BENEFITS OF THE SWEET POTATO
✓ Improves diabetes
✓ Relieves digestive issues
✓ Anti-inflammatory
✓ Helps with weight loss
✓ Potentially anti-cancer
What is the sweet potato?
The sweet potato, whose scientific name is Ipomoea batatas, belongs to the Convolvulaceae family. The latter includes plants native to the tropical and subtropical regions such as the sweet potato, which thrives in South America : Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela… Thanks to its great adaptability, its cultivation has also spread to Africa, Asia, and even Polynesia.
Although its leaves and stems are edible, the sweet potato is primarily grown for its tubers, which can weigh up to 5 kg.
They can be eaten like potatoes, ground to make flour, or prepared as syrup or jam. These tubers are appreciated for their sweet flavor and soft, creamy texture.
But beyond its culinary qualities, the sweet potato offers numerous health benefits. Particularly rich in vitamins and minerals, it also contains antioxidants. Various studies have shown its potential to improve diabetes, relieve digestive issues, and reduce inflammation. Its low calorie content also makes it useful for weight loss. Finally, the sweet potato shows potential anti-cancer properties.
Comme le moringa ou la spiruline, elle représente une solution intéressante à la malnutrition. Grâce à sa richesse en nutriments, elle permet de lutter contre les carences et les retards de croissance chez les enfants dans les pays en voie de développement. Pour certains chercheurs, la patate douce est une possible solution à l’insécurité alimentaire dans certains pays d’ Afrique.
Nutritional composition
- Acides aminés
- Vitamines : pro-vitamine A, B1, B5, B6, B9, C, K
- Minéraux et oligo-éléments : potassium, manganèse, fer, magnésium, phosphore, zinc, cuivre, calcium, sodium
- Lipides
- Protéines
- Glucides
- Fibres
- Actifs antioxydants : polyphénols, anthocyanes
- Amidon
- Eau
Benefits of the sweet potato
🍭 Improves diabetes
With about 3 g per 100 g, the sweet potato is a good source of dietary fiber. These contribute to the absorption of glucose and reduce blood sugar spikes after meals. In addition, fiber improves insulin sensitivity, thereby helping to reduce blood sugar levels.
It also contains bioactive compounds that help control diabetes such as glycoprotein and anthocyanins. These slow the absorption of glucose in the small intestine and increase insulin production.
This study from the University of Faisalabad (Pakistan), conducted on diabetic rats, shows how it improves diabetes.
♻️ Relieves digestive issues
Thanks to its fiber content, the sweet potato supports digestion and healthy intestinal transit. It can relieve certain conditions such as constipation and diarrhea by improving stool frequency and consistency.
It also contains other nutrients that support intestinal comfort. Magnesium, for example, acts as a mild laxative. Additionally, the raw tuber contains about 75% water, which improves the movement of stool through the intestines.
This study from Soochow University (China), carried out in patients with constipation, shows its positive effect on intestinal transit.
🔥 Anti-inflammatory
The sweet potato shows an anti-inflammatory effect, both for acute and chronic inflammation. Thus, regular consumption can relieve edema, arthritis, and even asthma. By reducing inflammation in the brain, it also helps slow cognitive decline.
Moreover, its antioxidant polyphenols prevent the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. They also reduce oxidative stress that sustains inflammation.
This study from Quaid-i-Azam University (Pakistan), conducted on rats, shows the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of the sweet potato.
🏃🏻♂️ Helps with weight loss
Because it is rich in fiber, sweet potato is a good food for staying slim or losing weight. Its soluble fibers increase the feeling of fullness, thus reducing the desire to snack during the day.
Elle a également l’avantage d’être peu calorique (environ 75 kcal pour 100 g). Enfin, en favorisant le transit intestinal, elle aide aussi à garder un ventre plat.
This study from the University of Uyo (Nigeria), conducted on rats, shows how it reduces appetite and increases satiety.
🔬 Potentially anti-cancer
Sweet potato contains many antioxidants including polyphenols and anthocyanins. Like eleuthero, it contains caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, phenolic acids with anti-cancer effects. Indeed, they prevent the proliferation of cancer cells and induce their apoptosis (programmed cell death).
This study from Kansas State University (United States), carried out on animal cells, shows its anti-cancer potential.
How to consume the sweet potato?
Fresh sweet potato
Sweet potato is increasingly appearing on store shelves. Always choose a sweet potato that is firm and heavy, with no odor and no bruises.
En cuisine, elle remplace avantageusement la pomme de terre classique car elle est plus riche en fibres, en vitamines et en minéraux. Elle est aussi appréciée pour sa saveur sucrée et sa texture fondante. On distingue généralement 2 grandes variétés :
- celle à chair blanche, au goût plus doux et à la texture plus farineuse
- celle à chair orangée au goût sucré et à la texture plus ferme
It’s a versatile food that can be prepared in many ways, both savory and sweet. You can steam it, roast it, mash it, make fries, add it to soups… It is also great for inventive desserts (muffins, tarts, galettes…) like the famous sweet potato cake from Réunion.
Sweet potato flour
Once harvested, the tubers are cut, dried and then ground to obtain a fine flour with a rather sweet taste. Like rice flour, quinoa flour and buckwheat flour, sweet potato flour is gluten-free. It is therefore ideal for people who are intolerant, allergic or sensitive to gluten.
This flour can completely replace wheat flour or be combined with other gluten-free flours. It is used for the preparation of cakes and pastries, breads, pasta and pancakes… The flour can also be added to smoothies, protein shakes and health drinks.
Sustainable consumption: favor organic, local, and fair-trade sweet potatoes
✓ China, Malawi and Tanzania are the main sweet potato producing countries. Its cultivation is particularly important in Africa, as here in Ghana, where it supports many local producers. In France, sweet potato cultivation is still not widespread but is slowly emerging in certain departments such as Les Landes, Gironde or in Vendée.
✓ If you can, favor sweet potatoes grown in France and organically farmed. There may be some near you! In addition, buying fair-trade sweet potatoes also helps support the work of small-scale farmers.
Dosage
There is no established recommended dosage. Simply avoid consuming it in excess.
Contraindications and side effects
Consumption of sweet potato has certain contraindications :
- En raison de sa teneur en oxalate, les personnes souffrant de calculs rénaux doivent en consommer avec modération ;
- Sa consommation peut provoquer des allergies chez les personnes sensibles ;
- Parce qu’elle contient des oxazolidones, elle est déconseillée aux personnes souffrant de troubles thyroïdiens.
Sa consommation excessive présente certains effets secondaires :
- Calculs biliaires
- Calcules rénaux
- Réaction allergique
If you experience side effects, stop consumption and consult a doctor.
Report prepared by Julia Perez
Sources and scientific studies
Naheed Akhtar, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Daniyal, Saeed Ahmad, 2018. Evaluation of antidiabetic activity of Ipomoea batatas L. extract in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
Jing-Ying Zou, Yi Xu, Xiao-Hua Wang, Qing Jiang, Xia-Ming Zhu, 2016. Improvement of Constipation in Leukemia Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy Using Sweet Potato.
Muhammad Majid, Bakht Nasir, Syeda Saniya Zahra, Muhammad Rashid Khan, Bushra Mirza, Ihsan-Ul Haq, 2018. Ipomoea batatas L. Lam. ameliorates acute and chronic inflammations by suppressing inflammatory mediators, a comprehensive exploration using in vitro and in vivo models.
Th Olubobokun, Eo Aluko, Ee Iyare, Usb Anyaehie, Ed Olatunbosun, Gi Aizenabor, 2014. Aqueous Extract of Ipomoea batatas Reduces Food Intake in Male Wistar Rats: A Pilot Study.
Soyoung Lim, Jianteng Xu, Jaeyong Kim, Tzu-Yu Chen, Xiaoyu Su, Joseph Standard, Edward Carey, Jason Griffin, Betty Herndon, Benjamin Katz, John Tomich, and Weiqun Wang. 2013. Role of Anthocyanin-enriched Purple-fleshed Sweet Potato P40 in Colorectal Cancer Prevention.
