-The sweet potato is a tuber full of nutritional qualities, being very rich in carbohydrates.
-Therefore it is a very energetic food, but easily digested.
As with celery , sweet potato is another of the most consumed foods in a balanced diet, along with sweet potatoes or potatoes . This is mainly due to the fact that nowadays, and from very old, we can find an interesting and good variety of completely nutritious and healthy recipes that count on this food as one of the main or outstanding ingredients.
Being a food that contains complex carbohydrates, sweet potatoes become an excellent option to take care of our liver, while helping to maintain blood sugar level. And this is just a good example of many of the properties of the sweet potato , which we particularly find with this healthy food.
What is sweet potato?
The sweet potato is a tuber , in the same way that other foods are also like for example it could be the case of the potatoes, the yam or the yucca.
It belongs to the Convolvulaceae family , and is grown in a very large part of the world precisely because it is an edible tuberose root.
It is a food originating in South America and Central America. For example, in a country like Peru, it has been cultivated for more than 8000 years, even being representations of sweet potato in a wide variety of remains of pre-Columbian pottery. However, it was not until the end of the 15th century when it officially arrived in Europe at the hands of Christopher Columbus.As regards the sweet potato proper, it is a tuberous root of characteristic shape and appearance, with the meat that depending on the variety can be white or yellow-orange, and whose taste makes it precisely a highly acclaimed food , being sweet. For this reason its use is common in different desserts, as for example it could be the case of the traditional sweet potato donuts.
Varieties of sweet potatoes
Did you know that there are different varieties of sweet potatoes, which differ not only in their taste but also in their external appearance). In fact, as we indicated briefly at the beginning of this note, there are white and yellow varieties.
In Spain, for example, some specific varieties stand out, such as the Amarilla de Málaga, the Violeta de carne rosa, the Californian red meat, the red meat Jasper, the Blanca de París, the Rosa de Málaga or the red variety .
In addition, we can also mention other varieties such as the Lisa de Tucumán, the Waal (of Guatemalan origin), the red meat Centennial or the Batatillas de Nerja.
Nutritional qualities of sweet potatoes
The sweet potato is rich in beta carotene (provitamin A) and in a wide variety of vitamins, among which mainly vitamin C. But it is not the only one that brings because it also has interesting amounts of vitamin E and especially folic acid ( vitamin B9).
In addition, it is especially rich in minerals , most notably the presence of potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium and iron.
Its high content of complex carbohydrates , especially starch, and its contribution to fiber are surprising . On the other hand, it is low in fat and also in proteins.
Properties of sweet potato:
High antioxidant content
For its richness in antioxidants (especially beta-carotene and vitamins C and E), it is an ideal food when it comes to increasing defenses, helping to enhance the natural immunity of our body. It also helps prevent cardiovascular disease, thanks to its nutrient content useful in turn to prevent the risk of cancer.
It also provides glutathione , which intervenes naturally when it comes to eliminating free radicals and heavy metals (such as cadmium), as well as toxins that damage our body. Thanks precisely to its content in beta-carotene is an ideal food for the eyes , by helping to prevent cataracts.
Benefits for the cardiovascular system
As indicated above, due to its high content of antioxidants is an ideal food to prevent cardiovascular diseases, being especially useful in case of hypertension, high cholesterol and heart problems.
Among other important functions, beta-carotenes are suitable for keeping the walls of blood vessels in good condition. While, potassium, it becomes a fundamental mineral for the health of our heart. In fact, its fat content is very low.
Ideal against digestive discomfort
The sweet potato provides beneficial substances for the digestive and intestinal mucous membranes . Therefore, it becomes an adequate food for all those who suffer from a digestive problem. Of course, the most advisable in these cases is to consume it roasted or boiled, and never fried.
Among the different digestive conditions in which the roasted sweet potato is suitable, we can mention the following: gastritis, gastroenteritis, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers.
On the other hand, it provides fiber , thus becoming a very good option when it comes to improving intestinal transit, being adequate in case of constipation.
Suitable for pregnancy
Because of its high content of folic acid , it becomes an ideal food during pregnancy, since 100 grams of sweet potato provide around 80 mg. of this very important vitamin.
As you surely know, folic acid or vitamin B9 is essential when it comes to preventing neural tube birth defects, as is the case of spina bifida (spinal cord defects) or anencephaly (brain defects) ).
In addition, it is known that folic acid could also help when reducing the risk of cleft palate, cleft lip, certain types of heart defects, and the development of preeclampsia in pregnant women.
On the other hand, because of its content in complex carbohydrates, it is a recommended food to maintain the blood sugar level, providing energy.
Benefits of sweet potatoes
In summary, here are the main benefits of sweet potatoes:
-It helps maintain blood sugar levels.
-Prevents cardiovascular diseases in blood.
-Rich in antioxidants.
-It stands out for its content in beta carotene and vitamin C.
-Useful to enhance the immunity of our body and increase defenses.
-Beneficial for before and during pregnancy.
-Very good for the heart.
-Suitable in case of digestive conditions.
-It helps improve intestinal transit.
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