Sweet potato is a common food, also known as yam, white potato, sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, red potato, etc. It is an annual plant of the Convolvulaceae family. According to ancient literature such as "Compendium of Materia Medica" and "Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica", sweet potato has the effects of "tonifying deficiency and fatigue, replenishing qi and strength, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and nourishing kidney yin". It can also tonify the middle jiao, harmonize the blood, warm the stomach, and nourish the five organs.
The modern "Chinese Materia Medica" describes it as: "Sweet in taste, neutral in nature. It affects the Spleen and Kidney meridians. It tonifies the middle jiao and harmonizes the blood, replenishes qi and promotes body fluids, relaxes the intestines, and relieves constipation. It is indicated for edema due to spleen deficiency, sores and carbuncles, and dryness-induced constipation."
Microwave Baked Sweet Potato
First, what are the nutritional values of sweet potatoes?
The root of the sweet potato contains 60%-80% water, 10%-30% starch, about 5% sugar, and small amounts of protein, fat, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and ash. Calculated at a ratio of 2.5kg of fresh sweet potato to 0.5kg of grain, its nutritional components, except for fat, are higher in protein and carbohydrates than rice and flour. Moreover, the protein composition in sweet potatoes is relatively balanced, with a high content of essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is relatively scarce in cereal grains. In addition, sweet potatoes contain vitamins A, B, C, E, and more than 10 trace elements such as potassium, iron, copper, selenium, and calcium, as well as linoleic acid. It has high nutritional value and is called by nutritionists the most balanced health food.
Second, what are the benefits of eating sweet potatoes?
1. Nourishes the complexion, promotes bowel movements, and detoxifies
Sweet potatoes contain a relatively high amount of dietary fiber, accounting for about 8%, which can stimulate the intestines, enhance peristalsis, and promote bowel movements and detoxification. It is particularly effective for senile constipation and has the effect of lowering blood lipids.
Milky Sweet Potato Steamed Buns
2. Weight loss and fitness
Most people think that eating sweet potatoes will cause weight gain and dare not eat them. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Sweet potatoes are not a high-calorie food. Every 100 grams of fresh sweet potato contains only 0.2 grams of fat and produces 99 kilocalories of energy, which is about one-third of rice. It is a good low-fat, low-calorie food. At the same time, it can effectively prevent carbohydrates from turning into fat, which is beneficial for weight loss and fitness.
3. Maintains vascular elasticity and prevents atherosclerosis
Sweet potatoes contain a large amount of mucoprotein, which can maintain the elasticity of the human cardiovascular wall, reduce subcutaneous fat, and also prevent fatigue and improve human immunity.
4. Beneficial for the body's acid-base balance
Sweet potatoes belong to the category of alkaline foods, just like many fruits and green vegetables. Some foods are acidic, such as grains, poultry, and meat. The pH value of the human body is 7.34.
5. Prevents colds and prevents cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
Sweet potatoes also have various medicinal values. They contain a special type of vitamin C and E, which are unique to sweet potatoes and have the special property of not being destroyed at high temperatures. They have antioxidant effects, soften blood vessels, and have anti-aging effects. The vitamin C in them can significantly enhance the human body's resistance to several viruses, including colds.
Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium, with a potassium content 6 times that of ordinary flour, which can prevent hypertension and prevent cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.
Homemade Sweet Potato Chips
6. Protects vision
Because sweet potatoes are rich in carotene, they can also be used clinically to treat night blindness. Stir-frying fresh sweet potato leaves with pork liver is a very good therapeutic food.
7. Anti-cancer
It is rich in dietary fiber, which can moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements, treat constipation, and is beneficial for preventing colon cancer.
Third, what should be noted when eating sweet potatoes?
1. Be sure to cook them thoroughly, because the cell membranes in sweet potatoes are difficult to digest without being destroyed by high temperature.
2. It is not advisable to eat them in excess, because sweet potatoes contain an oxidase that can easily produce a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in the human gastrointestinal tract. If too many sweet potatoes are eaten, it will cause bloating, belching, and flatulence.
3. Sweet potatoes have a high sugar content. Eating too much can produce a large amount of stomach acid, making people feel "heartburn".
4. People with "dampness obstructing the spleen and stomach" and "qi stagnation and food accumulation" in TCM diagnosis should be cautious when eating them.
Chinese Yam and Tremella Sweet Potato Soup