How to Eat Sweet Potatoes for More Nutrition? A Complete Nutritional Breakdown.

According to the list of 20 anti-cancer vegetables released by the Japanese National Cancer Center, sweet potato ranks first; in China's classical traditional Chinese medicine literature, sweet potato has the effects of "tonifying deficiency and debilitation, replenishing qi and strength, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and reinforcing kidney yin".

Food experts introduce that the greatest benefit of sweet potato is its ability to regulate the intestines. It contains soluble fiber and a large amount of flora, which has the effect of promoting bowel movements and detoxifying. Because of its low fat and calorie content, it has a certain effect on weight loss and fitness, and is especially beneficial for women.

Because sweet potatoes contain an oxidase enzyme, this enzyme can easily produce a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in the human gastrointestinal tract. If too many sweet potatoes are eaten, it can cause bloating, belching, and flatulence. Sweet potatoes have a high sugar content, and eating too much can produce a large amount of stomach acid, making people feel "heartburn".

And the stomach, stimulated by the acid, strengthens its contractions. At this time, the cardiac muscle at the junction of the stomach and esophagus relaxes, and the acid in the stomach flows back into the esophagus, causing the person to regurgitate sour fluid. When there is too much sugar, the body cannot absorb it all at once, and the remainder ferments in the intestines, which can also cause stomach discomfort.

Therefore, the currently popular sweet potato health method is not suitable for everyone. If you experience diarrhea after eating, don't force it. Eating brown rice can have the same effect.

Seaweed and Sweet Potato Rolls

So, how should sweet potatoes be eaten for better nutrition?

First, avoid eating them raw. In many places in the south, it is trendy to eat sweet potatoes raw. Sweet potatoes have a high starch content, which is difficult to digest when raw, so it is best to eat them cooked. High-temperature heating also makes the soluble fiber easier to digest, shortens its sugar chains, and increases the sweetness of the sweet potato.

Second, avoid eating them alone. When eating sweet potatoes, you should combine them with other grain foods. If eaten alone, the low protein content can lead to unbalanced nutrition intake. Therefore, the traditional method of cutting sweet potatoes into pieces and cooking them into a porridge with rice is actually more scientific. So, precisely because sweet potatoes are low in calories and very filling, they are a good weight-loss food, whether used as a staple or a side dish.

Sweet potatoes should not be eaten with persimmons

According to Mr. Gao, an expert from the Chinese Nutrition Association, sweet potatoes and persimmons should not be consumed at the same time within a short period. If large quantities are eaten, they should be at least five hours apart. If consumed at the same time, the sugar in the sweet potatoes ferments in the stomach, increasing gastric acid secretion, which reacts with the tannins and pectin in the persimmons to form a precipitate and coagulate, creating hard lumps. In large amounts, this can cause gastrointestinal bleeding or a stomach ulcer.

If you feel discomfort in your stomach, be sure to go to the hospital for a gastroscopy to check for gastric bleeding or a stomach ulcer.

Nut-filled Double Potato

When should sweet potatoes be eaten?

Sweet potatoes lack protein and fat, so they should be eaten with vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich foods to avoid nutritional imbalance. Most importantly, sweet potatoes are best eaten during the golden hour of lunch.

This is because the calcium contained in sweet potatoes needs 4 to 5 hours to be absorbed by the body after eating, and the afternoon sunlight can just promote the absorption of calcium. 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.

Nutrition and Medicinal Value of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in sugar, protein, fiber, and various vitamins, especially β-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C. In particular, sweet potatoes are rich in lysine, which is exactly what rice and flour lack. When sweet potatoes are eaten with rice and flour, a more comprehensive protein supplement can be obtained. In terms of overall nutrition, sweet potatoes can be considered a standout among grains and vegetables.

Sweet Potato and Potato Pancakes

1. Sweet potatoes have the effect of harmonizing the blood and tonifying the middle:

It can prevent malnutrition, tonify the middle and replenish qi, and is beneficial for conditions such as deficiency of the middle jiao spleen and stomach, and infantile malnutrition;

2. Sweet potatoes can relax the bowels and promote bowel movements:

After being steamed or boiled, some of the starch in sweet potatoes changes, increasing the dietary fiber by about 40% compared to raw consumption, which can effectively stimulate intestinal peristalsis and promote bowel movements. It can be used to treat habitual constipation;

3. Sweet potatoes can enhance immune function:

Sweet potatoes contain a large amount of mucoprotein, which can prevent the atrophy of connective tissue in the liver and kidneys, improve the body's immunity, and prevent collagen diseases. The calcium and magnesium contained in sweet potatoes can prevent osteoporosis;

Chinese Yam, Tremella, and Sweet Potato Soup

4. Sweet potatoes can prevent cancer:

Sweet potatoes contain an anti-cancer substance that can prevent colon and breast cancer. In addition, sweet potatoes also have the effect of eliminating active oxygen, which is one of the causes of cancer, so the effect of sweet potatoes in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells is very significant;

5. Sweet potatoes can anti-aging and prevent arteriosclerosis:

The chlorogenic acid in sweet potatoes can inhibit the production of melanin, preventing the appearance of freckles and age spots. Sweet potatoes can also inhibit skin aging, maintain skin elasticity, and slow down the body's aging process.

In addition, food experts say that sweet potato leaves contain a unique mucoprotein, rich in various vitamins, which can enhance the vitality of human cells and improve immunity.

Sweet Potato and Tremella Soup