Health Benefits Of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet, starchy root vegetables have many health benefits. Sweet potatoes come in a variety of sizes and colors including purple, orange, and white. Sweet potatoes have many health benefits as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

Sweet potatoes are known for their high vitamin A content. Apart from this, they are also rich in vitamin C, Vitamin B, and a small amount of Vitamin E.

Here are 6 health benefits of sweet potatoes:

Good for gut health:

Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and antioxidants that make them very advantageous for gut health. Fiber is good for your digestive tract and thus it provides a variety of gut-related health benefits.

It may contain cancer-fighting properties:

Sweet potatoes contain anthocyanins, a group of antioxidants found in purple sweet potatoes that has been found to slow the growth of certain types of cancer cells in test tubes studies that include those with the bladder colon, stomach, and breast. In test-tube studies, it has been found that even the extracts of orange sweet potatoes and sweet potato peels have anti-cancer properties.

But more research and studies are needed to prove this.

May improve brain function:

Studies conducted on animals have found that anthocyanins present in purple potatoes can protect the brain by reducing inflammation and preventing free radical damage. Anthocyanin-rich sweet potato extract has been shown to improve learning and memory in mice. Till now no studies have been conducted on humans, yet diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and antioxidants are associated with a 13 percent lower risk of mental decline and dementia.

May Protect Your Vision:

Foods with orange or reddish color have beta carotene, a carotenoid that supports healthy vision by protecting eye cells from free radical damage and by even producing new light-detecting cells and orange sweet potatoes are one of the best dietary sources of vitamin A and beta carotene. Various forms of vision impairments and blindness are associated with the deficiencies of vitamin A.

Good for the immune system:

Sweet potatoes with orange-flesh are one of the richest natural sources of beta carotene, it is a plant-based compound that is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is critical to a healthy immune system.

Good For Hair and Skin:

Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants and vitamins such as vitamin A and E that support healthy hair and skin by increasing cell turnover and nourishing hair follicles.