Sweet potatoes include one of those foods which are easily available, delicious and inexpensive with lots of benefits for human health. They are packed with numerous nutrition along with 400% of daily vitamin A requirement, lots of potassium and fibre.
Sweet potatoes and yams are often used interchangeably. But they are not even related botanically as they are two different foods. Yams are dry and starchy as compared to sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are found in two kinds one is firm while other is soft. African slaves started to call sweet potatoes as yams, when Americans started to cultivate them and that was because of the resemblance between two foods. But now a days, it is hard to find true yam because they are being cultivated in rare parts of the world. It is only available in international super markets.
I am writing this article to let people know about the super amazing health benefits of one of the most under-rated food. It doesn’t only aids in preventing quite of the ailments but it also treats several diseases. These benefits will make you add sweet potatoes in your diet, but that too in moderation.
Have a look at the nutritional breakdown of sweet potatoes:
One medium sweet potato provides 162 calories in total with no fat, 3.6g of plant based proteins, 37g of carbs that too include 12g of sugar and 6g fibre. Sweet potato contains lots of vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, magnesium and potassium. It fulfills the 100% daily requirement of vitamin A, 37% of vitamin C, 16% of vitamin B-6. Also 10% of pantothenic acid, 28% of magnesium and 15% of potassium. Despite having all these benefits sweet potatoes are also rich in calcium, vitamin E, phosphorus, magnesium, riboflavin, thiamine, and zinc etc.
12 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
1.High in Antioxidants:
Sweet potatoes contains a very powerful antioxidants known as beta-carotene. It gives the vibrant color to orange fruits and vegetables and when this enters in the body, it changes to vitamin A. Foods, which are rich in beta-carotenes are known for reducing risks of several types of cancer, protects from breathing problems and asthma, cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks. Also delays the aging effects. Not just the inside pulp but the skin of the sweet potatoes also contains significant amount of fibre and potassium.
2.They are high in vitamin B6:
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin B-6 and it helps in reducing harsh chemical reactions in our body such as homocysteine. This is associated with heart attacks and some other degenerative diseases.
