As with celery, sweet potato is another of the most widely consumed foods in a balanced diet, along with sweet potato or potato. This is mainly due to the fact that nowadays, and since ancient times, we can find an interesting and good variety of completely nutritious and healthy recipes that have this food as one of the main or outstanding ingredients.
As a food that contains complex carbohydrates, sweet potatoes become an excellent choice to take care of our liver, while helping to maintain the blood sugar level. And this is just one good example of many of the properties of sweet potatoes, which we particularly find with this healthy food.
What is sweet potato?
The sweet potato is a tuber, just as other foods are, for example, potatoes, yams and cassava. It is also known by the names of sweet potato, sweet potato or sweet potato. It belongs to the family Convolvulaceae, and is cultivated in a very large part of the world precisely because it is an edible tuberous root.
It is a food native to South and Central America. For example, in a country like Peru, it has been cultivated for more than 8000 years, even finding representations of sweet potato in a wide variety of pre-Columbian ceramic remains. However, it was not until the end of the 15th century that it was officially brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus.
As regards the sweet potato itself, it is a tuberous root of characteristic shape and appearance, with flesh that, depending on the variety, can be white or yellow-orange, and whose flavour makes it a highly acclaimed food, as it is sweet. For this reason it is commonly used in various desserts, such as the traditional sweet potato fritters.
Sweet potato varieties
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 briefly indicated at the beginning of this article, there are white and yellow varieties.
In United States, for example, some specific varieties stand out, such as the Yellow Malaga, the Violet with pink flesh, the Californian with red flesh, the Jasper with red flesh, the White of Paris, the Rose of Malaga or the red variety.
In addition, we can also mention other varieties such as the Lisa de Tucumán, the Waal (of Guatemalan origin), the Centennial of red meat or the Batatillas de Nerja.
Nutritional qualities of sweet potatoes
Sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene (provitamin A) and a wide range of vitamins, mainly vitamin C. But it is not the only one it provides, as it also has interesting amounts of vitamin E and especially folic acid (vitamin B9).
In addition, it is particularly rich in minerals, including above all potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium and iron.
Its high content in complex carbohydrates, especially starch, and its contribution in fibre is surprising. On the other hand, it is low in fat and also in protein.
Nutritional information of sweet potato per 100 grams:
Nutrient
Content/Contribution
Calories (kcal.)
105
Carbohydrates
24,28 g
Proteins
1,65 g
Fats
1,65 g
Fiber
3 g
Vitamin A
14.18 IU
Vitamin C
2,4 mg
Vitamin B9
80 mg
Calcium
22mg
Magnesium
10 mg
Potassium
204 mg
Sodium
13 mg
Iron
0.59 mg
Properties of the sweet potato
High antioxidant content
Due to its richness in antioxidants (especially beta-carotene and vitamins C and E), it is an ideal food when it comes to increasing defences, helping to boost our body’s natural immunity. In addition, it helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases, thanks to its content in useful nutrients to prevent the risk of cancer.
It also provides glutathione, which is naturally involved in the elimination of free radicals and heavy metals (such as cadmium), as well as toxins that damage our bodies. Thanks precisely to its content in beta-carotene, it is an ideal food for the eyes, helping to prevent cataracts.
Benefits for the cardiovascular system
As we indicated before, due to its high content of antioxidants it is an ideal food to prevent cardiovascular diseases, being especially useful in case of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart problems.
Among other important functions, beta-carotenes are suitable for keeping blood vessel walls in good condition. While, potassium, becomes a fundamental mineral for the health of our heart. In fact, its fat content is very low.
Ideal against digestive disorders
Sweet potato provides beneficial substances for the digestive and intestinal mucous membranes. Therefore, it becomes a suitable food for all those who suffer from any digestive problem. However, the most advisable in these cases is to consume roasted or boiled, and never fried.
Among the various digestive conditions for which 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 the intestinal transit, being suitable in case of constipation.
Suitable for pregnancy
Due to its high folic acid content, it is an ideal food during pregnancy, as 100 grams of sweet potato provide around 80 mg of this very important vitamin.
As you probably know, folic acid or vitamin B9 is essential in preventing neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida (defects of the spinal cord) or anencephaly (defects of the brain).
In addition, it is known that folic acid may also help in 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, due to its content in complex carbohydrates, it is a recommended food for maintaining 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 disease in the blood.
- Rich in antioxidants.
- It stands out for its content in beta-carotene and vitamin C.
- Useful for boosting our body’s immunity and increasing our defences.
- Beneficial before and during pregnancy.
- Very good for the heart.
- Suitable for digestive disorders.
- Helps to improve intestinal transit.