“Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes”

 

ANTIOXIDANTS APLENTY: Not all sweet potatoes are orange. Their skins and insides can be white, yellow, brown, red, pink, and purple. The range of color brings different nutrients to the table. Purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are thought to contain super-high levels of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. As these substances pass through your system, they balance out free radicals -- chemicals that harm your cells.

VITAMINS A VICTORY: Just one medium baked sweet potato can give your body a whopping 400% of the vitamin A it needs to keep your eyes and skin healthy and help hold off illness.

A BETA-CARTENE BOOST: Deep-orange sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant thought to fend off illness. This might include certain cancers as well as eye disease.

HEALTHY PREP IS EASY: The way you cook your sweet potatoes can make a big difference in the nutrition you’ll get from the dish. One study measured how many carotenoids, like beta-carotene, stayed in the food afterward. The simplest method, oven baking, turned out to be the best.

CANCER-FIGHTING COMPOUNDS: Scientists found these colorful spuds have a unique protein called a protease inhibitor. When tested against cancer cells, it appeared to halt some growth.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS: Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin C, which revs up your immune system. High potassium levels help control blood pressure, while calcium bolsters your bones.

BETTER FOR BLOOD SUGAR: White potatoes, the ones you normally eat baked or as french fries, rank high on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly food affects your blood sugar. Sweet potatoes rate lower. They also have more fiber -- about 5 grams in a 3/4 cup serving -- which slows digestion and keeps you feeling fuller longer.

FABULOUS FIBER: If you’re trying to trim down, they’re stuffed with filling fiber. For a satisfying meal, bake them in the skin. Or serve them on the side, mashed, roasted, or chopped into a savory stew. White potatoes have their assets -- both tater types are fat-free -- but the sweet ones have slightly fewer calories and carbs.

IRON MAN WORTHY: Sweet potatoes a good source of iron. That makes them star material for vegetarians and vegans. Here’s why: Meat has heme iron, which your body absorbs more easily than the non-heme type found in fruits, veggies, and nuts. But if you eat foods with lots of vitamin C, like sweet potatoes, your body can absorb the non-heme iron better.

SWEET HISTORY: Sweet potatoes often get confused with other veggies. Most often it’s yams. Truth is, they come from a far older family. Sweet potatoes can trace their roots back to prehistoric Ecuador and Peru. Yams, which are native to West Africa and Asia, only date back to 50,000 B.C. They’re rare outside those areas, so that dish labeled yams might really be sweet potatoes.

YEAR ‘ROUND GOODNESS: You might link sweet potatoes with holidays like Thanksgiving, when they play a starring role in casseroles and pies. Why limit them to a couple of months when you can enjoy them anytime? Most supermarkets carry raw and canned potatoes all year. You can also find them in newer products like potato chips and frozen fries.

REVIEWED BY: Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, WebMD on November 04, 2018

REFERENCES:

Cleveland Clinic: “White Potatoes Versus Sweet Potatoes: Which are Healthier?”

Mayo Clinic: “Slide show: Add antioxidants to your diet.”

American Academy of Ophthalmology: “What Is Vitamin A Deficiency?”

NC State University: “What is the Difference Between a Sweetpotato and a Yam?”

Library of Congress: “What Is the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?”

NC State Plants for Human Health Institute: “Taking Sweet Potatoes Beyond the Thanksgiving Feast.”

USDA: “National Nutrient Database: Sweet Potato.”

National Cancer Institute: “Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention.”

Johnson, E.J. Nutrition In Clinical Care, March-April 2002.

Vimala, B. Journal of Food Science and Technology, August 2011.

Li, P.G. World Journal of Gastroenterology, June 7, 2013.

USDA: “Household USDA Food Fact Sheet: Sweet Potatoes, Fresh.”

NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements: “Vitamin E.”

National Kidney Foundation: “Potassium and Your CKD Diet.”

American Heart Association: “Potassium and High Blood Pressure.”

Asif, M. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 2014.

Harvard Health Publications: “Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods.”

American Red Cross: “Iron-Rich Foods.”

LSU Ag Center: “Sweet Potato Quick Facts.”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.  

“10 Foods That Are Good for Your Eyes”

RAW RED PEPPERS: Bell peppers give you the most vitamin C per calorie. That's good for the blood vessels in your eyes, and science suggests it could lower your risk of getting cataracts. It's found in many vegetables and fruits, including bok choy, cauliflower, papayas, and strawberries. Heat will break down vitamin C, so go raw when you can. Brightly colored peppers also pack eye-friendly vitamins A and E.

SUNFLOWER SEEDS AND NUTS: An ounce of these seeds or almonds has half the amount of vitamin E the USDA recommends for adults each day. A large study found that vitamin E, together with other nutrients, can help slow age-related macular degeneration (AMD) from getting worse. It may also help prevent cataracts. Hazelnuts, peanuts (technically legumes), and peanut butter are also good sources of vitamin E.

DARK, LEAFY GREENS: Kale, spinach, and collard greens, for example, are rich in both vitamins C and E. They also have the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These plant-based forms of vitamin A lower your risk of long-term eye diseases, including AMD and cataracts. Most people who eat Western diets don't get enough of them.

SALMON: Your retinas need two types of omega-3 fatty acids to work right: DHA and EPA. You can find both in fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and trout, as well as other seafood. Omega-3s also seem to protect your eyes from AMD and glaucoma. Low levels of these fatty acids have been linked to dry eyes.

SWEET POTATOES: Orange-colored fruits and vegetables -- like sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, mangos, and apricots -- are high in beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A that helps with night vision, your eyes' ability to adjust to darkness. One sweet potato also has more than half the vitamin C you need in a day and a little vitamin E.

LEAN MEAT AND POULTRY: Zinc brings vitamin A from your liver to your retina, where it's used to make the protective pigment melanin. Oysters have more zinc per serving than any other food, but you don't have to be a shellfish lover to get enough: Beef, pork, and chicken (both dark and breast meat) are all good sources.

BEANS AND LEGUMES: Prefer a vegetarian, low-fat, high-fiber option to help keep your vision sharp at night and slow AMD? Chickpeas are also high in zinc, as are black-eyed peas, kidney beans, and lentils. A can of baked beans will do the job, too.

EGGS: It's a great package deal: The zinc in an egg will help your body use the lutein and zeaxanthin from its yolk. The yellow-orange color of these compounds blocks harmful blue light from damaging your retina. They help boost the amount of protective pigment in the macula, the part of your eye that controls central vision.

SQUASH: Your body can't make lutein and zeaxanthin, but you can get them from squash all year long. Summer squash also has vitamin C and zinc. The winter kind will give you vitamins A and C as well as omega-3 fatty acids, too.

BROCCOLI AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS: These related veggies come with another winning combination of nutrients: vitamin A (as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene), vitamin C, and vitamin E. They're all antioxidants that protect the cells in your eyes from free radicals, a type of unstable molecule that breaks down healthy tissue. Your retinas are especially vulnerable.

Reviewed by Alan Kozarsky, MD on June 17, 2016

World's Healthiest Foods: "Vitamin C," "Peanuts," "Vitamin E," "Vitamin A," "Sweet potatoes," "Squash, summer," "Squash, winter."
American Optometric Association: "Vitamin C," "Vitamin E," "Diet & Nutrition," "Lutein & Zeaxanthin," "Essential Fatty Acids," "Zinc."
All About Vision: "Eye Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids," "Vitamin E: Benefits For Your Eyes And Vision."
American Academy of Ophthalmology: "Four Fantastic Foods to Keep Your Eyes Healthy."
NIH: "Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals."
Harvard Health Publications: "Top foods to help protect your vision."
OSU Linus Paulding Institute: "α-Carotene, β-Carotene, β-Cryptoxanthin, Lycopene, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin."

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2Live

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)
The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.