Sweet Potato

One of my customers asked me if sweet potatoes would make him fat. I said no as long as he doesn't eat them excessively. The name sounds like there are a lot of carbohydrates in them. But actually the amount in a half cup of sweet potato is almost same as that of one slice of whole grain bread. Also the calories (114 calories) are less than those (140 calories) of one slice of the bread. It may surprise you. Sweet potatoes contains a lot of good nutrients for your health. They are among the most nutritious foods in the vegetable kingdom. They are easy to cook. You just poke it with a fork several time, microwave it for 2 minutes 30 seconds, turn it over, and microwave it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. It is ready to eat. My dog (Staffordshire bull terrier) loves them. What do they have as nutrients?

They contain beta-carotene (antioxidant). Sweet potatoes with purples flesh have anthocyanins (primarily peonidins and cyanidins) which are antioxidant properties and have anti-inflammatory properties. Sporamins (proteins) in sweet potatoes have antioxidant properties. Antioxydants prevent oxidative damages to our cells which could cause cancer. They have a significant amount of dietary fiber and a moderate glycemmic index (GI)-around 50. I explain about GI index elsewhere in my site. They have blood sugar regulation benefits probably by increasing adiponectin levels in the blood. Adiponectin is produced by our fat cells, and modify insulin metabolism. They also contain resin glycosides called batatins and batatosides which have antibacterial and antifungal properties.

A half cup of sweet potato (114 grams) has only 102.60 calories (5.7% of daily value). You may be surprised at the low calories. The total fat is 0.17 g. The trans fat is 0.00 g. The saturated fat is 0.04 g. The mono unsaturated fat is 0.00 g. The poly unsaturated fat is 0.07 g. The cholesterol is 0.00 mg. The carbohydrates is 23.61 g (7.87%). The dietary fiber is 3.76 g (15.04%) in the carbohydrates. The protein is 2.29 g (4.58). It has vitamin A (438.2%), vitamin C (37.2%), manganese (28.5%), vitamin B6 (16.5%), tryptophan (15.6), potassium (15.5%), vitamin B5 (10.1%), copper (9.0%), vitamin B3 (8.5). The components are rated as good to excellent among world's healthiest foods.

They have high oxalates which are components of kidney and gallbladder stones. If you already have existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems, you should avoid eating sweet potatoes.