Benefits of the Foods We Eat: Sweet Potatoes

I'm not doing as much research during this experiment as I hoped I would be. Most of my "free" time is spent finding recipes to try, but I've found myself wondering what makes the foods I eat healthy. So, I thought I could at least spend a few minutes every now and then reading about different foods and posting my findings here.

Maybe it's because I just had that delicious sweet potato minestrone last night and I have sweet potatoes on my mind, or maybe it's just because I love sweet potatoes, but that's what I'm going to start with. I've always heard sweet potatoes referred to as a super food, so I figured that meant it was good for me, but I now can say I know why. Here's what I've learned about sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes are abundant in vitamin A (with one medium sweet potato containing more than your daily requirement. Vitamin A helps to boost your immune system, brings health to your vision by "feeding" your retinas, helps with the reproduction that goes on within your body and in your skin (helping you have smooth skin), it also helps you to fight infection and can help protect against certain types of cancer and disease. A deficiency in vitamin a is believed to be an accomplice to smoking in causing Emphysema.

Sweet potatoes also contain vitamin c, which we all know helps to strengthen our immune system. Did you also know it's known to help improve skin health and may prevent some wrinkling?

Sweet potatoes have manganese which is also great for the immune system and can help improve energy. Manganese can strengthen your bones, collagen, and ligaments- so it's good for athletes, and aids in nerve function. It can also help nursing mothers with production of breast milk and (for adults' eyes only) is good for sexual health as well.

Sweet potatoes are also high in fiber which is great for regulating the digestive system. Here's where I came across the one and only warning about eating sweet potatoes. If you have health problems related to your gallbladder or kidneys, you should speak with your health care provider about how much or if sweet potatoes should be included in your diet because they contain a small amount of oxalates which can cause kidney damage if the body cannot process it efficiently.

Vitamin B also joins the list of vitamins contained in sweet potatoes. Vitamin b, I've learned, is a vitamin we need to continually replenish because our bodies cannot store it. It's good for so many things too, such as fetal development in pregnant women, metabolizing fats, and keeping your skin, hair, and eyes healthy.

Sweet potatoes also contain iron. I'll be honest, I didn't expect that. I guess I've always just associated iron with meat. Iron helps your body to transport oxygen and, once again, helps you to have healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Wow! I love sweet potatoes even more now knowing that they do so much for me while also being so delicious. Thank you sweet potatoes!