchitis, along with its powerful effect on congestion. The concentration of vitamin C, iron, and other nutrients help to cure bronchitis.
Boost Immune System
Being very rich in beta-carotene, which is a major antioxidant, along with vitamin C and B complex vitamins, iron, and phosphorus, sweet potatoes are excellent immune system boosters that can defend your body from a wide variety of conditions and afflictions.
Treat Inflammation
Like the common potatoes, sweet potatoes also have anti-inflammatory properties, although they belong to different food families. This is primarily due to the presence of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and magnesium. They are equally effective in curing internal and external inflammation.
Relieve Asthma
Sweet potatoes are effective for curing congestion of the nose, bronchi, and lungs; thereby, giving relief from asthma. Its typical aroma helps in this property.
Treat Cancer
Beta-carotene, the champion antioxidant and an anticarcinogenic substance, is the pigment responsible for the color of the peel of sweet potatoes. The beta-carotene and vitamin C contained in sweet potatoes are very beneficial for curing various types of cancer, mainly those of colon, intestines, prostrate, kidneys, and other internal organs.
Reduce Arthritis Pain
Beta-carotene, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B complex make sweet potatoes highly important food source for managing arthritis. The water in which sweet potatoes are boiled can also be applied externally on joints to ease the associated pain of arthritis.
Boost Immune System
Being very rich in beta-carotene, which is a major antioxidant, along with vitamin C and B complex vitamins, iron, and phosphorus, sweet potatoes are excellent immune system boosters that can defend your body from a wide variety of conditions and afflictions.
Promote Weight Gain
Sweet potatoes contain good amounts of complex starch, along with healthy vitamins, minerals, and some proteins. Moreover, they are very easy to digest. Thus, they provide a lot of energy and are excellent bulk builders for people looking to gain weight.
People who have recently suffered from illnesses, or are self-conscious about being frail or abnormally thin should welcome this news about sweet potatoes since there are no associated side effects, which most of the synthetic bulk building dietary supplements have.
