Enjoyed in both sweet and savoury dishes, sweet potatoes hold many vitamins and nutrients that the body needs.
Most sweet potatoes have orange flesh. However, it may vary in colour from orange to yellow to cream to purple. There are also colour differences in the skin of this fleshy root vegetable. Orange sweet potatoes have the sweetest flavour, while other colours tend to be milder with a slightly crumbly texture, explains WebMD.
While orange sweet potatoes have a rich source of beta-carotene (carotenoid known for its eye health benefits and ability to reduce cancer risks), purple sweet potatoes have a rich source of anthocyanin pigments (acts as an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation and boost your immune system).
Apart from the above health benefits, WebMD provides more reasons why sweet potatoes should be consumed.
Promotes gastrointestinal health
Not only do sweet potatoes have anti-inflammatory properties, but it also has loads of gut-friendly fibre, especially if you eat the skin. They are a mixture of soluble fibre – which can help lower cholesterol and balance glucose – and insoluble fibre – which helps keep your bowels healthy and regular.
Sweet potatoes are also a good source of prebiotics. like oligosaccharides. This helps improve the balance of your gut bacteria and overall gut health.
Supports the immune system
Sweet potatoes are rich in two of the strongest antioxidant vitamins – vitamin A (beta-carotene) and vitamin C.
As previously mentioned, the orange variety of sweet potatoes contains more vitamin A than any other variety. However, both vitamins help regulate your immune system and boost your body’s natural protection against infections.
Helps balance blood sugar levels
Sweet potatoes contain plenty of natural sugars. Although they are considered to be in the medium range of the glycemic index (a way to compare carbohydrates in foods that affect blood sugar), they have lots of fibre that naturally slows down sugar absorption into the bloodstream.
To lower the root vegetable’s glycemic load, try boiling or steaming them. These options are considered safe if you are diabetic or if you need to watch your sugar intake.
Also see: The health benefits of eating olives
