A side dish of sweet potatoes provides your family with a host of nutritional benefits such as vitamins, carbohydrates and fiber. If a plain sweet potato doesn't excite your palate, consider making your sweet potatoes into a pie, casserole or souffle or topping them with brown sugar and almonds. However you choose to serve these flavor-rich vegetables, you're guaranteed a heart-healthy addition to any meal.
Fiber
Sweet potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. According to the American Dietetic Association, soluble fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar levels stable. Lower cholesterol levels help prevent blockages in the arteries that cause heart disease while stable blood sugar levels reduce hunger between meals. Insoluble fiber, by contrast, improves digestive health by adding bulk and weight to the stool, thus increasing regularity and reducing the likelihood of constipation.
Vitamin A
If you need additional vitamin A in your diet, look no further than a sweet potato. Texas A & M University notes that a single 3.5 oz sweet potato contains twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a crucial role in vision and boosts your immune system's response to infections and illnesses. Vitamin A is also a necessary requirement of sperm production, greatly contributing to male reproductive health.
Complex Carbohydrates
The average sweet potato contains 22g of complex carbohydrates. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which subsequently provides you with the energy you need to go about your daily tasks. As opposed to the simple carbohydrates contained in sugary snacks, however, complex carbohydrates take longer to digest--staving off hunger pangs until your next meal.
Vitamin C
Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin C. A single medium-sized sweet potato provides you with almost 30 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Long heralded as the vitamin to take to ward off illness, vitamin C boasts other health benefits as well. Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute notes that high vitamin C levels are associated with a decreased risk of developing cataracts, gout, kidney stones, coronary heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Potassium
Potassium is a crucial electrolyte contained in sweet potatoes that contributes to smooth muscle function. Potassium maintains your body's water balance and helps ward off heart disease. A University of Maryland Medical Center report notes that maintaining adequate levels of potassium can reduce your risk of a stroke and claims that some studies connect high potassium levels with a reduction in blood pressure.
References
- The World's Healthiest Foods: Sweet Potato In-depth Nutrient Analysis
- American Dietetic Association: Health Implications of Dietary Fiber
- Texas A&M University: What Is the Difference Between a Sweet Potato and a Yam?
- Colorado State University: Vitamin A (Retinol)
- Harvard Health Publications: Carbohydrates and Health--Not That Simple...or That Complex
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