Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes & How They Can Help You Lose Weight

Of late, there has been a lot of focus on the health benefits of sweet potatoes. The credit goes to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for popularizing the immense health benefits of this humble vegetable that has been around for centuries.

Technically, sweet potatoes are sweet, starchy root vegetables that are extremely healthy and rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Although they are termed 'sweet potatoes', they are very distantly related to the table favorite potato.

Sweet potatoes come in hundreds of different varieties. Some have flesh that's white or cream in color. Some are purple, red, or yellow. You're most likely to find the "Covington" variety at the shop. Its pulp is bright orange and has pink skin.

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Nutrition Profile of Sweet Potatoes

The health benefits of sweet potatoes are numerous. They're an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. A cup of baked sweet potato with skin will provide the following nutrients.

• Calories: 180
• Carbs: 41 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Fat: 0.3 g
• Fiber: 6.6 g
• Vitamin A: 213% of Recommended Daily Value (RDV)
• Vitamin B6: 34% of the RDV
• Vitamin C: 44% of the RDV
• Potassium: 20% of the RDV
• Manganese: 43% of the RDV
• Copper: 36% of the RDV
• Pantothenic acid: 35% of the RDV
• Niacin: 19% of the RDV

Sweet potatoes are also rich in antioxidants that help protect the body against free radicals. Unstable molecules called free radicals have the ability to harm DNA and cause inflammation.

Ageing and chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease have been linked with free radical damage. Consuming foods high in antioxidants is, therefore, beneficial for health.

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Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

Check out some amazing health benefits of sweet potatoes:

1) Improved immunity

Low blood levels of vitamin A have been connected to weakened immunity, as it's essential for a healthy immune system.

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are an excellent source of plant-based beta-carotene that the body transforms to vitamin A. Sweet potatoes can help prevent vitamin A deficiency, but no direct research has been done on the co-relation between sweet potatoes and immune health.

Immunity is also directly related to gut health. If your gut is healthy, your immunity level will be high and vice versa. One of the more popular health benefits of sweet potatoes is that they're known to be a good promoter of gut health for all the fiber they provide.

2) Gut Health

One of the major health benefits of sweet potato is that they can be extremely beneficial for gut health. The fiber and antioxidants present in sweet potatoes help keep the gut happy.

Sweet potatoes are a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber absorbs water and softens stool. Insoluble fibers do not absorb water, so they add bulk to stool.

Some soluble and insoluble fibers can be fermented by the bacteria in the colon, producing substances known as short-chain fatty acids that provide energy to the cells in the intestinal lining and maintain their strength. Fiber-rich diets have been linked to regular bowel movements and lower risk of colon cancer.

3) Good for Eyes

One of the best health benefits of sweet potatoes is that they're very good for maintaining eye health.

Sweet potatoes are very rich in beta-carotene (at least the orange ones are), and this pigment is converted to vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A is used to form light-detecting receptors in the eyes.

Vitamin A is known to be essential for maintaining eye health, reducing age-related macular degeneration, and preventing night-blindness. They're also rich in anthocyanins, which may be beneficial for overall eye health.

Apart from these health benefits of sweet potatoes, they're also touted to have cancer-fighting properties, can lower chances of heart disease, and also enhance brain function. They can help control blood sugar and hence diabetes, as they have a low glycemic index.

You can read more about the benefits, side effects, and nutritional facts of sweet potatoes.

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Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Weight Loss

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of complex carbs and fiber. They contain both types of fiber — soluble and insoluble; viscous soluble fiber helps slow down digestion and keeps you full for longer.

Sweet potatoes can help you eat fewer calories by promoting the feeling of fullness. Sweet potatoes are 77% water and 13% fiber when they're raw. That means they can keep you satisfied while consuming fewer calories and giving you long-lasting energy.

Keep in mind, though, that you will have to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. Hence, even while including sweet potatoes in your diet, be mindful of the portion sizes and the number of total calories you're consuming.

To take advantage of one of the most popular health benefits of sweet potatoes, you can include low-fat, low-carb recipes in your diet. Recipes like sweet potato chips, mashed or baked sweet potatoes, and sweet potato toast are very popular these days.