Discover Sweet Potatoes’ Health Benefits for Hormones and Gut: Which Cooking Method is Best.

Sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant belonging to the Convolvulaceae family, including bindweed and morning glory. Sweet potatoes are large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots used as root vegetables in cooking. Some people eat the young shoots and leaves as greens.

A nutritious root vegetable, sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidants that shield your cells from damage. Sweet potatoes are also a great source of nutrients for your immune and digestive systems and hormones. Vitamins A and C, potassium, fibre, zinc, and other minerals are abundant in sweet potatoes, which can support overall health. This article lists the health benefits and the healthiest way to consume sweet potatoes.

Scientific Studies on Sweet Potato

• Anti-cancer

Sweet potatoes may inhibit tumour growth and improve the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in a study about breast cancer, suggesting that they can serve as a functional food to assist cancer treatment. They contain lipid-soluble polyphenols, which are antioxidants that protect cells from damage. 

• Anti-inflammatory

Another study reveals that because purple-fleshed sweet potatoes contain a high concentration of antioxidant components like phenolics, flavonoids, and the pigment anthocyanin, extracts from these potatoes may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties in vitro. 

Benefits of Sweet Potatoes to the Gut.

Sweet potatoes include dietary fibre that is beneficial to intestinal health. According to one study, sweet potatoes and peels contain dietary fibre that functions as a prebiotic. Prebiotics aid in better digestion and general health by promoting the growth of beneficial gut flora. According to research, sweet potatoes benefit the intestinal barrier, which is the structure that lets your body absorb nutrients and keeps out hazardous things. An active component found in sweet potatoes called trifostigmanoside keeps the intestinal barrier functioning by protecting tight junctions via PKCα/β and regaining MUC2 activity. Traditionally, sweet potatoes have been used to treat diarrhea and other digestive issues.

The Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Inflammation.

Antioxidants lessen inflammation in the same way that they shield the body from cancer by repairing damage caused by free radicals. Chronic inflammation in the body can result in the following medical conditions.

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Depression
• Cancer
• Heart conditions & elevated blood pressure
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Lung conditions such as asthma
• Parkinson’s disease
• Diabetes type 2

Consuming foods rich in antioxidants, like sweet potatoes, is an excellent natural method to control inflammation.

Sweet Potato and Hormone Health.

Vitamins A and C and potassium, zinc, and other minerals are abundant in sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes and yams are rich in Vitamin C (over 50% of sweet potatoes contain vitamin C), which is essential for hormone production and regulation.  Vitamin C is found in high concentrations in the ovaries and stimulates the production of the Progesterone hormone. Progesterone, the “happy hormone” or “fountain of youth hormone,” is produced by the ovaries after a woman ovulates and plays a significant role in pregnancy and other hormonal functions. 

When progesterone levels are low, it can make it difficult to get pregnant, increase the risk of miscarriage, cause estrogen dominance, increase premenstrual symptoms, weight gain, hair loss, brittle nails and dry skin, play a role in postpartum depression, cause uterine bleeding, irregular and missed periods, low sex drive and hot flashes, and affect the blood clotting process and increasing blood loss. 

Incorporating sweet potatoes and yams into a daily regimen may provide significant benefits, including reducing the risk of miscarriage, preventing estrogen dominance, increasing premenstrual symptoms, weight gain, hair loss, brittle nails and dry skin, and preventing postpartum depression.

Ways to prepare sweet potatoes

• Pan-fried sweet potato

In a medium pan, heat avocado oil while dicing sweet potatoes no thicker than 1/4 inch. Add sweet potatoes (don’t let the oil get too hot). Cook for a few minutes, checking for browning (don’t let the temperature rise too high). Stir potatoes occasionally until done (about 10 minutes). While still hot, sprinkle salt and pepper or cinnamon to taste.

• Baked sweet potato

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 C) and bake sweet potatoes on a baking sheet for approximately 50 minutes, or until the potato is soft all the way through when pierced with a fork.

• Boiled sweet potato

1. After scrubbing them, cut the sweet potatoes into cubes of even sizes (alternatively, peel them).
2. Bring cold, salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, they are ready.
3. Drain the potatoes, mash if desired, and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away.

Learn more about the best way to serve sweet potatoes by viewing our recipe card, “Beef and Broccoli.”

What is the Best Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes?

Boiling sweet potatoes may preserve most of their antioxidant content compared to baking. However, boiling and baking are similar in that boiling thins down cell walls and gelatinizes starch, which can improve nutrient bioavailability. Moreover, boiling sweet potatoes was shown to have a glycemic index (how much a food increases blood sugar after consumption) that is almost half that of baking or roasting, meaning that boiling sweet potatoes causes less of a blood sugar surge. 

Pan-frying requires less time and is different from deep frying. In pan-frying, you cook foods in oil that comes halfway up their sides, then turn them halfway through cooking. Deep-frying involves soaking your food entirely in oil. Instead of deep-frying, we prefer to pan-fry sweet potato, making it wonderfully crunchy and moist without requiring much oil while conserving the nutrients. 

Conclusion

Dietary fibre in sweet potatoes is beneficial for intestinal health. Sweet potatoes are rich in several vitamins, including vitamin C, which is essential for producing and regulating hormones. Consuming foods rich in antioxidants, like sweet potatoes, is an excellent natural method to control inflammation. Sweet potatoes contain lipid-soluble polyphenols, antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Pan-frying and boiling may be best because deep-frying can potentially produce carcinogenic acrylamide, which harms health. However, It is up to you how to enjoy sweet potatoes.