If you think you’re not a fan of orange sweet potato, we’ll give you 10 reasons to love it! There are many ways to cook it, but the healthiest way to cook sweet potatoes is to boil them because it retains more of their nutrients and minerals. Other ways for how to eat sweet potato include eating them crispy (fried or baked), grilling them, or putting them in a salad.
You’ll find that they are pretty flexible with any dish and that you can cook it in many ways. So, why should you dig into it? Here are 10 great health benefits of adding orange sweet potato to your meals.
Orange sweet potato is rich in vitamin C
You’ve probably heard that vitamin C helps to build up your immune system and ward off cold and flu viruses, but did you know that it also improves your mental health?
Vitamin C helps our bodies cope with stress. It also helps our skin retain a healthy glow by producing collagen. If you want to look and feel better, grab a sweet potato.
They are high in vitamin D
This essential nutrient is both a vitamin and a hormone. Vitamin D helps maintain healthy bones and a strong immune system. It even factors into our energy levels and moods.
If you’re feeling tired toward the end of the day, try adding sweet potatoes to your diet.
They are rich in vitamin A
Vitamin A supports a healthy immune system by helping the skin and mucous membranes to effectively repel bacteria and viruses.
It is also essential to bone growth and reproductive health. Sweet potatoes are one of the rare foods that are extremely high in vitamin A.
They are high in vitamin B6
The B vitamins support skin, eye, liver, and hair health, which means that sweet potato benefits for skin include rejuvenation and anti-aging.
Vitamin B6 helps to prevent degenerative diseases such as heart attacks by reducing the chemical homocysteine in our systems.
They are a good source of potassium
Potassium is best known for helping to prevent muscle cramps, but it also has other amazing qualities. Potassium is an electrolyte that helps to regulate heartbeat and nerve signals.
It also helps to support healthy and efficient kidneys. If you’re asking how much potassium’s in sweet potato, you can refer to USDA’s data.
They contain powerful antioxidants
Sweet potatoes are high in carotenoids, such as beta carotene, that strengthen our eyesight and boost our immune system.
They are high in fiber
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, which helps to promote digestive health. I would way rather eat a sweet potato than one of those awful fiber bars!
Iron in Sweet Potato
Iron is essential to maintaining energy levels throughout the day. It also helps in the production of red and white blood cells and the metabolism of proteins and other nutrients.
Iron helps support a properly functioning immune system and a healthy resistance to stress.
They are a good source of magnesium
You probably don’t keep track of how much magnesium you eat in a day, but this mineral is crucial to your daily health. Magnesium is essential to your arteries, blood, bones, heart, muscles, and nerves.
Even if you don’t want to keep track of your magnesium intake each day, you can rest easy knowing that sweet potatoes are helping you with your health.
They have natural sugar
You may have heard the advice to stay away from sugar, but the natural sugars in this starch are easily broken down by the body. They are slowly released in the bloodstream, so, unlike eating other kinds of sugar, getting your sugar fix from sweet potatoes won’t make you crash later.
Takeaway
Orange sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients, don’t you think? Who would have thought that this one root crop has all of these benefits! It’s a bonus that they taste good, too, so you will enjoy every bite.
Source: Care 2