Sweet potatoes are a great whole grain, especially in the cold winter season when roasted sweet potatoes are a common street food. But because the weather is so cold, you should pay special attention to the following points when eating them.
Eating sweet potatoes in winter can cause stomach discomfort.
The stomach contracts more strongly due to stimulation from gastric acid. At this time, the cardiac sphincter muscle at the junction of the stomach and the esophagus relaxes, causing the stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus, leading to acid reflux. The high sugar content is also difficult for the body to absorb all at once; the excess ferments in the intestines, which can also cause stomach discomfort.
Therefore, if your stomach feels uncomfortable every time you eat sweet potatoes, you should stop eating them and switch to other whole grains.
Sweet potatoes + Persimmons: At least a 5-hour interval.
According to Mr. Gao, an expert from the Chinese Nutrition Association, sweet potatoes and persimmons should not be consumed in a short period. If you eat a large amount, there should be an interval of at least five hours.
When sweet potatoes and persimmons are eaten together, the sugar in the sweet potatoes ferments in the stomach, increasing gastric acid secretion. This reacts with the tannins and pectin in the persimmons, causing a precipitate to form and harden. In severe cases with large quantities, this can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding or a stomach ulcer.
Sweet potatoes are best eaten at lunch.
Sweet potatoes lack protein and fat, so they should be paired with vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich foods to avoid nutritional imbalance. Therefore, it's best to eat sweet potatoes at lunch, the golden time of day. This is because the calcium contained in sweet potatoes takes 4-5 hours to be absorbed by the body, and the afternoon sunlight can help promote this absorption.
Sweet potatoes are high in sugar, so don't eat too much at once.
Sweet potatoes contain an oxidase enzyme that can produce large amounts of carbon dioxide gas in the human gastrointestinal tract. Eating too many sweet potatoes can cause bloating, belching, and flatulence.
Sweet potatoes are high in sugar, and eating too many can produce a large amount of stomach acid, causing a "burning" sensation. Moreover, the excess sugar that the body cannot absorb immediately will ferment in the intestines, leading to stomach discomfort.