Nutritional Facts and Health benefits of sweet potatoes


Sweet potato (Ipomea batata) is a dicotyledonous plant that belong to the morning glory family, convolvulaceae. It large, starchy, sweet tasting, tuberous roots and a root vegetable. The young leave and shoot are sometimes eaten as green or vegetable.


Sweet potatoes are soft and creamy enough to be put in pies and called potato chips or desert, they are surprisingly nutritious vegetable. They are high in vitamin A, B5, B6, Thiamine, Niacin and Riboflavin. The varieties of sweet potatoes include, yellow, white, pink and purple while the orange and yellow varieties contain the most vitamin A, The purple type is an excellent anti-oxidant.

Some varieties have orange or purple flesh, they are high in carotene. They are fat free and relatively low in sodium and have fewer calories than white flesh potatoes, although they contain more sugar compared to white flesh potato. Sweet potatoes are one of the best source of vitamin A, a large one contains more than 100% of daily recommended intake, according to the food and drug administration. Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant power house and is linked to anti-aging benefit, cancer prevention and the maintenance of good eyesight, vitamin A also help with other bodily functions, including cellular communication growth and differentiation according to the National institute of health.

Sweet potatoes are great source of vitamin B6, which help in breaking down homocysteine (substances that contribute to hardening of blood vessels and arteries) and also an essential co-enzyme for cognitive development. Sweet potatoes potassium content also helpful for heart as it lowers blood pressure by maintaining fluid balance, sweet potato potassium is an important electrolyte that helps regulate heartbeat, they have a low glycemic index (they release sugar slowly into the blood stream). 

Sweet potatoes contain magnesium which promote relaxation, calmness and a good mood as well as artery, blood, bone, muscle and nerve health. Orange flesh sweet potatoes help mitigate inflammatory disorders. Sweet potatoes are good source of dietary fiber, which helps the body maintain a healthy digestive tract and regulate digestion and also help to reduce bad cholesterol and risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Eating sweet potatoes lead to many potential health benefit.

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