At the peak of the list is how sweet potatoes contain considerable amounts of antioxidants. Antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, which help protect healthy cells from damage caused by free radicals.

What is happening?

An apple piece turns brown. Fish becomes rancid. A cut in your skin is raw and inflamed. All these result from a natural process called oxidation. It happens to all cells in nature, such as the ones on your body.The body fights free radicals using chemicals that neutralize them. Think Vitamin C and E and beta carotene and to a lessor degree–lutein. These antioxidants combat inflammatory problems like asthma, arthritis and a host of other physiological annoyances.

Take note

  • Diabetics should follow a low carbohydrate diet and sweet potatoes are a terrific alternative to the white foods like white potatoes, rice, processed sugar and wheat. Sweet potatoes are fibrous roots that actually help regulate your blood glucose level and they’re known to avoid resistance to insulin. Ever tried a piece of sweet potato pie?
  • As I mentioned previously, sweet potatoes are a fibrous root, which means plenty of dietary fiber. Fiber in the diet is a suggested cholesterol preventative which provides numerous advantages to the digestive tract also. Some studies indicate that the fibrous material of sweet potatoes prevents constipation and could even assist in preventing colon cancer.
  • While lots of folks depend on supplements to compensate for limitations in their normal diet, but sweet potatoes are jam-packed with some of the main vitamins and other nutrients-all of which are important boosters of our body’s immune system.
  • Ever wondered what folate is essential for? Well if you’re attempting to become pregnant or you’re pregnant, then folate is a must to help with healthy maturation of fetal cells and tissue.
  • Sweet potatoes are deemed vital in the quest for approaches for preventing cardiovascular disease. The sweet potato is high in the mineral–potassium. The job of potassium is that it fills a maintenance role by establishing and maintaining the fluid/electrolyte equilibrium. Good electrolyte balance increases your blood pressure and heart function.
  • Another bonus given by the potassium content is its ability to avoid muscle cramps like the Charley Horse we sometimes experience in the middle of the night. Potassium also gives us an energy boost once your lifestyle includes appropriate exercise. The added potassium will cause fewer physical injuries during exercise and a reduced frequency of muscle cramps.
  • Although the FDA will not come right out and say it (nor will the significant drug companies) sweet potatoes are great for treating stress-related symptoms. The body acts tend to burn off a good deal of potassium and other vital minerals during stressful episodes. This terrific root offers many vital minerals that will help maintain that electrolyte balance throughout the body during stressful times.
  • According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the lowly sweet potato ranks highest in nutrition among all vegetables. Now that says a lot. Imagine 1 vegetable that’s an abundant source of dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, natural sugar, protein, Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and carotenoids.
  • And best of all-these candies are plentiful in the market and for that reason are low in price. Sweet potatoes vs. Yams: Don’t confuse the two. They’re two totally different veggies. Yams are native to Asia and Africa. They grow best in tropical regions. Yams are dark (nearly black) skinned using a white or red purple flesh. We’re often confused about both of these vegetables due to government interference, but as usual, the authorities can not always be counted on to get it right.