The health benefits of sweet potatoes include their ability to help lose weight, boost immunity, aid in digestion, treat asthma and bronchitis, and control diabetes. Sweet potatoes also help in treating arthritis and stomach ulcers.

What Are Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet Potatoes, also known as yams, with the scientific name Ipomoea Batatas. The red variety has drier and harder flesh while the white and yellow types have juicier flesh. The red variety has a characteristic aroma which becomes more prominent on boiling. The more reddish or orange the color of the flesh of the sweet potatoes, the stronger this aroma will be. Perhaps this is due to the presence of beta-carotene, whose concentration also increases with the color.

Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

• Improves Digestion

The fiber content of sweet potatoes is higher than that of common potatoes and they taste good too! When these two factors are combined with other minerals like magnesium, which is present in sweet potatoes, it makes an excellent facilitator for digestion. Sweet potatoes are easy to digest as well since they mainly contain starch. They are soothing for the stomach and intestines, so you will avoid any difficulties of passing or digesting them.

• Promote Weight Gain

This benefit is quite easy to understand. Sweet potatoes contain good amounts of complex starch, along with healthy vitamins, minerals, and some proteins. Moreover, they are very easy to digest. Thus, they provide a lot of energy and are excellent bulk builders for people looking to gain weight.

People who have recently suffered from illnesses, or are self-conscious about being frail or abnormally thin should welcome this news about sweet potatoes since there are no associated side effects, which most of the synthetic bulk building dietary supplements have.

• Treat Inflammation

Like the common potatoes, sweet potatoes also have anti-inflammatory properties, although they belong to different food families. This is primarily due to the presence of beta-carotene, vitamin-C, and magnesium. They are equally effective in curing internal and external inflammation.

• Boost Immune System

Being very rich in beta-carotene, which is a major antioxidant, along with vitamin C and B complex vitamins, iron, and phosphorus, sweet potatoes are excellent immune system boosters that can defend your body from a wide variety of conditions and afflictions.

• Treat Asthma

Sweet potatoes are effective for curing congestion of the nose, bronchi, and lungs, thereby giving relief from asthma. Its typical aroma helps in this property.

• Treat Bronchitis

Sweet potatoes are believed to be capable of warming up the body, possibly due to the sweetness and other nutrients that impact body temperature. This property is also beneficial for people suffering from bronchitis, along with its powerful effect on congestion. The concentration of vitamin C, iron, and other nutrients help to cure bronchitis.

• Treat Arthritis

Beta-carotene, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin-B complex make sweet potatoes a hugely important food source for managing arthritis. The water where sweet potatoes are boiled can also be applied externally on joints to ease the associated pain of arthritis.

• Treat Cancer

Beta-carotene, the champion antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic substance is the pigment responsible for the color of the peel of the sweet potatoes. The beta-carotene and vitamin C contained in sweet potatoes are very beneficial for curing various types of cancer, mainly those of the colon, intestines, prostate, kidneys and other internal organs.

• Treat Stomach Ulcers

Sweet potatoes have a soothing effect on the stomach and the intestines. B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, and calcium are all very effective in curing stomach ulcers. Moreover, the roughage in sweet potatoes prevents constipation and the resultant acid formation, thereby reducing the chance of ulcers. The anti-inflammatory and soothing properties of sweet potatoes also reduce the pain and inflammation of the ulcers.

• Control Diabetes

Contrary to popular belief, sweet potatoes are beneficial for diabetics. Amazingly, they are very effective in regulating blood sugar levels by helping the proper secretion and function of insulin. Of course, that does not mean that diabetics should eat them indiscriminately. The idea is that sweet potatoes can replace rice or carbohydrate intake as a healthier option.

• Prevent Dehydration

The fiber or roughage present in sweet potatoes helps the body retain water. This maintains water balance in the body, keeping you hydrated and your cells functioning efficiently.

Other Benefits

Sweet potatoes are effective for helping people quit addictions like smoking, drinking, and taking certain narcotics. They are good for the health of the arteries and veins, as they protect their walls against hardening. The high concentration of beta-carotene and phosphorus are excellent for both ocular and cardiac health.

So, go out and grab a sweet potato for your next meal; they are delicious and nutritious. Yum! Yum! Yam!