I’ve always known sweet potatoes are good for us, but do you know just how good they are for us?
In terms of nutritional value, sweet potatoes are much better than the white potato. They have a distinct thin brown skin on the outside, with a coloured flesh inside, and can be eaten peeled or whole, as the leaves of the plant are edible too. Other varieties of include purple, yellow and white.
About sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre and also contain different vitamins and minerals including selenium, iron and calcium. They’re also a good source of vitamin B and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are high in an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A once it has been consumed. Just 80g of sweet potato counts towards one of our five-a-day.
Helping to reduce cancer
Whilst there are no single ‘superfoods’ that can prevent cancer, there is widespread evidence to suggest that eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of cancer. Studies have also suggested that antioxidants found in the peel of sweet potatoes, in particular the purple sweet potato may help reduce the oxidation process, thereby reducing the risk of cancer.
Antioxidant foods
Fruit and vegetables are also high in antioxidants, compounds that help defend the body from 'free radicals.' Another study in Asia also found that diets including vitamin A, including the sweet potato may also provide protection from lung cancer.
It's our job to make sure that our lifestyle and diet contribute to our wellness, however we manage to achieve it.
I discovered sweet potatoes a few years ago when out for a Mexican meal and they were served as baked, spicy wedges.
They are so much nicer and obviously much healthier than the white potato, which I now find to be quite tasteless and starchy, so I try to replace them with sweet potatoes whenever possible. I made a fish pie a few weeks ago with a sweet potato topping and it was delicious.
Making simple changes like this can help improve our diets and I'm all for that, especially if it tastes nice too.
Thank you. Yes, I think you're right. Although I'm not a lover of the sweet potato, I do recognise the benefits of adding it to our diets.
But your last paragraph sums up your response for me. It's all about making simple changes that will help us improve our diets and our health.
I love my sweet potatoes, candy yams as we call them.
Thank you for this information, you really help me take control of my eating.
Thanks Tim. Yes, I have to remember your wording is so different to ours. I've grown to like sweet potatoes (candy yams) because they're better than its counterpart and I need to stay well.
I'm pleased that what I write about helps you too. The information I put out on the site helps me too, although I still have to be careful what I eat.
As it happens, sweet potato agrees with me and it's good for us, so that's an added bonus.