The Jinling Evening Post recently published a news article titled "Sweet Potato Tops the List of Best Vegetables," which quickly drew considerable attention from readers. More recently, a widely circulated Weibo post titled "Warning! Roasted Sweet Potatoes Should Not Be Eaten on an Empty Stomach" has been making the rounds. According to the post, "Sweet potatoes are high in sugar; eating them on an empty stomach can produce a large amount of stomach acid, causing a 'heartburn' sensation. Sweet potatoes also contain oxidase, which produces a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to symptoms like bloating and belching if consumed in excess. Sweet potatoes lack protein and fat and are not suitable to be eaten as a staple food alone."
This Weibo post quickly sparked numerous reposts and discussions among netizens, with some questioning, "Does eating roasted sweet potatoes on an empty stomach really cause 'heartburn'?"
Expert Advice: Eating Them Alone or Raw Is Not Good
A journalist learned from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that sweet potatoes are sweet in flavor and neutral in nature, and they target the spleen and stomach meridians. They can tonify the spleen and stomach, replenish vital energy, and benefit the intestines. For those with a weak spleen and stomach, eating sweet potatoes can strengthen the spleen and kidneys. As the weather is dry in winter, some ancient texts also record that raw sweet potatoes can promote the production of body fluids to quench thirst, which is why it is said that winter is a more suitable season to eat sweet potatoes.
So, how should roasted sweet potatoes be eaten for the greatest health benefits? On this matter, a reporter consulted Dr. Zhang from the Gastroenterology Department of the First Nanjing Hospital to understand the situation.
1. Not suitable for consumption on an empty stomach
Because sweet potatoes are high in sugar, eating them on an empty stomach can produce a large amount of stomach acid. When there is too much stomach acid, it can irritate the gastric mucosa and cause acid reflux, resulting in a burning sensation. At the same time, sweet potatoes also contain an oxidase that produces a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in the gastrointestinal tract, easily causing symptoms like bloating and belching.
2. Best to eat at noon
Therefore, in terms of the time of day, it is best to eat sweet potatoes at noon. This is because after eating sweet potatoes, it takes 4-5 hours for the body to absorb them. At the same time, the sunlight exposure in the afternoon can promote calcium absorption. Eating sweet potatoes at night means there is too much sugar for the body to absorb all at once, which can easily lead to bloating.
3. Do not eat with sweet foods
Sweet potatoes should also not be eaten with very sweet things. Because sweet potatoes are sweet themselves, eating them with other sweet foods can increase the likelihood of gastroesophageal reflux.
4. People with gastrointestinal problems should not eat too much
Those with conditions such as gastric ulcers or bloating should especially avoid eating sweet potatoes. The sugar in sweet potatoes produces a large amount of stomach acid, increasing pressure in the stomach. For people with a sensitive stomach, this can irritate ulcerated areas or the gastric mucosa, leading to discomfort.
5. Do not eat the skin of the roasted sweet potato
Hot, roasted sweet potatoes are fragrant and delicious, and some even roast until a "sugar oil" drips out. The crispy, charred skin is also very popular, and many people eat it along with the flesh.
However, experts point out that it is best not to eat the skin of the roasted sweet potato. Sweet potatoes contaminated with black spot disease are not easily identifiable after roasting. Therefore, sweet potatoes with black spots or those that are scorched should not be eaten, as they may cause poisoning.
At the same time, the reporter noted that although most roasted sweet potatoes on the streets now use ovens, many are still baked with coal. When coal burns, it produces large amounts of harmful substances such as sulfur dioxide, which is detrimental to health if consumed in excess.
Tips 1: What to do if you have bloating from eating too much?
Under normal circumstances, healthy people should not eat more than three *liang* (150 grams) of sweet potatoes a day, and diabetics should eat less according to their condition.
If eating too many sweet potatoes causes bloating, you can take some compound digestive enzyme capsules, Domperidone, or Mosapride. You can also drink malt water or "Jiao San Xian" (a traditional Chinese medicine mixture of hawthorn, malt, and medicated leaven) to strengthen the spleen, whet the appetite, and aid digestion.
Tips 2: How should sweet potatoes be eaten?
Because it is not advisable to eat too many sweet potatoes at once, the method of preparation is also very important.
First, eating raw sweet potatoes is not good because the cell membranes of the starch in raw sweet potatoes are not broken down by high heat and are difficult for the human body to digest.
Second, sweet potatoes should not be eaten alone. They can be paired with rice or flour, and the portion size should be controlled. Second, when eating sweet potatoes, pair them with some pickles or a salty soup to neutralize the sweetness. Additionally, raw sweet potatoes can be soaked in a small amount of alum solution or iodized salt water before being processed into various cooked dishes.
Tips 3: How to choose good sweet potatoes?
When buying sweet potatoes, it is important to be able to distinguish them.
Those with a blackish-brown skin or black spots are contaminated with black spot disease. The toxicity of this pathogen can make the sweet potato hard and bitter, and it is highly toxic to the human body. Moreover, this toxin is not easily destroyed by boiling or roasting, so it is best not to eat them. (Reported by Pan Sijia, Jinling Evening Post)
Review: Best Vegetables List, Sweet Potato Tops the Chart
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a list of the best foods, which was the result of nearly three years of research. One of these lists was the "Vegetable List." Sweet potatoes, rich in vitamins and a powerful cancer-fighter, ranked first among all vegetables, followed by asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, celery, eggplant, carrots, shepherd's purse, chives, enoki mushrooms, pickled mustard greens, and Chinese cabbage.
In recent years, research has found that sweet potatoes contain a variety of nutrients needed by the human body.
First, sweet potatoes contain various types of fiber and pectin that are not easily broken down by digestive enzymes, which can effectively stimulate the secretion of digestive juices and intestinal motility, ensuring smooth bowel movements.
Second, sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. They are particularly high in lysine, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C. The fat content of every 100 grams of sweet potato is only 0.2 grams, one-quarter that of rice. It is a standout among high-nutrient, low-calorie, low-fat foods.
Third, sweet potatoes are an alkaline food that contains more minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Calcium and magnesium can prevent osteoporosis, while potassium can effectively prevent high blood pressure and stroke.