Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Health

Who doesn't know sweet potatoes? This food source is not foreign to most Indonesian people.

You can easily get it in traditional markets or supermarkets. However, before buying it, you need to know some of the benefits of sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes contain unique health benefits. "In general, the more colors you can add to foods derived from fruits and vegetables, the better," said a sports dietician, Yasi Ansari in Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, many nutritional benefits are not a reason to eat fried sweet potatoes at every opportunity.

Reported in Time, this is what you need to know about how healthy sweet potatoes are, plus the best way to put them in the diet. "All potatoes are nutrient-rich and healthy for you," said dietitian and owner of BZ Nutrition, Brigitte Zeitlin in New York.

Sweet potatoes have lower calories and carbohydrates than potatoes. In addition, it is also higher in vitamin A and antioxidants that boost immunity and help you maintain healthy skin and vision. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one sweet potato provides more than 100 percent of the recommended daily vitamin A rations.

Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin C and vitamin B6 which are important for the health of the brain and nervous system. Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium and magnesium to help improve heart health by helping to regulate blood pressure.

Better yet, one sweet potato has about four grams of vegetable fiber which helps you maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Zeitlin said the point of all vegetables, as long as they are not fried, is a healthy choice to go on a diet and offer a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

High carbohydrate sweet potatoes

As starchy root vegetables, yams have more carbohydrates than non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli. Half a cup of sweet potatoes contains about 13 grams of carbohydrates, while the same amount of broccoli is only about 3 grams. Sweet potatoes provide more energy than flourless vegetables, making them an excellent fuel source for daily activities and especially athletic performance.

The healthiest way to eat sweet potatoes

When buying sweet potatoes, choose bright colors. Some studies have found that the deeper the coloration of sweet potatoes (whether it is orange, yellow or purple), the higher the nutritional content. You also don't have to peel it. "The healthiest way is to eat it with the skin because that's where a lot of fiber is," Zeitlin said. Sweet potato skin also contains many antioxidants.

The best way to cook sweet potatoes

Some studies have found ways to cook sweet potatoes by steaming, grilling, and boiling can maintain different nutrients in sweet potatoes so that all types of processed nutritious. You can also let it cool and pound it into a smoothie with soy milk, protein powder and cinnamon, make soup, or make baked chips. Mashed sweet potatoes are even good as an antioxidant-rich dessert, how to add maple syrup or honey and sprinkles of walnuts.

Be careful in cooking because cooking too long can cause loss of nutrients. Also keep in mind, the portion size of sweet potato is usually half a glass, the size of a computer mouse or the palm of your hand.

Fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A are best absorbed with a source of fat, so add a little source of fat to sweet potatoes. You can pour olive oil on the sweet potato before baking it. Another way to add healthy fat is to eat sweet potatoes with avocados, chopped pecans or walnuts.