Overview

Root vegetables or sweet potatoes are grown worldwide that are sweet and starchy. In reality, they’re not potatoes at all. They’re sweet roots that belong to the morning glory family.

Even though it had already been grown in America by Native Americans by the time Columbus arrived in America in 1492, it originated in Peru 750 BC. It is a root vegetable with hundreds of different varieties. It can have white or cream-colored flesh, yellow flesh, red flesh, or purple flesh.

The skin is a pink color, and the pulp is bright orange. These are creamy and soft enough that they can be used as an ingredient in a variety of pie recipes. However, most people simply think of it as dessert. The vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, and fiber content of sweet potatoes are high.

Furthermore, they are delicious, easy to eat and have health benefits. Due to its natural orange color, it is also packed with vitamins B5, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and carotenoids. It contains many nutrients as well as medicinal benefits. Research has shown that it has anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties.

Nutritional Value

The following nutrition information is provided (200 grams):

• Calorie count: 180
• Carbohydrates count: 41.4 grams
• Protein count: 4 grams
• Fat count: 0.3 grams
• Fiber count: 6.6 grams
• Vitamin A count: 769% of the DV
• Vitamin C count: 65% of the DV
• Manganese count: 50% of the DV
• Vitamin B6 count: 29% of the DV
• Potassium count: 27% of the DV
• Pantothenic acid count: 18% of the DV
• Copper count: 16% of the DV
• Niacin count: 15% of the DV

Furthermore, it contains antioxidants that protect your body against free radical damage, especially the orange and purple varieties. 

 8 health benefits

1. It has cancer-fighting properties.

Carotenoids may help prevent cancer. Another natural compound in purple, anthocyanin, may decrease your risk of contracting specific types of cancer, including breast cancer, gastric cancer, and colon cancer, by inducing the death of your cancer cells.

2. Lowers your risk of developing diabetes

Blood sugar can be controlled by compounds. These are low on the glycemic index, which means they won’t raise your blood sugar as quickly as high-glycemic-index foods. To maintain a stable blood sugar level, this steady release of sugar is key.

3. It may prevent heart disease.

Studies indicate that sweet potatoes may lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol, which may reduce your risk of heart problems. Several cardiovascular diseases can be caused by oxidation in the body, which leads to problems like atherosclerosis. Scientists found that leaf extracts could reduce the chances of heart disease in humans by suppressing the oxidation process.

4. Beneficial to the eyes

It contains high levels of vitamins A, C, and E, all of which contribute to good vision. Insufficient amounts of vitamin A cause night blindness, total blindness, and retinal malformations. Cataracts are most commonly associated with vitamin C deficiency.

5. Weight Loss May Be Beneficial

Your body may experience less inflammation, and fat cells may not grow as much as before, so you could lose weight with purple sweet potatoes. In addition to reducing weight, the fiber in sweet potatoes also helps maintain satiety. To keep your weight in check, the more full you feel throughout the day, the less you’ll snack.

6. A memory-boosting food

Researchers have demonstrated that purple sweet potatoes contain anthocyanin, which enhances memory function. In general, anthocyanins are thought to have memory-enhancing properties because of their antioxidant properties.

7. Digestion

Sweet potato fibers found in sweet potatoes improve the health of the gut and digestion, making them a good source of health benefits. Fiber is one of the main components in many laxatives currently on the market, which means that sweet potatoes could help you consume more fiber to promote proper digestion. Additionally, sweet potatoes contain sufficient fiber to prevent constipation in both children and adults.

 Eating sweet potatoes

Ulcers can be painful when inflamed mucous membranes or skin are shed. According to research in animals, the methanol extract from the roots of sweet potatoes can protect against ulcer-induced gastrointestinal damage. According to these studies, it has been proven to be effective in treating and managing peptic ulcers.

Risks and Warnings

Despite their sweetness, sweet potatoes contain high levels of carbohydrates. Several methods of cooking, including roasting, baking, and frying, raise their glycemic indexes, causing blood sugar levels to spike. Get advice from your doctor or a dietitian about how to safely include this vegetable in your diet if you have type 2 diabetes. Sweet potatoes can cause severe allergies in some people.

How to Prepare It

When you shop for sweet potatoes, choose firm ones with an even color, not mushy ones. Make sure they are cut with a stainless-steel knife. Using a carbon knife will cause the flesh to darken.

There are healthier ways to prepare sweet potatoes than sprinkling them with brown sugar and marshmallows at Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes can be roasted, boiled, steamed, or microwaved. Sweet potatoes are also delicious in fries but don’t eat too many of them. Despite offering more nutrients than white potato fries, they are high in fat.

Outlook

There are many different colors of potatoes, which are nutrient-dense root vegetables. These foods are rich in fiber and antioxidants, which promote a healthy gut and brain and protect the body from free radical damage.

As well as being rich in beta-carotene, they’re rich in vitamin A, which helps keep your vision and immune system strong. The versatility of it makes them an excellent carbohydrate choice for most people. In addition to being sweet, they can also be used for savory dishes.