Introduction: Sweet potato, also known as sweet potato, sweet potato, sweet potato, sweet potato, red lotus, has so many good names, which shows its important position in people's hearts.
Sweet potatoes are native to the American continent and were introduced to China during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and since then they have taken root in the land of China and thrived.
In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, sweet potatoes are peaceful in nature, sweet in taste, and return to the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and kidney meridians.
Some articles even claim that sweet potatoes have an anti-cancer rate of up to 987%, which is convincing, however, is this really the case? Do sweet potatoes really have amazing anti-cancer powers?
Proteins and amino acids
Sweet potatoes contain more than 7 times more protein than rice and contain 8 kinds of amino acids, which are essential for sustaining life activities and helping to promote human growth and repair tissues.
Vitamins and minerals
Sweet potatoes are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, etc., these nutrients play an important role in maintaining normal physiological functions of the human body, such as promoting metabolism, enhancing immunity, maintaining bone health, etc.
Carotene
The carotene content of sweet potatoes is 3 of that of carrots5 times, this substance can be converted into vitamin A in the body, which helps maintain vision health, promote growth and development, enhance immunity, etc.
Fats and unsaturated fatty acids
Although sweet potatoes have a very low fat content (only 0.).2%), but it is very rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
In addition, sweet potatoes contain a mixture of polysaccharide proteins called mucin, which is a collagen and polysaccharide substance. Mucin has a variety of benefits for the human body, such as boosting immunity, improving digestion, etc.
Removes free radicals from the body
Sweet potatoes are rich in carotene, which is a very potent antioxidant that inhibits the oxidation of LDL and deposits on the walls of blood vessels, helping to remove free radicals in the body, thereby slowing down cell aging and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Regulates cholesterol levels
Sweet potatoes have a significant effect on cholesterol regulation, and a study from the University of Tokyo in Japan found that sweet potatoes are 10 times more effective at inhibiting cholesterol than other foods.
Sweet potatoes contain more dietary fiber, which not only helps to promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and prevent constipation, but also accelerates the excretion of cholesterol, thereby reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.
Reduce the risk of stroke
Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium, and potassium can effectively promote the excretion of sodium, and a high-potassium diet can lower blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of stroke.
Assists in lowering blood pressure
As mentioned earlier, the potassium rich in sweet potatoes has an auxiliary antihypertensive effect. In addition, the magnesium in sweet potatoes also helps control blood pressure, further reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Promotes gut health
The dietary fiber in sweet potatoes helps promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, prevent intestinal infections and constipation, and keep the digestive system functioning properly.
Improves eyesight
Sweet potatoes are rich in a variety of nutrients, including vitamin A, carotenoids, lutein, and vitamin C, which are essential for eye health, which can reduce the risk of eye diseases, improve vision, and protect the eyes from free radical damage.
Sweet potato, a common food in our daily life, has been hailed as an "anti-cancer star" on the Internet in recent years. Does it really have such a powerful anti-cancer effect?
There is indeed a striking study on the claim that sweet potatoes fight cancer, and in 2014, researchers at the National Institute for Cancer Prevention in Japan found that sweet potatoes have a certain effect on inhibiting the occurrence of cancer.
In this study, the cancer inhibition rate of cooked sweet potatoes and raw sweet potatoes each reached a staggering 987% and 944%, a finding that undoubtedly gives great hope.
However, while some of the components in sweet potatoes have anti-cancer effects, these studies are mainly based on cell experiments and animal experiments, and there are relatively few clinical trials on humans.
In addition, the extracts of sweet potatoes are usually used in experiments, not whole sweet potatoes, so we cannot simply apply these results to humans.
So, can the various anti-cancer foods and anti-cancer vegetables spread on the Internet really fight cancer?First of all, most of the anti-cancer foods used in the experiment are certain extracts from the food. Although these ingredients have anti-cancer effects, the amount of these ingredients in food is not necessarily large, and eating them does not necessarily fight cancer.
Secondly, many experiments are based on animals or cells, and there are still great differences between the human body and animals, cells, etc., and what is effective in animals does not mean that it is also effective for the human body.
Although the carcinogenic factors of each person are uncertain, most of them are caused by genetic mutations in the body, and food does not change genes, and it is expected that food will have little effect on fighting cancer.
In summary, although sweet potatoes have certain nutritional value and anti-cancer potential, we cannot consider them as a "miracle food" to fight cancer. Maintaining a balanced diet, good lifestyle habits and regular check-ups are the keys to maintaining health and preventing cancer.
Although sweet potatoes are highly nutritious, they are not a substitute for other foods, let alone the whole of a meal.
First of all, the human body needs a balanced intake of multiple nutrients, and if you only eat sweet potatoes, it will lead to a deficiency of other nutrients. For example, the protein in sweet potatoes is of low quality and cannot meet the body's need for high-quality protein.
In addition, sweet potatoes are also low in B vitamins and vitamin D, and eating only sweet potatoes for a long time may lead to deficiencies in these nutrients.
In addition, eating only sweet potatoes will also lead to monotonous taste, which is easy to make people anorexic, so we should pay attention to the diversity of food and the richness of the taste in the diet, so that people can enjoy the food more.
It should not be eaten raw
Sweet potatoes contain a lot of starch, which is difficult to digest when eaten raw, and can easily cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Therefore, sweet potatoes should be cooked or roasted before eating.
Do not consume in excess
Although sweet potatoes are highly nutritious, excessive consumption may cause indigestion symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain. In addition, sweet potatoes are high in sugar, and excessive consumption may also lead to a rise in blood sugar.
Avoid eating with persimmons
Sweet potatoes and persimmons are both high-starch foods, and eating them at the same time can easily lead to increased gastric acid secretion, causing symptoms such as stomach pain and bloating. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid consuming persimmons immediately after consuming sweet potatoes.
Avoid eating with sweets
Sweet potatoes themselves already contain high sugar content, and if they are eaten at the same time as sweets, it is easy to cause excessive sugar intake and increase the burden on the body.
Roasted sweet potatoes, the sweet taste, soft and glutinous taste, fragrant, is the warm winter sun in the hearts of many people, whenever the cold wind is cold, the roasted sweet potato stall is always bustling, people line up, just for that bite of hot delicious.
However, in recent years, rumors that roasted sweet potatoes can cause cancer have discouraged many people, and they have mixed feelings in their hearts
In fact, the claim that roasted sweet potatoes cause cancer is not groundless, but stems from the acrylamide detected in it, acrylamide is a chemical produced during high-temperature cooking, especially in barbecue, frying and other cooking methods, which makes people wonder, where is acrylamide sacred? Is it really carcinogenic?
The World Health Organization classifies acrylamide as a Group 2 carcinogen, which means that it has shown a certain carcinogenicity in animal experiments.
However, it is important to note that Group 2 carcinogens are carcinogenic in animals, but it is not clear whether they are carcinogenic to humans.
Moreover, the amount of acrylamide we consume per day is actually very small compared to the amount of acrylamide in roasted sweet potatoes, which contained only 33-201 micrograms per kilogram of roasted sweet potatoes in a study of 7 different samples of roasted sweet potatoes.
Instead of worrying about the carcinogenic risk of baked sweet potatoes, focus more on those foods that are high in starch, sugar, and calories. These foods are the real killers that have the potential to threaten our health.
Therefore, there is no conclusive evidence that roasted sweet potatoes are carcinogenic or harmful to the human body, so we don't need to give up this delicious winter snack because of choking, as long as we eat it in moderation, enjoy the delicious food at the same time, and we don't need to worry about health problems.
Steamed sweet potatoes
This is the easiest way to eat sweet potatoes and retain their original flavor. Wash the sweet potatoes, do not peel them, put them directly into the steamer or boiling pot, add water and steam until they are cooked thoroughly.
This way of eating can maximize the retention of the nutrients of sweet potatoes, such as dietary fiber, carotene, vitamin C, etc.
Sweet potato porridge
Cut the sweet potatoes into small pieces and cook porridge with rice or other grains. This way of eating is not only nutritious, but also helps digestion, especially for people with weak gastrointestinal function. At the same time, sweet potato porridge also has the effect of nourishing the stomach and moistening the intestines.
Sweet potatoes with other ingredients
Sweet potatoes can also be eaten with other ingredients such as milk, oats, nuts, etc., to increase their nutritional value and taste. For example, sweet potatoes can be cut into small pieces and added to milk to make a sweet potato milk drink, or sweet potatoes can be mixed with oats, nuts, etc. to make a nutritious breakfast food.
Sweet potatoes and purple potatoes are both nutritious foods, and both have their own advantages and characteristics.
Sweet potatoes are rich in carbohydrates, dietary fiber, carotene, vitamins A, B, C and other nutrients, which help improve immunity, promote intestinal peristalsis, improve vision, etc.
Purple potatoes are rich in anthocyanins, dietary fiber, carotene, vitamin C and other nutrients, which have antioxidant, anti-aging, and liver protection effects.
Therefore, which is better, sweet potato or purple potato, should be chosen according to individual tastes and needs. If you want to improve immunity and promote intestinal peristalsis, you can choose sweet potatoesIf you want anti-oxidation, anti-aging, liver protection, etc., you can choose purple potato. At the same time, you should also pay attention to eating in moderation and do not consume too much sugar or calories.