The benefits of sweet potatoes include improving digestion, boosting immunity, reducing inflammation, aiding weight management, and more.
Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable rich in antioxidants that protect your cells from damage, and contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamins A and C, potassium, and zinc. These nutrients provide several health benefits.
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1. Nutrient-Rich
The nutritional content of a sweet potato is greater than a white potato. One 5-inch long sweet potato contains:
- Protein: 2 grams (g)
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Dietary fiber: 4 g
- Calcium: 39 milligrams (mg)
- Magnesium: 32 mg
- Phosphorus: 61 mg
- Sodium: 72 mg
- Vitamin C: 3 mg
- Folate: 14 micrograms (mcg)
- Vitamin A: 922 mcg RAE (retinol activity equivalents)
Sweet potatoes are considered a "superfood," not a scientific term but a word used to describe foods packed with nutrition.
2. Aids Digestion
Research has found that the dietary fiber in sweet potatoes is good for the gut microbiome. One study found that the dietary fiber in sweet potatoes acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics stimulate healthy gut bacteria growth and help improve digestion and overall health.
Researchers have found sweet potatoes benefit the intestinal barrier (the structure that allows your body to take in nutrients and block harmful substances from entering the bloodstream).
Sweet potatoes have traditionally been used to improve diarrhea and other stomach problems.
3. Supports Immunity
The phytochemicals (plant compounds that protect the body from illness and infection) in sweet potatoes include:
- Carotenoids
- Tocopherols (vitamin E)
- Phenolic compounds
- Tannins
- Flavonoids
- Saponins
- Anthocyanins
These compounds help your body fight disease and boost your immune system by reducing inflammation and influencing the activity of immune cells.
4. Anticancer Benefits
Research has found that sweet potatoes have anticancer benefits. One study found that purple sweet potatoes inhibited the growth of the following types of cancer cells:
- Breast cancer
- Gastric cancer (stomach cancer)
- Colon adenocarcinoma (a type of cancer that affects the glands)
Phytochemicals are again responsible. The antioxidant activity of these compounds can reduce free radical damage to cells.
What Are Free Radicals?
Free radicals are unstable molecules in the body. They are made as a normal byproduct of metabolism and exposure to environmental toxins. Free radicals damage cells and change DNA, increasing the risk of developing cancer.
5. Supports Eye Health
Polyphenolic compounds are the most readily accessible form of antioxidant in your diet. Sweet potatoes contain these substances, which protect eye and retinal health.
Studies have found that anthocyanins (found in sweet potatoes) have an anti-inflammatory response on the eye surface and can treat eye disease, including dry eye syndrome.
6. Supports Brain Health
Another potential benefit of the antioxidants in sweet potatoes is its effect on memory. While human studies on this subject are lacking, some animal studies have found that sweet potatoes have memory-enhancing effects.
- One review found that sweet potato extracts improved spatial learning and memory in mouse models and even repaired memory impairment.
- Another animal study found that the anthocyanins in purple sweet potatoes may help protect the brain by reducing inflammation and preventing free radical damage.
Further studies are needed to confirm how these results apply to humans.
7. Reduces Inflammation
In the same way that antioxidants protect the body from cancer by repairing free radical damage, they also reduce inflammation. When inflammation in the body is chronic, it can lead to health conditions such as:
- Autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis
- Depression
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- Lung diseases like asthma
- Parkinson's disease
- Type 2 diabetes
Eating anti-inflammatory foods, like sweet potatoes, that are high in antioxidants is an excellent way to keep inflammation in check naturally.
8. Promotes Heart Health
The dietary fiber in sweet potatoes is great for your heart. A healthy diet that includes adequate dietary fiber can reduce the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease. That's because dietary fiber binds with bile acids, preventing reabsorption in the liver and inhibiting cholesterol formation.
In one study, participants who ate sweet potato and cassava had the following improvements compared to the control group, who ate white bread:
- Increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (considered "good" cholesterol)
- Decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (considered "bad" cholesterol)
9. May Improve Blood Sugar
Out of three randomized controlled trials in a review, one study found significant improvement in A1c levels (a measurement of the body's average blood sugar levels) at three to five months with 4 grams daily of sweet potato compared to placebo (fake treatment).
However, researchers claim the studies are low quality and more trials are needed.
Should You Eat Sweet Potatoes if You Have Diabetes?
As a high carbohydrate food, sweet potatoes may be on your radar as a food to avoid if you have diabetes. That's because high-carb foods often also have a high glycemic index (GI), measuring how carbs affect blood sugar (glucose).
However, not all carbs are created equal, and sweet potatoes tend to have medium GI, which means they have a less immediate impact on blood sugar. They are usually fine to enjoy in moderation.
10. Promotes Healthy Skin
The beta-carotene found in sweet potatoes may promote healthy skin in several ways.
- Beta-carotene works as an antioxidant protecting skin cells from damage caused by free radicals and environmental factors.
- Beta-carotene can reduce the effects of UV radiation, improve skin elasticity, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
- Beta-carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A, which protects the skin by supporting cell growth, promoting wound healing, and reducing inflammation.
Does Cooking Method Matter?
Boiling and air-frying appear to provide the most nutrients.
- Although boiling is often the worst method for retaining nutrients in your food, when it comes to sweet potatoes, the opposite is true. Boiling retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods.
- Researchers who evaluated the nutrient degradation in baked vs. air-fried sweet potato chips found that air-frying retained more beta-carotene than baking.
Ways to Add Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes can be eaten with or without the skin and enjoyed as a sweet or savory dish. There are many different ways to cook them as well, including baked, boiled, roasted, air-fried, or sauteed.
Try adding sweet potatoes to your diet in a variety of ways, such as:
- Roasted: Cut sweet potatoes into cubes and roast at 400 degrees F. Serve as a side dish.
- Fries:Cut sweet potatoes into wedges or matchsticks and air fry.
- Mashed:Bake the sweet potatoes, then remove the skin. Mash them with milk and seasonings.
- Baked:Baked whole in the oven until fork-tender.
- Hash:Sauté cubed sweet potatoes withonionsand peppers in a pan. Serve with eggs.
- Soup: Boil sweet potatoes in low sodium two to three cups of vegetable broth until soft. Blend to desired consistency. Stir in milk and spices to the desired thickness.
- Spiralized:Cut into spirals (or buy already spiraled) and sauté with oil and other vegetables.
- Leftover: Previously roasted sweet potatoes can be added to salads, soups, chili, burritos, tacos, rice, omelets, and more.
- Baked goods:Sweet potato puree adds moisture without adding fat to muffins, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods.
Nutrition Tip
Because beta-carotene is fat-soluble, it is absorbed better by the body when it is consumed with a little fat. When preparing sweet potatoes add a little healthy fat, such as olive oil in cooking or avocado, seeds, or nuts to the dish.
Summary
Sweet potatoes are nutrient-rich and an excellent addition to nearly any diet. The antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in sweet potatoes offer many health benefits, including boosting the immune system, fighting cancer, improving gut, heart, and eye health, and more. Surprisingly, boiling retains most nutrients, and along with air-frying, they are the best ways to cook sweet potatoes.
