Sweet potatoes can be said to be the most popular health food in recent years. They are rich in protein, starch, pectin, amino acids, dietary fiber, carotene, vitamins A, B, C, E, and more than 10 trace elements such as calcium, potassium, and iron. They are the champion of the "Top 10 Best Vegetables" selected by the World Health Organization (WHO), and nutritionists also praise sweet potatoes as the "most nutritionally balanced food". In addition to effects like weight loss and cancer prevention, sweet potatoes can also effectively prevent the loss of bone calcium, making them a very nutritious food.
In addition to containing a certain amount of calcium, sweet potatoes also contain a large amount of potassium and magnesium, which can maintain the body's ion balance and slow down calcium loss caused by aging. In addition, the calories in sweet potatoes are only 1/3 of rice of the same weight, and they contain almost no fat or cholesterol, making them a good low-fat, low-calorie food; at the same time, they can effectively prevent carbohydrates from turning into fat, which is beneficial for weight control in the elderly. Furthermore, sweet potatoes contain a large amount of dietary fiber, which can effectively stimulate intestinal peristalsis and the secretion of digestive juices, reducing the incidence of intestinal diseases. [China Food]
Sweet potatoes lack protein and lipids, so they should be eaten with vegetables and fruits to avoid nutritional imbalance. Most importantly, it is best to eat sweet potatoes during the golden time of lunch. This is because the calcium contained in sweet potatoes needs 4-5 hours to be absorbed by the human body after consumption, and the sunlight exposure in the afternoon can promote calcium absorption. In this case, eating sweet potatoes at lunch allows the calcium to be fully absorbed before dinner, without affecting the absorption of calcium from other foods at dinner.
However, the popular sweet potato health method is not suitable for everyone. If you experience diarrhea after eating, don't force yourself. Eating brown rice can also have the same effect.