|
Dr. Jerrica Sweetnich
In our house we try our best to eat whatever vegetables are in season, and the first vegetable that comes to mind when I think of the fall is the sweet potato! Sweet, filling, versatile and nutritious, sweet potatoes are a power house of a food. Let’s take a look at why these vegetables are so awesome.
-
Beta carotene.
Sweet potatoes contain a large amount of beta carotene, which in the body will convert to vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for skin health, immune functioning, and especially eye health. Conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A is usually low in the body, so the fact that sweet potatoes contain so much beta carotene is a good thing. Helpful tidbit: adding fat will help the conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A.
-
Potassium.
A sweet potato contains 28% more potassium than a banana. Potassium is so crucial to our well being as it is involved in every bodily system including muscular contractions, nerve signaling, and fluid balance, just to name a few.
-
Sustained energy.
Sweet potatoes contain some sugar but they also contain a good amount of fiber: this combination results in a slower, longer release of glucose in the body, giving you energy for a longer period of time.
-
Pyridoxine/B6.
Sweet potatoes provide a good source of pyridoxine, or vitamin B6. This vitamin is important for a wide array of bodily processes, including but not limited to central nervous system functioning, neurotransmitter synthesis, DNA and RNA synthesis, and energy production. Interesting fact: women who take oral contraceptive pills have been found to have a higher risk of Vitamin B6 deficiency, so ladies, eat your sweet potatoes!
-
Magnesium.
Magnesium is one of the most abundant cofactors in our body and is important for proper muscle and cardiovascular function, amoung other things, and can also be used as a sleep aid! Sweet potatoes are a great way to incorportate magnesium in your diet.
Though both are healthy, compared to regular white potatoes, sweet potatoes are higher in both vitamins A & C, and fiber- they also contain less carbohydrates and calories.
Fun Tid-Bit:
Sweet potatoes are also starting to be researched in regards to colon and prostate cancer prevention. One study from the World Journal of Gastroenterology showed that proteins taken from the roots of sweet potatoes hinder colon cancer tumor growth and restrain the cancer from spreading. Another study from the journal Carcinogenesis showed that nutrients extracted from sweet potatoes inhibit prostate tumor growth.
Sources:
Gundala SR, Yang C, Lakshminarayana N, Asif G, Gupta MV, Shamsi S, Aneja R. Polar biophenolics in sweet potato greens extract synergize to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation and in vivo tumor growth. Carcinogenesis. 2013 Sep;34(9):2039-49. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgt141. Epub 2013 Apr 29. PubMed PMID: 23629419.
Li PG, Mu TH, Deng L. Anticancer effects of sweet potato protein on human colorectal cancer cells. World J Gastroenterol. 2013 Jun 7;19(21):3300-8. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i21.3300. PubMed PMID: 23745032; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3671082.
|
