Sweet potatoes can be a 'savior' for a balanced diet

Sweet potatoes are a starchy root vegetable that can be a healthy part of a balanced diet. They may help prevent heart disease and cancer, reduce inflammation, and regulate blood sugar levels.

Sweet potatoes are low in calories, can help with weight loss but contain many nutrients that are good for health - Illustration photo

In addition, the calories in sweet potatoes are relatively low, which can support weight loss. The main effects most often targeted by sweet potatoes are as follows:

Provides essential nutrients

Beta-carotene: The orange flesh of sweet potatoes contains a rich amount of beta-carotene. It has antioxidant properties and is important for eye health.

Manganese: A mineral that supports the immune system. It also aids other processes, such as digestion, blood sugar regulation, and bone development.

Potassium: Potassium plays an important role in nerve function, muscle contraction, and heart rhythm regulation. It also transports nutrients in and out of cells.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is important for eye health. Vitamin A also helps keep teeth strong.

Vitamin C: This vitamin supports immune function, especially during cold and flu season. It can shorten the duration and severity of cold symptoms if you do get sick.

Provides antioxidants

Many nutrients found in sweet potatoes, such as vitamins C and E, act as powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants can help prevent the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

They may also counteract the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage cells, increasing the risk of disease and premature aging.

Choose purple sweet potatoes for even more antioxidants. The pigment that gives sweet potatoes their color has powerful antioxidant properties.

Improve heart health

Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber. Fiber binds to bile acids in the intestines, forcing the liver to use cholesterol to produce more bile. This process helps remove excess cholesterol from the blood. High blood cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease.

May aid weight loss

Sweet potatoes are a source of resistant starch, a type of starch that is used as an energy source by the beneficial bacteria in your large intestine. Therefore, it is considered a soluble fiber.

Resistant starch may aid weight loss and weight management by increasing the release of peptides, which help your body recognize when you're full.

It also reduces the amount of fat stored in the body. Being overweight and obese are some of the most common risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight is key to preventing these conditions.

Regulate blood sugar levels

Some people may think sweet potatoes are too starchy, but their high fiber content makes them a slow-digesting starch, which is digested and releases glucose slowly, helping to stabilize blood sugar and keep you feeling full longer. One baked sweet potato provides about 4 grams of fiber.

Foods rich in fiber help regulate blood sugar levels. Fiber helps your intestines absorb sugar more slowly, preventing spikes in blood sugar levels.

Nutritional value of sweet potatoes

One sweet potato can provide the following nutritional values:

Calories: 112

Fat: 0.1g

Sodium: 71.5mg

Carbohydrate: 26.1g

Fiber: 3.9g

Added sugars: 0g

Protein: 2g

It should also be noted that the way of cooking also affects the healthiness of sweet potatoes for some groups of diseases. For example, doctors recommend that baked sweet potatoes will become sweeter than when boiled, and thus affect people with diabetes.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khoai-lang-co-the-la-cuu-tinh-cho-che-do-an-uong-can-bang-20251116103823518.htm