Did you know that sweet potato is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants?
They also contain fibre, potassium, vitamins A, B6, C, and E, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and folate.
Sweet potatoes are a healthy food that has tons of potential health benefits.
Here are seven potential health benefits of sweet potatoes:
1. Improve Digestion
Digestive problems such as constipation, diarrhoea, gas, bloating, and indigestion often occurs due to poor digestion.
A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that eating sweet potatoes can improve digestive issues. Researchers discovered that sweet potatoes contain compounds called glycosides that stimulate the production of bifidobacteria bacteria in the gut. These beneficial bacteria promote good digestion and prevent harmful bacteria from growing.
2. Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Blood cholesterol levels tend to rise after 40 years old due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. Eating sweet potatoes can significantly decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.
In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that adults who ate sweet potatoes had lower cholesterol levels than those who didn’t.
3. Prevent Diabetes
Diabetes is an illness that occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin. Insulin helps cells absorb glucose, which provides fuel for the body. If the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin, sugar builds up in the bloodstream causing diabetes symptoms such as fatigue, frequent urination, blurred vision, and increased thirst.
Eating sweet potatoes may help prevent diabetes. A study published by the University of California Davis shows that people who consumed sweet potatoes every day were 50 per cent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who did not.
According to the American Diabetes Association, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of dietary fibre, potassium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. These nutrients help control blood sugar levels and promote the body's antidiabetic activity.
Sweet potatoes are considered a low glycemic index food. That means they won’t cause rapid spikes in blood sugar after eating.
4. Help With Weight Loss
Studies show that sweet potatoes can help people lose body weight. One study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that participants who ate sweet potatoes lost more weight than those who didn't eat sweet potatoes. Another study published in the journal Nutrients found that people who ate sweet potatoes experienced more significant reductions in waist circumference than those who didn‘t. Eating sweet potatoes can help you achieve better results when losing body fat.
5. They Help With Eye Health
Sweet potatoes contain nutrients, including vitamin A, beta-carotene, and carotenoids. These antioxidants help protect eyesight by reducing inflammation and preventing macular degeneration. They support healthy vision and help prevent macular degeneration, cataracts, and age-related blindness.
Vitamin A (beta carotene), helps protect the retina and macula, the centre of the eye where vision is sharpest.
Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body, which is essential for the average growth and development of the eye. The beta-carotene in sweet potato is easily absorbed by the body, unlike some other vegetables that require digestion before absorption.
Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, which protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals cause cell damage and contribute to ageing. Antioxidants neutralize these harmful molecules before they can harm our bodies.
6. They May Help Lower Systemic Inflammation
Beta-carotene is one of the most potent antioxidants available. Antioxidants help protect our bodies from damage caused by free radicals. Cellular damage and disease can be caused by free radicals, which are molecules that lack stability.Beta-carotene helps reduce systemic inflammation, which may help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
Antioxidant activity is another benefit of sweet potatoes. Anthocyanins are pigments found in plants that give fruits and vegetables their colour. They're also known for their ability to fight off harmful free radicals. Sweet potato contains anthocyanins, which may help prevent cancer.
7. Sweet Potatoes May Help You Lead a Longer Life
Sweet potatoes may help extend lifespan. Beta-carotene, found in sweet potatoes, has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
Beta-carotene is one of several antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which cause cell damage and contribute to ageing. Free radicals are produced naturally during normal metabolism. Environmental toxins and stress also create them.
Studies show that eating foods rich in antioxidants reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Sweet potatoes contain twice as many antioxidants as regular potatoes. They also contain vitamin C, potassium, fibre, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, thiamine, zinc, and vitamins B6 and E.
Conclusion
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, potassium, fibre, iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc and folate.
They contain antioxidants such as beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect cells from damage by free radicals.
Sweet potatoes are also high in dietary fibre, which helps lower cholesterol levels and reduces risk factors for heart disease.
In addition, sweet potatoes are low in calories and fat and provide a significant amount of protein.
Sweet potatoes are very versatile. They can be used in many different cooking methods, including baking, boiling, roasting, grilling, and sautéing.
So next time you think about eating a potato, consider adding sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. It might just change your life.
Be Blessed by the Divine!
Dr Achyuthan Eswar
Next Steps
Are you looking to eat healthy and make it last a lifetime? We may be able to help.
- Book an online consultation with Dr. Achyuthan Eswar to learn how you can upgrade to a healthy and balanced diet that lasts a lifetime
- Sign up for our Plant Based Diet Masterclass on NutritionScience.in to better understand the numerous benefits of adopting a whole food plant based diet.
- Access our free course to help kickstart your plant based food journey.
- Subscribe to our 100% whole food plant based balanced meal plan, delicious & doctor designed to help you get all your macro and micro nutrients, from the comfort of your home - Bengaluru only
- Our Healthy Executive Thali Subscription is packed with variety and affordable too - Bengaluru only
- Stock up on delicious sweets and snacks that are sugar/jaggery-free, oil-free, maida-free and plant-based - Available Pan-India
External References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523787/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3551189/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20629859/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34008607/
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-7/