Sweet potatoes are tasty desserts but are even more useful for their health benefits. They are very helpful in preventing blindness and also in helping you lose excess weight.
How Sweet Potatoes Can Help You Prevent Blindness
It is a widely acknowledged fact that most preventable blindness is caused by a deficiency in Vitamin A.
The WHO also states that vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of increased infant mortality as it leaves the children to be prone to opportunistic infections.
It is estimated by the WHO that about 250 million young children worldwide are vitamin A deficient.
There has been an increase in the number of companies producing products through genetic modification to generate highly nutrient rich crops that can be provided to regions with the highest prevalence of vitamin deficiency through a process of bio-fortification.
In South Africa bio-fortification of sweet potatoes is already in progress. This crop is rich in beta-carotene it is this compound that our body converts to vitamin A.
Since sweet potato is a staple food crop in South Africa it has also provided them with the opportunity of modifying their potatoes the way they like it such as being with a firm texture and dry.
Sweet Potatoes Can Help You Lose Weight And This Is How
Though they are called sweet potatoes they do not contain high levels of sugar and they will actually regulate your blood sugar levels.
They contain carbohydrates but also have a compound that acts by raising your adiponectin levels.
This hormone – Adiponectin helps to control and regulate your blood sugar levels and also sweet potatoes glycemic index rating is low which also prevents a spiking in your blood sugar.
Boiled or steamed sweet potatoes are healthier than roasted ones as they will lose majority of their nutrients in the process and this also applies to most fruits and veggies.
Sweet potatoes low glycemic index helps in giving you a full feeling and helping to curb those cravings as they will stay in your digestive tract longer. The fibre content in sweet potatoes us considerably high which also helps you feel full for an extended period of time. By eating a medium-sized sweet potato you will have get about 4 grams of natural fiber.
Some sweet potato recipes:
1. Try the Sweet Potato with Carrot healthy Soup
Try this simple and highly creamy soup which can be made in just a few minutes. This soup is great as lunch meals just use your food processor and whip the carrots and potatoes together. You can also use chicken broth as an alternative to veggie stock if you are a vegetarian.
2. Tasty Sweet Potato Baked Latkes
All you need do is to grate some sweet potatoes and mix with nutmeg, cinnamon, flour and eggs. It is tasty and a great meal for your entire family.
3. Eat The Sweet Potato Wedges
Standard potatoes have more fat and are less tasty than potato wedges.
Use it as a side dish with your pork or ham. Only take note that it takes about 45 minutes to make so you might want to make it over the weekend.
4. Sweet Potato And Apple Hash Browns
Just chop your sweet potatoes and apples to make hash browns. Be careful to avoid mixing butter and any unhealthy ingredients to your hash browns.
Source: The Science of Eating