Sweet potato is a plant with a large edible root vegetable, which is also called sweet potato. His homeland is South America. Nowadays, sweet potatoes are successfully grown in many equatorial and tropical countries. It is especially popular in China and Indonesia.
The sweet potato has a high yield and good taste. It is also beneficial for health, because it contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and other substances necessary for the body. However, sweet potatoes also have contraindications.
The "sweet potato" contains vitamins A, C, PP, as well as group B, trace elements: magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus. It is also rich in fiber, organic acids, disaccharides, starch. Sweet potato is a low-calorie food. 100 grams of "sweet potato" contains only about 60 calories.
Due to this, and also because sweet potato tastes good and is easy to digest, it is very useful in dietary nutrition.
Due to the presence of trace elements magnesium and potassium, sweet potatoes have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and nervous system. And vitamins PP and B6 strengthen the walls of blood vessels well, making them stronger and more elastic. Some of the substances that make up sweet potatoes are antioxidants, so regular consumption of this product reduces the risk of developing cancer. Sweet potato is used as an antidepressant because it contains potassium, which a person loses during stress. In addition, it helps to lower blood cholesterol.
Despite its low calorie content, sweet potatoes quickly create a feeling of fullness that lasts for a long time. This is not only due to the high content of slowly digesting fiber, but also due to the fact that this root vegetable is rich in complex carbohydrates. In the process of digestion, they break down to sugars and, being absorbed into the blood, make a person feel full.
Eating sweet potatoes increases the body's immunity, helps fight stress, insomnia, and helps to get rid of chronic fatigue syndrome. Finally, sweet potatoes are very useful for those women who have hormonal disturbances (especially with menopause). This plant has anti-aging properties. That is why it is used in cosmetology.
Sweet potatoes should be consumed by smokers, as this plant will prevent the appearance of diseases such as pulmonary emphysema. This plant is useful for athletes as well, as it helps to increase performance.
Summing up everything that has been said, we can conclude that sweet potato is a very valuable, useful plant.
You can eat not only root vegetables, but also sweet potato stalks after removing the bitter milky juice, as well as seeds from which a drink similar to coffee is made.
At the same time, it must be remembered that both the sweet potato itself and preparations made on its basis (tinctures, powders) are contraindicated for stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, diverticulitis (hernial protrusion of intestinal tracts), intestinal inflammation, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. It is not recommended to use it for those people who have kidney stones. Sweet potatoes can be mashed, baked in foil, or fried in olive oil.
