The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), or also known as sweet potato, sweet potato, or sweet potato, is a tuber that comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors, including orange, white, and purple.
In addition to being delicious and popular , it is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Not to mention, they provide many health benefits and are easy to add to your diet.
In this article you will see what its properties and benefits are and the best ways to cook it.
What is sweet potato?
The sweet potato or sweet potato, native to Peru, belongs to the Convólvulos or Ipomea class. It was discovered around 750 B.C. C for Christopher Columbus.
There are at least 400 varieties of sweet potatoes, which vary in the color of their skin and flesh, from shades of cream, yellow and orange to pink and even purple.
Highlights: Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 200 grams (approximately one cup) of baked sweet potato provides numerous nutritional values, such as vitamin A, vitamin B6 and potassium, among others.
Beta-carotenes give sweet potatoes their characteristic orange color. And its properties help improve health significantly, as you will see below.
8 health benefits of sweet potato
Sweet potatoes have numerous health benefits, especially the orange and purple varieties, as they are richer in antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals.
Note: Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage DNA and trigger inflammation. Free radicals are associated with serious diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, and aging.
Therefore, having a diet rich in foods rich in antioxidants is good for health and to avoid all kinds of diseases.
1. Strengthens intestinal health and aids in digestion
Being rich in fiber, sweet potatoes add volume to the diet and help maintain regular bowel movements.
Bottom Line: People who eat a high-fiber diet have much lower rates of constipation than those who eat a low-fiber diet. In addition, a diet rich in fiber is related to having fewer hemorrhoids and diverticula in the colon.
However, too much fiber can lead to loose stools, bloating, or even diarrhea. That is why it is important to find a good balance.
2. Regulates blood sugar
Not all potatoes are created equal, some are beneficial for type 2 diabetes sufferers.
Sweet potato helps keep your blood sugar levels in check as it is high in fiber as well as contains a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals for blood sugar control such as niacin and potassium.
Important: Eating half a plate of non-starchy vegetables per meal and a quarter of a plate of starchy, high-fiber vegetables, such as sweet potatoes with the skin, is recommended to increase your daily fiber intake.
Something to keep in mind is also cooking. When boiled, sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index.
3. They fight cardiovascular diseases
Eating sweet potatoes helps promote cardiovascular health, thanks to its high levels of potassium.
Note: Potassium helps us excrete more sodium, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease according to the American Heart Association.
The Institute of Medicine suggests that adults consume 4,700 milligrams of potassium per day (1) .
4. Reduces risk of colon cancer
In one study, published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research , the role of sweet potatoes in the prevention of colon cancer was examined. The study authors conducted two experiments comparing the anti-cancer effects of three sweet potato varieties.\
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They injected a group of mice with a known carcinogen and then placed them in different groups to receive different diets.
After six weeks, they noticed changes in the colon that could lead to cancer. It turns out that the mice that ate the purple sweet potato-rich diet seemed to disrupt the normal growth cycle of cancer cells (2) .
5. Improves brain function
Consuming purple sweet potatoes can improve brain function. Studies have found that the anthocyanins present in purple sweet potatoes protect the brain from inflammation and prevent free radical damage (3) .
6. Helps strengthen the immune system
Sweet potato helps strengthen the immune system, according to studies. Sweet potato is great for the immune system because it is rich in antioxidants and vitamin A (4) .
Vitamin A helps maintain healthy skin, which promotes the fight against infections, strengthening the immune system.
7. Take care of the skin
Sweet potatoes have vitamin C and vitamin E, crucial to maintain the elasticity of the skin and make it healthier and brighter.
The high levels of beta-carotene make sweet potatoes a great ally to combat free radicals that cause skin aging.
8. Help with vision problems
As with the skin, the vitamins and antioxidants present in sweet potatoes also help improve eyesight. Our body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, the best vitamin for the eyes par excellence, since it helps prevent dry eyes and night blindness.
Furthermore, according to several studies, vitamin A can also help reduce the risk of eye infections.
Important: We have good news, if you don’t like sweet potatoes, try other foods rich in beta-carotene. How to find them? Easy: all deep orange vegetables, such as carrots and squash.
Also, bright green foods like spinach and broccoli are high in vitamin A. And lastly, beta-carotene and vitamin A are best absorbed when eaten along with a bit of healthy fat like olive oil.
Sweet potato properties
Below we will navigate a bit about the properties of sweet potato since there are many benefits of the numerous micronutrients present in sweet potato:
Nutritional values (every 200 grams):
- Calories: 180
- Carbohydrates : 41 grams
- Protein : 4 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Fiber: 6.6 grams
Micronutrients (Percent Daily Values):
- Vitamin A: 769%
- Vitamin C: 65%
- Manganese: 50%
- Vitamin B6: 29%
- Potassium: 27%
- Pantothenic acid: 18%
- Copper: 16%
- Niacin: 15%
It would be interesting to briefly explain what each of its micronutrients is for, so below we will see a brief description of each micronutrient.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin naturally found in many foods, such as sweet potatoes.
This vitamin is important, especially for vision, strengthening the immune system and reproduction.
It also helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs work properly.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has become the supplement to avoid colds, par excellence. This vitamin helps protect cells from oxidation and keeps them healthy.
Therefore, it helps to maintain healthy skin, blood vessels, bones, teeth, and cartilage. And as if that were not enough, it also promotes wound healing.
Manganese
Manganese is a trace element, meaning it is an essential element for the human body, but we only need it in small amounts.
Note: Manganese contributes to numerous bodily functions, such as regulating metabolism, cholesterol, and blood glucose. It also plays an important role in bone formation, blood clotting, and reducing inflammation.
Vitamin B6
Also known as pyridoxine, it is a water-soluble vitamin that the body needs to carry out various functions, such as metabolizing proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as for the creation of red blood cells.
Important: The human body cannot produce vitamin B6 on its own, so it must be obtained from food or supplements, such as sweet potatoes.
Potassium
Potassium is one of the most important minerals for our body. Helps regulate fluid balance, so it helps us fight inflammation.
In addition, it helps regulate muscle contractions and nervous system signals, which is why it helps prevent cramps.
Bottom Line: A diet rich in potassium can help lower blood pressure and prevent stroke, osteoporosis, and kidney stones.
Pantothenic acid
Also known as vitamin B5, it is a water-soluble vitamin essential for life. It helps in the synthesis of fatty acids, which is why it is effective in lowering cholesterol.
Copper
Copper is an essential trace element necessary for survival.
It is present in all tissues of the human body and plays a key role in the production of red blood cells, the maintenance of nerve cells and the immune system.
Also, as if that were not enough, it helps form collagen and absorb iron.
Niacin
Niacin is an essential B vitamin for the proper functioning of metabolism. Niacin contributes to a healthy heart and nervous system.
How to prepare the sweet potato
There are many ways to prepare sweet potatoes, it depends on what you are looking to cook. You can boil it to make mashed sweet potato gnocchi, you can bake it to make healthy “fries”, and you can also steam it to preserve its properties.
Highlights: If you’re in a hurry, you can quickly cook it in the microwave. Just prick it with a fork, drizzle it with a little olive or coconut oil, and microwave for 3-5 minutes (depending on power).
Compared to roasted or baked sweet potato, boiled sweet potato has been shown to have a more favorable impact on blood sugar regulation and results in a lower glycemic index value than baked sweet potato.
Note: Several studies have shown better absorption of the beta-carotene in sweet potatoes when they contain fat, so sautéing or baking them with olive oil is a good way to cook them.
Whichever way you choose to cook it, without a doubt, adding this root vegetable to your diet will be beneficial for your health and that of your family. As we have seen in this last section of the article, there are various ways to cook it and make a delicious dish.
Beyond consuming it like an ordinary potato, either in the form of mashed or baked, there are other ways to include it in your diet: You can use it as a filling for a pie, empanada or even stuffed pasta, you can make a sweet potato soup, in a stew, in the form of a sauce, and you can even use the puree to make a dough.
It is such a noble and diverse food that it can be adapted to many styles of meals!
Key takeaways
- Sweet potato is a root vegetable that comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors, including orange, white, and purple. There are at least 400 varieties of sweet potatoes, which vary in the color of their skin and flesh, from shades of cream, yellow and orange to pink and even purple.
- Sweet potato is a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. 200 grams provide numerous nutritional values, such as vitamin A, vitamin B6 and potassium, among others.
- Among the benefits of sweet potato or sweet potato we find that it reduces the risk of colon cancer, regulates blood sugar levels, cares for the skin, helps strengthen the immune system, improves brain function, strengthens intestinal health and aids in digestion, among others.
- Sweet potato is a nutritious food, rich in carbohydrates and fiber but has a low glycemic index. It also has vitamins such as vitamin A, B6 and C; and minerals such as potassium, copper, niacin and manganese. It is also rich in pantothenic acid.
- You can prepare sweet potato in different ways, you can boil it to make mashed sweet potato or gnocchi, you can bake it to make healthy “fries”, and you can also steam it to preserve its properties. Another way if you are in a hurry, you can cook it in the microwave between 3 to 5 minutes.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.