All about sweet potato > Health and Nutrition
A goldmine of nutriments

“When it comes to fruits and vegetables, colour is a great indicator of nutritional value,” says Ms. Pearson. “The deep orange flesh of a sweet potato tells you it is a goldmine of nutrition.”

Sweet potatoes are low in fat and contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and fibre. In particular, they are an exceptional source of beta-carotene - an antioxidant that is important for eye health and may reduce your risk of cancer.

The Food Guide recommends eating one dark green and one orange vegetable, like sweet potatoes, each day. Orange vegetables are essential for the vitamin A (often found in the form of beta-carotene) they provide.

Most people know that too much sodium from foods can increase blood pressure. What many people don’t realize, however, is that boosting potassium intake can significantly lower blood pressure, as it has the opposite effect to sodium. Potassium is also a nutrient very few people get enough of – sweet potatoes are one of the most potassium-rich foods you can eat.

Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes have a low glycemic score, so your blood sugar rises only about half as much after eating a sweet potato as it does when you eat a white potato. In addition to controlling your blood sugar, eating foods with a low glycemic index may help you control your appetite and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Did you know? People who live in Okinawa, an island off the coast of Japan, are known to have among the longest life expectancies in the world. They regard “food as medicine”. The sweet potato is a very significant and regular part of the Okinawan eating plan, along with soy foods, fish, green tea and seaweed.