Sweet Potato Health Benefits: 10 Reasons To Eat Sweet Potatoes

I grew up in British Columbia with kale and turnip loving parents who never fed us processed sugar.

We would have sweet potatoes every once in a while on a special occasion. The small cabin we were living in would fill with warmth and the smell of sweet potatoes when they were baking in the oven. This was especially enjoyable during the Canadian winter.

Clearly, I’m extremely fond of sweet potatoes. When I decided to write an article about my happy memories, I had to check all the evidence at the keyboard.

Are sweet potatoes good for you? Are there any sweet potato health benefits? Where do they come from?

What are some other ways to prepare them besides holiday casseroles and pies? What is the most confusing thing for almost everyone? The difference between sweet potatoes and yams.

Meet the Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are large, starchy, sweet-tasting vegetables. They actually belong to the morning glory family.

Sweet potatoes are not closely related to the potatoes used to make French fries or potato chips. Non-sweet potatoes, such as red, white, and Yukon gold varieties, are part of the nightshade family and are edible. The other members of the family are tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplants, peppers, pimentos, and Goji berries.

Sweet potatoes are root tubers. There are other types of root tubers besides beets, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, and turnips. Root tubers store water and other carbohydrates underground. They tap into these resources to nourish the plant’s aboveground parts.

The Origin of the Sweet Potato

There is evidence that they were being consumed as early as 10,000 BC. The sweet potato is one of the oldest foods known to humanity, with evidence that they were being consumed as early as 10,000 BC.

They are native to Central and South America. Fossil evidence suggests that sweet potatoes were growing in the Americas 35 million years ago. Very recently, scientists discovered 57-million-year-old leaf fossils in India. These fossils appear to be ancient morning glory leaves. This discovery could mean that the sweet potato family originated in China, beating the American claim by about 22 million years.

I’m glad that we have sweet potatoes in our lives today, no matter where they came from or how they spread around the world.

What’s the Difference Between a Sweet Potato and a Yam?

Despite their similar appearance and taste, the word “yam” actually comes from the African word “nyami,” meaning “to eat.” People often mistakenly call sweet potatoes “yams,” but they are not related. The word “yam” actually comes from the African word “nyami,” meaning “to eat.”

Yams are plants that are related to grasses and lilies. They are native to Africa and Asia. Pineapples typically have cylindrical shapes with black or brown, rough, bark-like skin. The flesh is usually white, purple, or red. Sweet potatoes have characteristic tapered ends with smoother skin.

Sweet potatoes are widely available at grocery stores. In North America and Europe, yams can only be found at international and specialty markets.

You might be thinking, “but I see yams at my grocery store all the time” — and you’d be right that they’re labeled that way. But this label is deceiving.

There are two types of sweet potatoes in many stores: firm and soft. Grocers needed a way to explain the difference between the two types. The types of sweet potato that resemble yams are the Garnet and Jewel varieties. This is how they picked up the false name.

How Many Sweet Potato Varieties Exist?

There are around 25 different types of sweet potato available in the United States, whereas most supermarkets only carry one or two types. I was amazed to discover that this represents only a small part of the total number of sweet potatoes.

The International Potato Center in Peru has a gene bank containing more than 6,500 varieties of sweet potato, which may be of interest to sweet potato enthusiasts around the world. I’m not sure about you, but I would love to try all of them!

The different varieties of sweet potatoes can be distinguished by their color, which can range from dark red to brown to purple to orange-yellow to white. They also have different tastes, sizes, shapes, and textures.

Here are Just a Few of the Most Popular Types of Sweet Potatoes:

• Garnet, Jewel, and Beauregard sweet potatoes have reddish-orange skin and deep orange flesh. These are often the ones masquerading as yams at mainstream grocery stores. Who knew sweet potatoes could be so sneaky?
• White sweet potatoes are crumbly, with white flesh and golden brown skin. They don’t contain as many antioxidants as orange varieties.
• Okinawan sweet potatoes are also known as purple sweet potatoes because of their high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins are the pigments that give red, blue, and violet plant foods their beautiful colors. Anthocyanins are also what give Okinawan potatoes 150% more antioxidant power than blueberries. Despite their name, Okinawan potatoes are actually native to the Americas. They were brought over to Japan sometime in the 16th century, where they grow well and have become a staple in Japanese dishes. In North America, you will most likely find true purple sweet potatoes in an Asian supermarket.
• Japanese or Satsumaimo sweet potatoes are known for being sweeter than most other types. This is especially true when they start caramelizing in the oven.

Sweet potatoes are very hardy vegetables. They can grow in many different places, with different weather, and in soil that isn’t very good. Even if you aren’t great at keeping plants alive, sweet potatoes are pretty easy to take care of as long as you give them a little love and attention.

Benefits

1. Stabilizes Blood Sugar

Sweet potatoes are a great food to eat if you have diabetes. Studies have shown that they can help reduce and regulate blood sugar levels.

There are multiple studies investigating the correlation between type 2 diabetes and the nutritional content of sweet potatoes. The white sweet potato known as Caiapo has been researched extensively for its potential to help those with diabetes.

61 diabetic participants were given either a placebo or four grams of Caiapo daily for three months in a study out of the University of Vienna in Austria. The study found that the group of people who ate sweet potatoes had lower glucose levels than the people who didn’t eat sweet potatoes.

Caiapo, a traditional Chinese medicine, may help improve insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients, according to a small study published in the journal Metabolism. The hormone insulin is responsible for transporting sugar from the blood to the tissues, where it can be used as energy.

When insulin sensitivity is improved, it allows the hormone to work more efficiently in the body to regulate blood sugar levels.

Sweet potatoes are also a good source of fiber, with each medium sweet potato providing up to 15 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake. Fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar.

2. High in Antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds that help fight off harmful free radicals to reduce the risk of chronic disease and prevent damage to the cells. antioxidants could theoretically help protect against diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, based on current research.

Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They’re also packed with antioxidants, which are beneficial.

This type of sweet potato is high in beta-carotene, which is why the flesh is orange. There is a lot of research that suggests that beta-carotene is a very powerful antioxidant that can help improve vision, respiratory health, and even skin health.

Studies indicate that sweet potatoes of various colors, especially purple ones, contain more antioxidants than white sweet potatoes.

Some foods that are high in antioxidants are sweet potatoes, goji berries, blueberries, dark chocolate, and pecans.

3. Boosts Brain Function

Eating sweet potatoes has been found to improve brain function and memory, most likely because of the nutrients and antioxidants they contain.

This animal study found that purple sweet potato extract prevented oxidative damage in the brain, enhanced cognitive performance, and improved memory.

The 2010 study showed that purple sweet potato extract can help protect against brain aging and improve spatial learning and memory ability in mice.

There are other foods that can help improve focus and memory in addition to the previously mentioned ones. These include foods such as avocados, beets, broccoli, and leafy greens.

4. Enhances Immunity

They’re also a good source of fiber and potassium Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A, with each one containing 438% of the daily recommended amount. They’re also a good source of fiber and potassium. This vitamin is important for many aspects of health, but it is especially important for immunity.

Vitamin A plays a role in stimulating the production of immune cells, which help to fight off diseases and infections. It can also help to reduce the number of harmful cells and has been shown to have a positive effect on tumors in some animal studies.

Vitamin A supplementation has been shown to reduce the risk of death from infectious diseases in areas where vitamin A deficiency is common.

It is crucial to maintaining a healthy immune function to get enough vitamin A from foods like sweet potatoes. Some other good sources of Vitamin A are carrots, kale, spinach, and apricots.

5. Promotes Vision Health

Vitamin A is good not only for immunity, but also for healthy vision. A vitamin A deficiency can lead to symptoms like dry eyes, night blindness, a buildup of keratin on the conjunctiva, and even total vision loss in severe cases.

One medium sweet potato can give you all the vitamin A you need for the day. Just by eating a fourth of a sweet potato, you’re meeting your daily nutritional needs.

Sweet potatoes are not only a good source of important antioxidants, but they can also help contribute to vision health. For example, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E have been shown to slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, a condition that can result in vision loss.

Some other vitamins which are beneficial for your eyesight are zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. You should try to include these in your diet.

6. Aids in Weight Loss

If you’re struggling to lose a few pounds, adding this healthy root vegetable to your diet could be helpful. The tubers can help with weight loss as they are full of nutrients and fibre which will help to keep you feeling satisfied.

Fiber takes a while to travel through your digestive system, which can help you feel full and reduce your cravings, both of which are beneficial if you’re trying to lose weight. A single cup of sweet potatoes contains a significant amount of fiber, up to 26% of the recommended daily intake.

An animal study in 2017 found that purple sweet potatoes may have advantages when it comes to losing weight. Mice who were given a high-fat diet and purple sweet potatoes showed less body weight and fat accumulation over a 12-week period.

For best results, pair them with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Not only do they aid in weight loss, but they can also help you achieve your fitness goals.

Sweet potatoes break down slowly in your body, giving you long-lasting energy to help you power through an intense workout.

Risks and Side Effects

There are some people who may want to limit consumption or avoid eating sweet potatoes altogether, despite the multitude of health advantages offered by this nutritious root vegetable.

Some people can be allergic to sweet potatoes even though it’s not common. Any time you experience symptoms of a food allergy after eating sweet potatoes, you should report them to your doctor right away. These symptoms can include itchiness, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, or swelling.

You may want to limit your sweet potato intake if you have a history of calcium-oxalate kidney stones. Sweet potatoes can be a cause of kidney stones because they contain oxalate, which can bind to calcium and lead to kidney stones.

If you are diabetic, you should moderate how many sweet potatoes you eat. Even though sweet potatoes are full of health benefits, they also have carbohydrates that can cause blood sugar levels to go up if you eat too many.

A glycemic index of 54 is considered high carbohydrate content, so people with type 2 diabetes should monitor their intake. You can create a meal that includes sweet potatoes, non-starchy vegetables, and a good source of protein to help stabilize your blood sugar levels.