As is well known, sweet potatoes are very nutritious. However, what's more valuable is that in the recent "ranking" of 20 anti-cancer vegetables released by the Japanese National Cancer Research Center, sweet potatoes also took the top spot.
Substances in sweet potatoes effectively prevent cancer
As is well known, sweet potatoes are very nutritious. However, what's more valuable is that in the recent "ranking" of 20 anti-cancer vegetables released by the Japanese National Cancer Research Center, sweet potatoes also took the top spot.
Cancer cells originate from human epithelial cells. Sweet potatoes are rich in starch, carotene, and more than 10 trace elements such as potassium and iron. They can protect the structural integrity of human epithelial cells, inhibit viral activity, block the production of nitrosamines in the gastrointestinal tract, eliminate toxic effects caused by mercury, cadmium, arsenic, etc., in food or the environment, and interrupt the carcinogenic process of toxic metals. Sweet potatoes are called by experts the most balanced health food in terms of nutrition.
The unique dehydroepiandrosterone in sweet potatoes—a steroid hormone similar to androgen, secreted by the adrenal gland—can both prevent cancer and prolong life.
Don't eat roasted sweet potatoes with their skins in winter
The hot roasted sweet potatoes of the season are sweet and delicious, and some are roasted until "sugar oil" drips out. The scorched skin of the sweet potato is especially popular, and many people eat it along with the skin.
Experts say it's best not to eat roasted sweet potatoes with their skin, because the skin contains more alkaloids, and eating too much can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Especially the skin of sweet potatoes with black spots should not be eaten, as it can cause poisoning.
Pay attention to the time and method of eating sweet potatoes
1. Sweet potatoes should not be eaten raw
Because the cell membranes of starch in raw sweet potatoes are not destroyed by high temperature, it is difficult to digest in the human body; at the same time, when cooking sweet potatoes, the steaming time should also be appropriately extended to destroy the "gasification enzyme" contained in the sweet potatoes, so that after eating, you will not experience discomfort such as bloating, heartburn, belching, nausea, and flatulence.
2. It's good to eat sweet potatoes with other foods
If sweet potatoes are eaten with rice and flour, they can also play a complementary role in protein; if eaten with some pickles or fresh radishes at the same time, it can reduce the production of stomach acid.
3. It's best to eat sweet potatoes at noon
This is because the calcium contained in sweet potatoes needs to be absorbed by the human body for 4 to 5 hours after eating, and the sunlight in the afternoon 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.