Introduction: In autumn and winter, the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes becomes a unique street scene. Sweet potatoes are known for their stomach-warming properties, so when the cold air hits, eating one will instantly make you feel warm and comforted. In fact, the benefits of sweet potatoes go far beyond that.
For more sweet potato recipes, we recommend clicking on our special feature: Healthy Autumn Vegetables: Sweet Potato Transformation
Sweet potatoes are recognized as the "champion vegetable"
Sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamin B6, and are very low in calories. Sweet potatoes belong to the same category as purple sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes can be divided into varieties with red, yellow, white, and purple flesh. Besides slight differences in color and texture, their nutritional value is not significantly different.
The greatest feature of sweet potatoes is their rich and excellent dietary fiber, which promotes gastrointestinal motility, facilitates smooth bowel movements, and helps expel old fecal matter. Western medicine believes that smooth bowel movements are beneficial for digestion, absorption, and enhancing immunity.
Generally, red and yellow sweet potatoes are sweeter and thus more popular; white sweet potatoes have a relatively higher starch content and a slightly drier texture, making them a favorite in colder regions; purple sweet potatoes have only become popular in recent years. Due to their higher content of the antioxidant anthocyanin and their unique taste, they are deeply loved by women and children.
Unlike other vegetables, sweet potatoes also contain a significant amount of starch and a certain amount of high-quality protein that can be absorbed and utilized by the body, and can even serve to fill you up. For this reason, many women choose it as a food of choice for weight loss.
7 major health benefits of sweet potatoes:
1. Aids in weight loss.
Modern people consume a lot of oil, meat, eggs, and dairy, with little exercise, which can easily lead to obesity and "wealth-related diseases." The characteristics of sweet potatoes—low fat, low calorie production, and strong satiety—perfectly meet the basic requirements of dieters.
Every 100 grams of fresh sweet potato contains only 0.2 grams of fat and produces 99 kilocalories of energy, about one-third of that of rice. Therefore, it is a great low-fat, low-calorie food. If used as a staple food, it can effectively reduce the intake of other foods, thereby achieving a weight loss effect.
In addition, sweet potatoes can effectively prevent carbohydrates from turning into fat, which is beneficial for fitness.
2. Prevents high cholesterol.
The cholesterol-lowering effect of sweet potatoes is 10 times that of other foods. So, if you have high cholesterol, you can appropriately eat a couple more sweet potatoes.
3. Helps control blood sugar.
Studies have found that after taking white sweet potato extract, type 2 diabetic patients showed improved insulin sensitivity, which helps control blood sugar.
4. Reduces the risk of stroke.
Sweet potatoes are the absolute king of "high-potassium, low-sodium." Studies have found that potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes can reduce the risk of stroke by 20%.
5. Helps lower blood pressure.
The blood pressure-lowering effect of sweet potatoes is mainly attributed to its rich potassium content. Because potassium and sodium are important elements that affect blood pressure, if the body consumes enough potassium, it will promote the excretion of excess sodium; eating potassium-rich foods will also promote a balance of mineral levels in the body, and ultimately play a certain auxiliary role in lowering blood pressure.
6. Nourishes joints.
Sweet potatoes are rich in mucoprotein, which is beneficial for joint health.
7. Prevents cancer.
Sweet potato extract can effectively inhibit colon and breast cancer; the anti-cancer rate of cooked sweet potatoes is higher than that of raw sweet potatoes.
6 healthy reminders for eating sweet potatoes:
1. Do not eat them raw.
The starch in raw sweet potatoes is difficult to digest, so they must be steamed or roasted through. It is recommended to use steaming or boiling methods and avoid frying.
2. Do not eat in excess.
Although sweet potatoes can be used as a staple food, if they are used as a staple food for a long time, it may lead to malnutrition, especially for special groups such as those recovering from a serious illness or pregnant women. Those diagnosed with "dampness obstructing the spleen and stomach" or "qi stagnation and food accumulation" in traditional Chinese medicine should also be cautious. Diabetic patients should consume them under medical advice.
3. Do not eat on an empty stomach.
Eating sweet potatoes on an empty stomach can easily cause acid reflux and heartburn. Also, sweet potatoes should be eaten hot for the stomach to feel comfortable.
4. Pair with pickles to reduce acid reflux.
Sweet potatoes have a high sugar content; eating too much can produce a large amount of stomach acid, causing acid reflux or "heartburn." At this time, eating some pickles can alleviate the symptoms.
5. Eat sweet potato congee to avoid bloating.
Sweet potatoes can easily produce a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in the gastrointestinal tract. If you eat too much, it can cause bloating and burping; the high sugar content in sweet potatoes can also ferment in the intestines, leading to discomfort such as bloating.
When eating sweet potatoes, it's best not to drink water while eating, or to cook a small amount of sweet potato with rice to make congee, which can reduce gastrointestinal discomfort. Children are more prone to these problems than adults. It is recommended that infants and young children only eat sweet potato congee; older children can substitute some of their staple food with sweet potatoes for one meal, but not more than one-third of the total staple food.
6. The elderly should eat fresh ones.
Sweet potatoes stored for a long time will lose moisture and have a relatively higher sugar content, so the elderly should try to eat fresh sweet potatoes.