Sweet Potatoes, also known as yams, are tuberous crops with the scientific name Ipomoea batatas. The plant is a creeper with heart-shaped or lobed leaves. The red variety has drier and harder flesh while the white and yellow types have juicier flesh. The red variety has a characteristic aroma which becomes more prominent on boiling. The more reddish or orange the color of the flesh of the sweet potatoes, the stronger the aroma will be. Perhaps, this is due to the presence of beta-carotene, the concentration of which also increases with the color. The color of the tuber varies from purple or red to pale yellow or white, depending upon the variety, soil type, climate, and available minerals. They have a thin, brown skin on the outside with coloured flesh inside – most commonly orange in colour, but other varieties are white, purple or yellow. You can eat sweet potatoes whole or peeled, and the leaves of the plant are edible too.
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Stabilizes Blood Sugar: Sweet potatoes are an excellent dietary addition for those with diabetes as they have been shown to help reduce and regulate blood sugar levels.
Good for Weight Loss: Sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, which slows down digestion so you eat less. This also helps with regular bowel movements.
Eye health: In addition to boosting immunity, vitamin A is also integral to maintaining healthy vision. A deficiency of vitamin A can result in symptoms like dry eyes, night blindness, a buildup of keratin on the conjunctiva and even total vision loss in severe cases.
Relieve Asthma: Sweet potatoes are effective in curing congestion of the nose, bronchi, and lungs; thereby, giving relief from asthma.
Digestion and regularity: Because of its high fiber content, sweet potatoes help to prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.
Stomach ulcers: Sweet potatoes contain B-complex vitamins, Vitamin C, calcium, potassium and beta-carotene which help to effectively treat stomach ulcers.
Immune System: Sweet potatoes are excellent immune system boosters that defend your body from a wide variety of conditions. They are very rich in beta-carotene, which is a major antioxidant, along with vitamin C and B complex vitamins, iron, and phosphorus.
Vitamin A is also a critical vitamin for pregnancy. It is essential for the healthy development and maturation of lungs in particular.
Good source of energy: Sweet potatoes are known to contain important minerals like iron and magnesium that can increase our energy to perform our daily activities.
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Arthritis Pain: Beta-carotene, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B complex make sweet potatoes a highly important food source for managing arthritis. The water in which sweet potatoes are boiled can also be applied externally on joints to ease the associated pain of arthritis.
