Adult Health Family Health Food FOOD AND TRAVEL HEALTH Mom Health

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

sweet potatoes
Written by emilyc

Sweet potatoes contain a myriad of health benefits that their normal potato friends do not. Don’t worry, normal potatoes, we still love you; it’s just that sweet potatoes can help prevent diseases and other huge things like that. Did you read about how sweet potatoes can help relieve stress? Well, check out these 7 other health benefits of these delish veggies:

sweet potatoes

Antioxidants: Sweet potatoes are filled with vitamins A and C, which are key to the prevention of several different types of cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties: The sweet potato’s anti-inflammatory powers come from the vitamin C, vitamin B6, beta carotene, and manganese that it contains. The consumption of sweet potatoes can lower both internal and external inflammation.

Arthritis Prevention: Sweet potatoes can prevent chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, thanks to the amount of the antioxidant beta-cryptoxanthin that they contain. Studies show that people who consume foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin are 50% less likely to develop arthritis than those who don’t.

Blood Sugar: Both the carotenoids and soluble fiber in sweet potatoes help stabilize blood sugar and help the body respond better to insulin.

Stomach Ulcers: The B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, beta-carotene, and calcium in sweet potatoes can help heal stomach ulcers.  They can also reduce ulcer pain and are soothing to the stomach in general.

Emphysema Prevention: Emphysema and other lung diseases are often brought on by a deficiency in vitamin A associated with smoking. Sweet potatoes help prevent these diseases because they provide over 90% of the body’s vitamin A needs.

Digestive Health: Sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, which promotes a healthy digestive tract. Research shows that they can also help cleanse the body of heavy metals like mercury.

 

Image [via]

 

About the author

emilyc

Emily is a New Yorker trapped in a Floridian's body and loves every minute of her big city life. With a major in international business and years of being surrounded by ill-fitting suits and all the wrong shoes, she learned that the importance of fashion needs to be communicated to the world. To her, fashion is on the same level as charity work and feeding hungry children. Emily can be found frolicking the streets of her gayborhood enjoying the off-color humor of the gays.