Sweet potatoes are root vegetables that are grown worldwide, they look a bit like pototoes but they come in different shapes and skin colours. Sweet potatoes are starchy and have a sweet taste.
Here are a number of health benefits that sweet potatoes have :
1. Highly Nutritious
Sweet potatoes are a great source fibre, vitamins and minerals. They are also rich in antioxidants that protect the body from free radical damage and chronic disease.
2. Promote Gut health
Sweet potatoes contains fibre and antioxidants that are advantageous to gut health, bacteria and contribute to a healthy gut.
3. May have cancer fighting properties
Sweet potatoes offer various antioxidants that may help protect against certain types of cancers.
The purple sweet potatoes contains a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins which slows down certain types of cancer cells.
4. Support Healthy Vision
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, this is the antioxidant responsible for its bright orange colour.
The beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and used to form light-detecting receptors inside the eyes.
The vegetable is also rich in Anthocyanins that may help prevent vision loss and improve eye health.
5. May Enhance Brain Function
Consuming the purple skin colour sweet potato may improve brain function.
Anthocyanins in purple sweet potatoes can protect the brain by reducing inflammation and preventing free radical damage.
Supplementing with anthocyanins-rich sweet potato extract has been shown to improve learning and memory in mice.
6. May support the immune system
Orange colour fleshed sweet potatoes are one of the richest natural sources of beta-carotene, A plant based compound that is converted to vitamin A in the body.
Vitamin A is critical to a healthy immune system, The vitamin A helps support the immune system and gut health.
Sweet potatoes are very tasty and easy to add in meals. Can be enjoyed cooked, baked or fried.
Source: www.healthline.com/nutrition/sweet-potato-benefits
Content created and supplied by: Augustus_tee (via Opera News )
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