in

Sweet Potato: Benefits And Harms

The overseas guest is called a sweet potato. Sweet potato is a root vegetable that came to us from Colombia. It prefers tropical heat.

The oblong, powerful tubers (reaching a weight of 3 to 5 kilograms) with yellowish to deep orange flesh taste like frozen potatoes.

Gourmets compare the taste to baked pumpkin and roasted chestnuts. Yellow pulp contains less moisture than orange root vegetables.

Nutritional value of sweet potatoes

The value of a sweet potato is explained by its composition: 100 grams of the product contains no fat, 13 g of carbohydrates, and 2 g of protein in the form of essential amino acids.

Sweet potato roots are rich in the following vitamins and minerals:

  • Vitamin C. The amount of antioxidants in sweet potatoes (5 percent of the vitamin composition) is close to citrus fruits (orange, lemon). Ascorbic acid (2.4 g per 100 g of product) strengthens the immune system and improves the physical fitness of athletes.
  • Vitamin A (retinol), the amount is twice as high as the vitamin content in carrots – 710 mcg. It preserves immunity and affects the prostate gland and the organs of vision.
  • B vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, folacin, niacin, pyridoxine) activate the cellular metabolism of brain tissue, improve central nervous system functioning, and normalize hormonal levels.
  • Potassium – 340 mg. In “ordinary” potatoes, the content reaches 450-500 mg. It is important for the regulation of water and salt metabolism. Calcium is essential for bone building.
  • Contains 30 mg per 100 g of product. The daily calcium requirement for athletes is 1200 mg.
  • Magnesium – 25 mg. The daily requirement is 500 mg. Together with calcium, it strengthens the walls of blood vessels and participates in metabolism. Potatoes contain 20 mg of magnesium.
  • Sodium – 55 mg, twice as much as in ordinary potatoes. It is involved in intercellular metabolism. The daily requirement is 4 g.

Sweet potatoes contain less iron, copper, and zinc than potatoes. It also contains 0.6 mcg of selenium. As you can see, the composition of the exotic root vegetable and the usual potato is comparable. The energy value of potatoes is higher than that of sweet potatoes: 80 kcal versus 60 kcal. A significant difference is the “complex” carbohydrates in sweet potatoes and the low starch content. For this reason, endocrinologists recommend sweet potatoes for diabetics. Carbohydrates in the form of dextrin and albumin are absorbed gradually, without raising blood sugar levels.

Useful properties of sweet potatoes

  • Cleansing the blood from cholesterol. Eating vegetables that contain a high level of the fiber reduces cholesterol levels. Sweet potatoes contain a large amount of vitamin B6, which can reduce the level of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine contributes to the development of degenerative diseases of the cardiovascular system. Sweet potato regulates the water balance in the body, lowers blood pressure, improves blood flow, and makes the walls of the arteries more elastic.
  • For beautiful and young skin. Wrinkles appear due to the fact that free radicals begin to be produced. And beta-carotene, which is present in sweet potatoes, fights these radicals, thus rejuvenating the skin. Therefore, women who really want to keep their skin young and beautiful are recommended to eat sweet potatoes regularly.
  • A substitute for antidepressants. Due to frequent stress, the amount of potassium in the body decreases. Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium and a natural antidepressant. When a person feels irritable, restless, anxious, or tired, mashed sweet potatoes will help him or her relax and recover. In this way, you can reduce muscle spasms caused by potassium deficiency.
  • Benefit for bodybuilders. Very often, people who aim to build muscle mass include sweet potatoes in their daily diet. The product contains complex carbohydrates that can nourish muscles. To maximize your performance, you should eat some sweet potatoes about an hour and a half before your workout. There is evidence that sweet potatoes can reduce muscle cramps and pain in bodybuilders.
  • For diabetics. Sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index, which means that after eating them, blood sugar levels do not rise, so this root vegetable is safe for diabetics.
    Sweet potato contains natural female hormones, such as progesterone, which makes it a particularly valuable product for menopausal women.

How to choose and store sweet potato fruit

To choose a good sweet potato, you need to remember a few simple guidelines:

  • You should only take hard fruits that have smooth surfaces without any damage, cracks, or dents. Also, the fruit should not be rotten.
  • It is best to buy a large sweet potato, as it is much healthier and tastier.
  • If you are going to bake sweet potatoes, a white tuber is best for this purpose. Darker-colored tubers are best for frying and boiling.

After harvesting, the sweet potatoes should be put away for about six days in a room where the temperature will be about thirty-two degrees. Then the fruits must be placed in plastic or wooden containers and stored in a warm place at a temperature not exceeding sixteen degrees. If the temperature drops to ten degrees, the sweet root vegetable will deteriorate and begin to rot. At temperatures above twenty degrees, the fruits will begin to germinate (suitable for propagation of the root crop by cuttings).

Harm and contraindications of sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes should not be eaten in case of various peptic ulcer diseases, because they tend to irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive system. You should refrain from eating this product during pregnancy and lactation. In some cases, individual intolerance to sweet potatoes is also possible.

Avatar photo

Written by Bella Adams

I'm a professionally-trained, executive chef with over ten years in Restaurant Culinary and hospitality management. Experienced in specialized diets, including Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw foods, whole food, plant-based, allergy-friendly, farm-to-table, and more. Outside of the kitchen, I write about lifestyle factors that impact well-being.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Why You Shouldn’t Drink Coffee in the Morning Immediately After Waking Up – The Answer of Scientists

How to Rejuvenate Your Immune System: Easy Ways