Potatoes are the favorite of all of us. But the amount of carbs present in it restricts its consumption for weight watchers. But not anymore! The following article has listed some benefits of Sweet Potato, a perfect substitute for your humble Potato.
Sweet Potato is a sweet low-glycemic & high fiber superfood, which is the best alternative for your regular potato cravings. It is rich in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and can easily be a part of your balanced diet.
Let’s look at some health benefits of Sweet Potato before adding them to your diet:-
- Good for digestion
Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber and starch, which makes them easy to digest. The dietary fiber in Sweet Potato can also help prevent constipation and reduce the risk of bowel syndrome and infectious diarrohea.
- Excellent immunity booster
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene. It is a plant compound that converts itself into vitamin A in the body combined with different nutrients like iron, phosphorus, etc., to work efficiently in boosting immunity and maintaining blood levels.
- Help to control diabetes
The natural sugar and fiber in the sweet potato help regulate blood sugar levels through insulin’s proper secretion and function. However, it doesn’t mean that people with diabetes can binge on them. Eat them in the limit for better and healthier results.
- Good for healthy vision
Vitamin A and anthocyanins are necessary for good eye health and prevent damaging eye cells, and Sweet Potato is high in both of them. Research has shown that daily consumption after 18 can help maintain eye health and prevent vision loss.
- It May have cancer-fighting properties
Test tube studies have found that anthocyanins present in purple-colored sweet potato can slow the growth rate of some cancer cells in the bladder, breast, stomach, intestines, colon, kidneys, and other internal organs. But we cannot rely on it 100% as its effects on human has not been tested.
- May improve brain function
Purple sweet potatoes are meant to reduce inflammation and prevent free radical damage, which may help to improve brain function. Although no tests are done on humans, a general study has proved that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with antioxidants and fiber can reduce the risk of mental decline by 13%.
Sweet Potato is a versatile vegetable. It goes with every food like parsnip, pumpkin, carrots, etc. You can incorporate it in both sweet and savory items, or you can eat it boiled with some tamarind sauce, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt.
Hence, from now on, whenever you crave French fries, chips, potato patties, or paratha, you can consider Sweet Potato to make these for more health benefits.
