Sweet potato yam: beneficial properties and contraindications

The benefits and harms of sweet potatoes are due to its chemical composition, which will help not only diversify the menu, but also help in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. Having studied the properties of sweet potatoes, you can safely use it without fear for your well-being.

What is this vegetable

The sweet potato is a perennial liana-shaped bush that can take root and grow up to 20 cm in height. The leaves are beautifully heart-shaped. The fruits for food are formed on the lateral roots of the plant in the form of tubers and can have a different size and color depending on the variety. Dessert varieties taste like melon or bananas.

The chemical composition of sweet potato

For good health, it is necessary to observe vitamin and mineral norms. Thanks to its beneficial properties and rich composition, sweet potatoes can normalize the body's activity.

Nutritional value and calorie content of sweet potato

Taking care of your body condition and counting calories eaten is gradually becoming a habit due to the emergence of various applications for calculating the energy value of all foods consumed per day. You can try healthy sweet potatoes to diversify your diet, but keep in mind that the nutritional value of this product depends on how it is processed.

Sweet potatoes are often advised by nutritionists to support weight, since the vegetable helps to quickly saturate the body with useful substances, cleanse it of toxins and relieve hunger for a long time without causing harm to health.

Why is sweet potato useful?

To maintain good health and well-being, pharmaceutical pharmaceuticals can be replaced by the use of healthy foods. This list also includes sweet potatoes, the health benefits and harms of which are of great importance, since it is capable of:

• strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
• prevent the formation of cancerous tumors;
• activate muscle work;
• improve the state of the nervous system;
• cope with insomnia;
• normalize metabolism;
• positively affect the gastric mucosa;
• eliminate eye fatigue, ensure the restoration of vision;
• reduce the risk of colds and viral diseases.

A healthy sweet potato will work on the body much better than packing vitamins in tablets. Therefore, you should pay attention to products that not only have good taste, but also bring significant benefits to the body.

Learn more about the benefits of sweet potatoes:

For women

The vegetable is essential for supporting hormonal balance and increasing libido. The useful properties of the product can help even at the onset of the Balzac age due to the content of the female hormone in the composition.Sweet potato decoction, the benefits of which are invaluable for women, are recommended to be used instead of hormonal pills during menopause.

For men

The female hormone contained in sweet potatoes can significantly reduce a man's sexual activity, so it should be introduced into the diet with great care and consumed in moderation. Despite this, the vegetable is necessary for athletes to optimize the level of carbohydrates in the body.

Is sweet potato good for pregnancy and breastfeeding?

A pregnant woman should exclude sweet potatoes from her diet. Many doctors strictly adhere to the well-known fact that the product can provoke a miscarriage or the development of various pathologies in a child. And when breastfeeding, this root vegetable can cause an allergic reaction.

Is it possible to eat sweet potatoes with diabetes

With diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to monitor the diet and avoid eating junk food. Due to its beneficial properties, the vegetable is recommended by doctors, but only in small quantities and exclusively in boiled or baked form, so sweet potatoes will benefit without harm to the body and will show all their beneficial properties as much as possible. It can also be used raw after washing and peeling the vegetable.

Rules for the use of sweet potatoes for pancreatitis and gastritis

Sweet potato contains many nutrients that have a positive effect on the human digestive system. But you can use a vegetable not only for the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases, but also for treatment. In the course of long studies, it has been proven that the product facilitates the course of pancreatitis and gastritis, relieving inflammation and eliminating exacerbation.

The use of sweet potatoes in traditional medicine

Sweet potatoes contain a large amount of starch, which is the main reason for using the vegetable in traditional medicine. It is widely used to treat many digestive ailments as it provides an enveloping emollient effect on the walls of the digestive organs.

For the purpose of treatment, sweet potatoes should be eaten only raw for the manifestation of all its beneficial properties. Sometimes decoctions are prepared from it, which are very useful for women to increase fertility.

Sweet potato in cosmetology

Due to its antioxidant properties, the root vegetable is used for cosmetic purposes to improve skin condition and strengthen hair. Its use will help you forget about age-related problems for a long time and look great without expensive cosmetics.

In order to rejuvenate and refresh the skin of the face, special masks are made that provide benefits to any type of epithelium:

1. Purifying mask. Boil the root vegetable in milk and grind until smooth. Combine the mixture with 1 tsp. vegetable oil and apply on the face. After 20 minutes, wash off with warm water.
2. Moisturizing mask. Boil and chop the sweet potato until puree. Mix it with 1 tsp. honey and cucumber juice. Massage into skin and rinse after 15 minutes.

To activate hair growth and strengthen the follicles, it is worth trying to rub the vegetable juice into the roots half an hour before washing. This product will give the hair elasticity and healthy shine, as well as provide it with useful substances.

What can be made from sweet potatoes

It is better to use the product raw, this is the only way to remove the maximum number of useful properties from it. Also, sweet potatoes can be boiled, fried, baked. It is eaten separately as a separate product, and is also added to cereals and vegetable side dishes. You can make an original filling for homemade baking from sweet potatoes.

In Uganda, it is customary to drink a mug of hot tea made from dried sweet potatoes in the morning. Japan and China have long been famous for such popular dishes as whole baked or grilled sweet potatoes, and in winter they serve a soup made with this product to warm them. The Koreans invented noodles that are transparent and unique in flavor.

Sweet potato harm and contraindications

Despite the wide range of uses of sweet potatoes and its impressive beneficial properties, there is a risk of causing significant harm to your body. To avoid unpleasant situations, you should carefully read all contraindications of the product before introducing it into the diet. These include:

• period of pregnancy and lactation;
• a stomach ulcer and severe exacerbation of gastritis;
• the presence of allergies to the product or its components;
• urolithiasis disease;
• problems with intestinal peristalsis.

In the presence of such contraindications, in order not to harm the body, it is worth contacting the attending physician to allow the introduction of the root crop in the menu and agree on a safe dose.

Conclusion

After the benefits and harms of sweet potatoes have become known, you can safely use it for your own purposes, without worrying about the body's reaction. A vegetable can become an original dish for a festive table or just a family dinner due to its extraordinary sweet taste.