Sweet Potato Benefits & Advantages | Health Facts

Sweet potatoes can be some of the most delicious and nutrient-rich food options that you can try out this season. Many health experts advise people to have sweet potatoes because they are considered the powerhouse of essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and some vital plant-based components. This article will help you get an idea of why you need to include sweet potatoes in your diet, the health benefits that you can derive from them, and other related details.

Why do you need to have sweet potatoes in your diet?

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of essential nutrients that can help you stay healthy and free from diseases by boosting your immune system. Many experts reveal that sweet potatoes consist of essential vitamins and minerals that are crucial for carrying out healthy physiological activities. Having sweet potatoes in your daily diet can ensure that you are taking in around 102 percent of vitamin A each day.

Apart from this, sweet potatoes also consist of vitamins B and C, some of the most vital minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, potassium, Thiamine, and other plant-based components. All these nutrients in sweet potatoes can help to keep your eyes healthy by preventing problems related to vision, help improve the functions of your reproductive system and keep some of the major organs of the body, such as the heart and kidneys, in good health.

What are the health benefits you can get from sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are often considered to be the powerhouse of essential nutrients that the human body needs to undergo healthy functioning. Though there can be several health benefits that one can derive from sweet potatoes, some of the most common of them include the following:

1. Sweet potatoes improve the digestive system:

If you are someone who is struggling with digestive problems, adding vegetables like sweet potatoes to your daily diet can be highly recommended. In earlier times, many experts used to recommend the intake of sweet potatoes as a natural cure for diarrhea, digestive issues, and stomach problems. This is because the inner flesh of sweet potatoes is rich in fiber content, which helps to improve your gut health and reduce the risks of developing gut-related problems like constipation. The dietary fiber in sweet potato also helps to keep the gut bacteria in good health and allows better movement of the bowels through the colon tract.

Besides, the growth of gut bacteria can be stimulated, which positively affects your digestive system because the fiber in sweet potatoes can act as a major prebiotic which enhances the growth and functioning of the gut microbiome. Apart from these, the nutrients in sweet potatoes help to improve the intestinal barrier, which allows the body to allow absorb necessary nutrients and block harmful substances from entering into the bloodstream.

2. Sweet potatoes help improve your immune system:

Having sweet potatoes in your daily diet can help improve your overall immune system, and this can help reduce the risks of developing various types of diseases and infections. The nutrients, especially the natural and plant-based components (known as phytochemicals) that are present in sweet potatoes, such as carotenoids, tannins, tocopherols or vitamin E, antioxidants and flavonoids, saponins, anthocyanins, and other phenolic components, help to protect the body from developing various types of illnesses and infection.

Moreover, the natural compounds in sweet potatoes are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory in nature which help to prevent diseases. Many doctors claim that these components also boost the immune cells to fight the occurrences of diseases and infections.

3. Sweet potatoes can prevent cancer risks:

Cancer is one of the most commonly occurring fatal diseases that can affect a person. To prevent this naturally, try adding sweet potatoes to your daily diet because they are rich in anti-cancer properties. Some experts and health care professionals claim that having violet sweet potatoes in your diet can significantly help to reduce the risks of developing various types of cancers such as breast cancer, cancer in the stomach and gastric glands, colon cancer and colon adenocarcinoma, a type of carcinogenic condition that affects the functioning of the glands.

Moreover, the rich antioxidants and phytonutrients that are present in sweet potatoes help to reduce oxidative stress and lower the risks of developing diseases from free radicals, and this may also help to reduce the risks of cancer.

4. Sweet potatoes reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases:

Having sweet potatoes in your daily diet can significantly help to lower the risk of developing inflammatory diseases. This is because most of the nutritional elements that are present in sweet potatoes are anti-inflammatory.

The nutrients in sweet potatoes will not only help to reduce inflammation, but will also help to lower the risks of developing inflammatory diseases such as chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases, heat conditions including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, bowel problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, lungs and respiratory problems like asthma, and even severe issues like Parkinson’s disease.

5. Sweet potatoes take good care of your heart:

The nutrients that are present in sweet potatoes may help to keep your heart healthy. For instance, the dietary fiber, a major component of sweet potatoes can help to keep the heart in healthy functioning condition and can reduce the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases. This happens because the fiber helps in binding with bile acids, and thus preventing re-absorption in the liver and inhibiting cholesterol formation. This can also help to reduce the levels of bad or LDL cholesterol and keep the HDL or good cholesterol at an optimum level.

6. Have sweet potatoes for healthy skin:

Are you planning to have a diet regimen for getting healthy and glowing skin? Do not forget to add sweet potatoes to it. This is because the antioxidants such as beta-carotene that are present in sweet potatoes will help to prevent the risks of damage in your skin cells caused by free radicals and environmental and this will help to keep your skin healthy. Moreover, the nutrients in sweet potatoes can help to reduce the harmful effects of UV radiation when the skin is exposed to the sun and help to improve skin elasticity by reducing signs of aging, such as the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

7. Sweet potatoes keep your eyes healthy:

Sweet potatoes can be considered as one of the major sources of vitamin A, a nutrient that is vital for your eye health and that helps prevent vision problems. Moreover, the polyphenolic compounds that are present in sweet potatoes help to protect eye and retinal health. Apart from these, certain types of antioxidants and plant-based natural compounds are found in sweet potatoes, such as anthocyanins, which are anti-inflammatory and help to treat vision problems, such as dry eye syndrome, and many other conditions.

Is there any risk of having sweet potatoes?

We all know that having sweet potatoes in your diet is highly beneficial for your health and helps reduce the risks of diseases. But there may be certain side effects of having sweet potatoes as well. These side effects may not be evident in everyone who has sweet potatoes in their diet.

One of the most commonly occurring side effects may include the negative effects of high amounts of carbohydrates present in the vegetable on your body. So, cooking and having sweet potatoes can significantly raise their glycemic index and cause your blood sugar to rise. This is particularly harmful for those who have conditions like type 2 diabetes or high blood glucose levels. In such cases, consulting with your health care professional is highly recommended.

Conclusion:

It is said that adding sweet potatoes to your daily diet can help you to gain a lot of health benefits -such as boosting your immune system, digestion, improving heart health, to preventing severe inflammatory conditions in the body. Having sweet potatoes in your daily diet can also help your body to absorb the rich amounts of nutrients that are crucial for your health.

When you consume sweet potatoes, you can gain the health benefits from the rich amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant-based nutrients that are present in them. But try not to consume them in excess, and avoid having sweet potatoes if you see side effects. You must also consult a doctor if necessary.