Superfood – PURPLE sweet potato

Amazing. A “super-food” that is cheap and taste great. The latest in a long line of potentials to feed the world’s growing population……

 

The purple sweet potato's coloring is responsible for the chemical anthocyanin.  This substance produces red, blue or purple colors in different types of fruits and vegetables, like blueberries, red grapes and red cabbage.  However, the specially grown purple sweet potato has a higher concentration of the chemical than any other species of potato. Scientists have identified two stands of anthocyanin that can inhibit the growth of cancerous cells, especially useful for treating colon cancer.


Contents

 

Sweet potato far exceeds the nutrition and health values of rice. The nutritional values of a 3 oz. baked sweet potato are: calories 90, fat 0 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 0 mg, carbohydrate 21 g, protein 2 g, dietary fiber 3 g, sodium 36 mg.


Benefits

Some benefits are as follows:

1. Sweet potato is more filling and suppresses hunger pangs longer. This is ideal for those on weight management program to consider replacing fatty foods in their diets for this complex carbohydrate food.

2. Unlike rice, it is easy to grow like in backyards with or without fertilizers.

3. Unlike rice which needs to be eaten with a dish, sweet potato tastes good and can be eaten by itself. Thus, substituting rice with sweet potato saves money for other needs.

4. Rice cannot match the nutritional values of potato. As rice converts to sugar in the body, most Asian societies are plagued with diabetics. The poor have to make good with rice and less on the dish which are more expensive. That makes them vulnerable to diabetes, an ailment known in developed countries as a rich man’s disease.

On the other hand, sweet potato is not that sweet after all. Diabetics can eat without fearing of rising sugar level, given its low glycemic index. (This index measures the rate the body converts carbohydrates into sugar. The lower the index in a food, the slower it is being digested and thus allows a slower release of blood sugar.)

5. It can help patients who are suffering from hypertension, high cholesterol or blood sugar problem to improve their health conditions given the zero fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content. High fiber aids to reduce blood cholesterol and relieve constipation.

Our comments

+ This once upon a time known as ‘poor man’s’ food has joined the league of ‘super-food’. Our primitive ancestors survived well on its health-promoting benefits. Even during the World War I and II, Asians had little to eat and had to be contented with eating sweet potatoes to fill their stomach.

+ Whilst eating, keep the skin on as it contains more fibre than oatmeal. If you do not feel safe eating inorganic sweet potatoes and want to remove the skin, a fast way is to soak in cold water immediately after boiling. This process can also rid some of the starch content.

+ If you picked on the orange color sweet potato, the nutritional value is not much lesser. It has almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and four times the recommended allowance for beta carotene, both being potent antioxidant.

So much recent research have discovered its immense abilities in anti-inflammation, improves blood circulation, prevents free radicals from damaging connective tissues and cancer prevention. Include in your diet as much as possible.