Introduction: Sweet potato, the name is full of the warmth of the countryside and the breath of life. It, also affectionately known as sweet potato or sweet potato, is a root crop that ranks among the most important food crops in the world.
The shape of sweet potatoes is quite similar to that of potatoes, but the color of the skin is distinctively red or brown, as if it is a brand of nature, and people can recognize it at a glance.
When you gently peel off the skin of the sweet potato, you will reveal a bright red or yellow color, which is more glutinous and soft than the potato, as if telling its tenderness and delicacy.
Sweet potatoes are not just an ingredient, but also a symbol of health. It is rich in nutrients, like a treasure trove of nutrients, helping to improve the body's immunity, promote intestinal health, and allow people to enjoy delicious food while feeling healthy and nourished.
Sweet potatoes are widely used all over the world, whether it is on the streets of Asia, or in home kitchens in Europe and the United States. It can be processed and cooked in a variety of ways such as steaming, boiling, stir-frying, and roasting, each of which can show its unique flavor and nutrition.
Whether it is a sweet and delicious roasted sweet potato or a soft and smooth boiled sweet potato, it can make people have an endless aftertaste and feel the beauty of life.
01
Nutritional value of sweet potatoes
Sweet potato, a treasure endowed with rich nutrition by nature, hides the secrets of more than 10 trace elements such as vitamin A, dietary fiber, vitamin B group, carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, selenium, copper, and iron.
For every 100 grams of fresh sweet potatoes, the fat content is only 0.2 grams, and the calories are about 99 kilocalories, which is only 1/3 of rice.
Not only that, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, and β-carotene, which play an important role in maintaining human health.
What's even more surprising is that sweet potatoes are rich in lysine, an essential amino acid that is lacking in flour and rice. Therefore, mixing sweet potatoes with staple foods such as rice and noodles can not only enrich the taste, but also effectively supplement protein and achieve nutritional balance.
02
Can eating sweet potatoes lower blood sugar?
In recent years, with the increasing attention to healthy eating, the nutritional value and health effects of various foods have become a hot topic.
Among them, sweet potatoes, as a common ingredient, are favored for their rich nutritional value and unique taste. In recent years, the saying about sweet potatoes lowering blood sugar has been widely spread, so, can eating sweet potatoes really lower blood sugar?
Sweet potato is a low-calorie, high-fiber, high-vitamin food, it is rich in β-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and other nutrients, with high nutritional value.
At the same time, sweet potatoes also contain an ingredient called "sweet potato saponins", which are believed to have a hypoglycemic effect. Sweet potato saponins can promote the secretion of insulin, improve the body's utilization of glucose, and thus reduce blood sugar levels.
However, it should be noted that sweet potatoes do not directly cure hyperglycemia diseases, it is only an ingredient that helps lower blood sugar.
In addition, sweet potatoes also contain certain starch and sugar, which can also increase blood sugar levels if consumed in excess. Therefore, when eating sweet potatoes, you need to consume them in moderation according to your own situation and not overdo it.
03
Sweet potatoes can destroy 98% of cancer cells, is it true or not?
Experts from the National Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention in Japan have conducted an in-depth and detailed study of the dietary habits of 260,000 people. They hope to uncover the potential link between dietary habits and cancer from the vast amount of data.
Eventually, their efforts paid off, and the results of the study found that vegetables do play an important role in preventing cancer.
In this study, the experts further analyzed the anti-cancer effects of different vegetables and made a detailed ranking. Surprisingly, sweet potatoes are at the top of the list.
The discovery quickly spread throughout society, and the miraculous effects of sweet potatoes were spread by word of mouth, and they were even hailed as the "king of anti-cancer", claiming to be able to destroy up to 98% of cancer cells.
However, we must keep a clear head and not be fooled by these exaggerated propaganda. In fact, sweet potatoes don't have such miraculous anti-cancer effects. This claim is just an over-interpretation and exaggeration of the research. Sweet potatoes are just an ordinary food that is mainly made up of starch and can be eaten as a staple food.
In addition, sweet potatoes are also rich in protein and dietary fiber, which are good for your health but do not directly kill cancer cells.
In fact, many foods contain substances that have a positive effect on cancer. However, these experiments are usually conducted at the cellular level and cannot be directly applied to humans. In addition, most of the substances used in the experiments were pure extracts, which were very different from the foods ingested directly.
Therefore, relying on a single food such as sweet potatoes to fight cancer is unreliable. We should maintain a scientific attitude and not believe all kinds of exaggerated propaganda.
04
Although sweet potatoes cannot fight cancer, these 6 benefits can be seen if you insist on eating sweet potatoes
Promote intestinal peristalsis
Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, which can effectively promote intestinal peristalsis and help digestion. For people who often have constipation or indigestion, sweet potatoes are undoubtedly an ideal health food.
Slows down cell aging
Sweet potatoes are rich in β-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that effectively removes free radicals from the body, slows down cell aging, and maintains the skin's radiance and elasticity.
Control your weight
Sweet potatoes are relatively low in calories and have a high feeling of satiety, making them ideal for people on a diet. It can satisfy cravings while helping to control weight and achieve healthy weight loss.
Regulates blood pressure
Sweet potatoes are also rich in potassium, which can effectively regulate blood pressure and have a positive effect on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension.
Improves anemia
Sweet potato is also an ideal blood tonic food, it is rich in iron and vitamin C, which can effectively promote the absorption and utilization of iron, and has a significant effect on improving anemia.
Reduces inflammation
Sweet potatoes also have a good anti-inflammatory effect, and they are rich in a variety of nutrients that can effectively reduce the body's inflammatory response and play an important role in preventing various inflammatory diseases.
05
Sweet potatoes are a life-booster for hyperlipidemia, and there are 3 foods that are really eaten less
Sweet potato, a root crop that was once regarded as a common delicacy, has been labeled as a "hyperlipidemia talisman" by some voices in recent years because of its high starch and high sugar characteristics. However, it's not that simple.
Sweet potatoes do contain high starch and sugar, but it is also not negligible that it is also rich in dietary fiber, carotene, vitamins A, C, E and more than ten kinds of trace elements such as potassium, iron, copper, selenium, calcium, etc., which play a non-negligible role in maintaining human health, especially cardiovascular health.
In fact, the formation of hyperlipidemia is related to a variety of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, dietary habits, etc. In terms of food choices, the following three foods should really be eaten less:
1. High-fat foods, such as fried foods, fatty meats, animal offal, etc. These foods contain a lot of saturated and trans fats, and long-term excessive intake can significantly increase blood lipid levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. High-sugar foods, such as candy, sweet drinks, desserts, etc. A diet high in sugar will not only lead to weight gain, but will also affect insulin sensitivity, further promoting the synthesis and accumulation of blood lipids.
3. High-salt foods, such as pickled foods, processed meats, etc. A high-salt diet can easily trigger hypertension, and hypertension and hyperlipidemia often go hand in hand, which together exacerbate the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Therefore, we cannot simply think of sweet potatoes as a lifeline for hyperlipidemia. On the basis of maintaining a balanced diet, it is wise to maintain cardiovascular health by eating sweet potatoes appropriately and avoiding excessive intake of high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods.
06
Although sweet potatoes are good, these 4 types of people are not suitable for eating
Diabetics
Sweet potatoes contain high levels of sugar, especially starchy polysaccharides, which are converted into glucose after entering the body, raising blood sugar. This is undoubtedly detrimental to diabetics who need to strictly control their blood sugar.
Patients with gastrointestinal disorders
Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, and eating them in moderation can promote intestinal peristalsis and aid digestion. However, for patients with gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastritis and gastric ulcers, excessive dietary fiber may irritate the gastrointestinal tract and aggravate the condition.
Patients with kidney disease
Sweet potatoes have a high potassium content, and patients with kidney disease often have renal insufficiency and cannot effectively eliminate excess potassium from the body, which may lead to hyperkalemia and affect heart function.
Children in their growth and development
Although the nutrients in sweet potatoes are helpful for good health, they are not suitable for excessive consumption because they are high in dietary fiber, which may affect the absorption of other nutrients.