The efficacy and effects of sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are also called sweet potatoes. They were the main food for poor people in the past, but now they are also vegetables used by others for health preservation. So what are the functions of sweet potatoes ?

Sweet potato introduction

Sweet potatoes, also known as sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams, contain a variety of nutrients needed by the human body. Every 500 grams of sweet potatoes can produce about 635 kcal of heat energy, 11.5 grams of protein, 14.5 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fat, 100 milligrams of phosphorus, 90 milligrams of calcium, 2 grams of iron, 0.5 milligrams of carotene, and vitamins B1, B2, C, niacin, linoleic acid, etc. The content of vitamin B1 and B2 is 6 times and 3 times higher than that of rice, respectively.

Sweet potatoes are especially rich in lysine, while rice and flour lack lysine. However, many people have not yet realized whether eating sweet potatoes will make people fat. According to scientific research, eating sweet potatoes will not make people fat. On the contrary, sweet potatoes are an ideal weight loss food .

Its calorie content is very low, much lower than that of ordinary rice, so you don't have to worry about gaining weight after eating it, but it can help you lose weight. Sweet potatoes also contain a substance similar to estrogen, which has a certain effect on protecting human skin and delaying aging.

Therefore, many foreign women regard sweet potatoes as a beauty food. Sweet potatoes are crispy and sweet when eaten raw, and can replace fruits; they are sweet and soft when cooked, and they are sweet in the mouth and in the heart. It can be used as a staple food or a vegetable. It can be steamed, boiled, fried, and deep-fried. There are many ways to eat it. Once it is cooked skillfully, it can also become a delicacy on the table.

The efficacy and effects of sweet potatoes

Anti-diabetic effects of sweet potatoes

Japanese researchers found that the insulin levels in the blood of diabetic obese rats decreased by 26% and 60% after eating white-skinned sweet potatoes for 4 weeks and 6 weeks respectively; they also found that sweet potatoes can effectively inhibit the increase in blood sugar levels of diabetic obese rats after oral glucose intake; eating sweet potatoes can also reduce the levels of triglycerides and free fatty acids in diabetic rats; the study suggests that white-skinned sweet potatoes have a certain anti-diabetic effect. A clinical study at the University of Vienna in Austria found that after taking white-skinned sweet potato extract, patients with type 2 diabetes had improved insulin sensitivity, which helped control blood sugar.

Sweet potatoes have been regarded by nutritionists as a balanced food and medicine. They have only one-third of the calories of rice of the same weight and contain almost no fat and cholesterol. Eating sweet potatoes regularly is good for human health and has a certain weight loss effect. However, don't eat too much sweet potatoes at one time to avoid abdominal discomfort symptoms such as heartburn, acid reflux or bloating.

Anti-cancer effects of sweet potatoes

The nutrients with the most anti-cancer effects in the diet are carotene (a precursor of vitamin A), vitamin C and folic acid, and sweet potatoes are rich in all three. A small sweet potato (about 2 taels) can provide twice the amount of vitamin A required by the human body every day, one-third of the daily amount of vitamin C required, and about 50 micrograms of folic acid; the dietary fiber content is higher than a bowl of oatmeal porridge. The antioxidant effects of carotene and vitamin C help resist the damage of oxidative stress to the genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), playing a certain anti-cancer role.

Eating sweet potatoes regularly helps maintain normal folate levels in the body. Low levels of folate in the body increase the risk of cancer. The high content of dietary fiber in sweet potatoes can promote gastrointestinal motility, prevent constipation and colorectal cancer.

Sweet potatoes prevent emphysema

An animal experiment at the University of Kansas in the United States found that rats that smoked had lower levels of vitamin A in their bodies and were more likely to develop emphysema, while rats that smoked and ate foods rich in vitamin A had a significantly lower incidence of emphysema. The reason why some long-term smokers live to be over 90 years old without developing emphysema may be related to the rich vitamin A content in their daily diet. Researchers recommend that smokers or passive smokers should eat some foods rich in vitamin A, such as sweet potatoes, every day to prevent emphysema.

Eating sweet potatoes should be scientific

First, it is not suitable to eat it raw, because the cell membrane of the starch in raw sweet potatoes has not been destroyed by high temperature and is difficult to digest;

Second, the steaming time should be extended appropriately to destroy the "gasification enzyme" it contains, so that you will not experience abdominal bloating, heartburn, hiccups, nausea, and flatulence after eating.

Third, eating it with rice or noodles can complement the protein; fourth, eating it with pickles or fresh radishes can reduce the production of stomach acid.

The above are the functions of sweet potatoes. Since sweet potatoes have so many benefits, I hope everyone will eat more of them.