Do you like to eat fragrant sweet potatoes?
Especially in winter, holding a steaming baked sweet potato, it truly feels very blissful; you can smell the aroma of baked sweet potatoes from afar.
However, there are mixed opinions about the effects of sweet potatoes. Some say eating sweet potatoes can help with weight loss, while others claim it can lead to weight gain. What is the truth about sweet potatoes? Today, let’s explore together.
What nutritional components do sweet potatoes contain?
Sweet potatoes are a nutrient-rich food, containing various nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, sodium, manganese, and more.
Healthy eating starts with “potatoes”! There are 5 benefits to regularly consuming starchy foods.
1. Promotes bowel movements
Sweet potatoes contain a lot of cellulose and pectin that are not easily broken down by digestive enzymes, helping to stimulate the secretion of digestive juices and intestinal motility, thus promoting bowel movements.
Sweet potatoes can also help expel harmful substances from the intestines, reducing the absorption of toxins. After being steamed or boiled, some of the starch in sweet potatoes undergoes changes, increasing dietary fiber by about 40% compared to raw ones, which effectively stimulates intestinal peristalsis and promotes defecation.
2. Beautifies the skin
Sweet potatoes contain mucoproteins, and regularly eating them can enhance the elasticity of blood vessel walls. They can also help prevent atherosclerosis.
Additionally, the original acid in sweet potatoes should not be overlooked; it can inhibit the formation of melanin in the skin, helping to effectively prevent various skin spots, such as freckles.
The estrogen in sweet potatoes is also a rare benefit, and regularly eating them can help maintain skin vitality. They have excellent effects in reducing wrinkles and moisturizing the skin.
3. Beneficial for the heart
Besides the beta-carotene and vitamins previously mentioned, sweet potatoes also contain potassium and folic acid, which are important for cardiovascular protection. Potassium helps maintain the acid-base balance of bodily fluids, sustaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Therefore, regularly eating sweet potatoes can be beneficial for preventing cardiovascular diseases.
4. Energizes the body
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, the body can easily develop various ailments due to qi deficiency; thus, it’s good to consume foods that replenish qi, and sweet potatoes are helpful for strengthening the spleen and stomach and supplementing qi.
They contain a large amount of mucoproteins and vitamins, which can enhance the body’s immunity and resistance, helping men to supplement qi and strengthen their bodies.
5. Maintains stable blood sugar
The low glycemic index carbohydrates in sweet potatoes release energy slowly, helping to maintain stable blood sugar levels, making them suitable for diabetic patients. Moreover, the dietary fiber in sweet potatoes slows down the speed of food emptying from the stomach, helping to control hunger and assist in weight loss.
Are sweet potatoes really a “weight loss wonder” or a “weight gain tool”? Don’t guess randomly; the answer is here.
Eating sweet potatoes during a weight loss period provides a strong sense of fullness, but it is important to control…
