Sweet potato is known as शकरकंद or मीठा आलू in Hindi .
Sweet potatoes are full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber to support your eye, digestive and heart health. They're generally safe to eat daily, especially if you eat them with calcium to prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones.
They're high in fiber and antioxidants, which protect your body from free radical damage and promote a healthy gut and brain. They're also incredibly rich in beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A to support good vision and your immune system.
Despite being relatively low in protein, sweet potatoes are an important source of this macronutrient in many developing countries. Sweet potatoes are mainly composed of carbs. Most of the carbs come from starch, followed by fiber.
In addition to being an excellent source of vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, vitamin B-6 and potassium and magnesium. And like all vegetables, they're relatively low in calories — one-half of a large sweet potato has just 81 calories.
Sweet potatoes are sweet, starchy root vegetables that are grown worldwide. They come in a variety of sizes and colors including orange, white, and purple and are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Not to mention, they provide a number of health benefits and are easy to add to your diet.
Just one sweet potato gives you 102% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body's defense against germs. It's also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.
Sweet potatoes are the perfect example of a carbohydrate that's high-nutrient and low in sugar, sodium and saturated fat. It's exactly what diabetes experts recommend fill up one-quarter of your plate at mealtimes.
Of the thousands of vegetables available today, sweet potatoes are considered one of the most nutritious.
The orange- (or sometimes purple) fleshed vegetables are loaded with minerals and A, B, and C vitamins. This has led to sweet potatoes being called a superfood by many.
Nutritional value:
Sodium 55 mg, Potassium 337 mg, Total carbohydrates 20 gm;Dietary fibre
3 gm, Sugar 4.2 gm; Vitamin- C 4%DV;Vitamin B6 20% DV; Iron 3%; Calcium 3% ; magnesium 6% DV.
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), a baked sweet potato in its skin will provide around 1,403 mcg of vitamin A, or 561% of a person's daily requirement. Vitamin A also acts as an antioxidant. Together with other antioxidants, it can help protect the body from a variety of health conditions.
"Sweet potatoes are a source of complex carbohydrates, which means they take longer to digest than simple carbs, such as white bread, white rice, etc," says Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, author of The No-Brainer Nutrition Guide for Every Runner. "They provide long-lasting energy".
Vitamins and minerals in sweet potatoes make them a healthy choice at mealtime. Orange sweet potatoes, for example, are one of the richest sources of beta-carotene, a carotenoid known for its eye health benefits and ability to reduce cancer risks.
Sweet potatoes are a healthy root vegetable chock full of antioxidants that protect your cells from damage. Plus, the nutrients in sweet potatoes are excellent for your gut, eyes, immune system, and more. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and zinc.
We can eat shakerkandi during Navratri fast.You can make Shakarkandi halwa, Tikki or chaat.
We can eat sweet potato in fasting.Potato and sweet potato are commonly consumed during fasts in India such as Shivratri , Navratri and Ekadashi.Both have high carbohydrate content, so include them in your carbohydrate allowance and not as vegetables. People with diabetes can have fruits as per their usual guidelines, providing a maximum of 30 gram carbohydrates per day, to be had in two portions.
The best time to eat the sweet potato is to eat at lunch. After eating, calcium in sweet potatoes takes 4-5 hours to absorb into the body, 2 to 5 pm sunlight can promote calcium absorption. In addition, the ability to help the potatoes long enough to work to help you reduce appetite in the evening.
Can diabetic eat potato?
Sweet potatoes can be good for people with diabetes. After all, these tubers are one of the most nutritious vegetables grown in the subtropical and tropical areas of the world. However, you still should eat them in moderation.
When compared to regular white potatoes, orange sweet potatoes have a higher fiber content. This gives them a lower GI and makes them a healthier option for people with diabetes. Some studies indicate that boiled orange sweet potatoes have a lower GI value compared to baking or roasting them.
You can still eat sweet potatoes if you have diabetes.The fiber content in sweet potatoes, especially if you consume them with the skin on, can help reduce spikes in your blood sugar. Plus, how you cook your sweet potatoes can also help reduce the extent to which your blood sugar rises.
Sweet potatoes are known to be high in fiber and have a low glycemic index, which results in a less immediate impact on blood glucose levels. This can help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels in check.
Sweet potatoes can be Baked or microwaved.
“Sweet potatoes are a source of carbohydrates, which raise blood sugars,” says White. “People with diabetes can eat carbs but need to watch portions of foods with carbs.” What this means: Limit portions to half a sweet potato per meal or snack.
Glycemic index of Sweet potato: 54, Glycemic load: 11.3. The glycemic index of sweet potato is 54 which falls under low GI category, but due to high carbohydrate content, the glycemic load of ½ cup of sweet potato cubes is 11.3 which is categorized into medium GL range.
The GI of sweet potatoes can vary depending on how you prepare them. Boiling sweet potatoes gives them a lower GI compared to roasting them.
When boiled, sweet potatoes are a low glycemic index (GI) food, meaning they won't spike your blood sugar as much as regular potatoes, according to research.
Boiled sweet potatoes have a low to medium GI value, with a greater boiling time lowering the GI. For example, when boiled for 30 minutes, sweet potatoes have a low GI value of about 46, but when boiled for just 8 minutes, they have a medium GI of 61.
You can still eat sweet potatoes if you have diabetes, assures Huff. The fiber content in sweet potatoes, especially if you consume them with the skin on, can help reduce spikes in your blood sugar. Plus, how you cook your sweet potatoes can also help reduce the extent to which your blood sugar rises.
•Prevents constipation
The fiber content in sweet potatoes can help prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.
•Reduce risk of colorectal cancer:
Also, multiple studies have linked high dietary fiber intake with a reduced risk of colorectal cancers.
•weigh loss:
Besides their health benefits, sweet potatoes are a great addition to any weight loss diet. First up, they're very high in fibre — especially soluble fibre. Soluble fibre is excellent because it slows down your digestion and helps you feel full, which can curb the urge to snack between meals.
•Protect skin:
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin A, which may protect skin from the sun, helping to prevent sun burn, dryness and wrinkles. It also may help to bring a nice glowing tint to your skin! Sweet potatoes are also a good source of Vitamin C, which creates collagen.
How to cook sweet potato ?
While sweet potatoes can be eaten straight from the ground, you are likely to be disappointed in the flavor. Curing triggers the sugar-producing enzymes and heals nicks, so skipping this step results in starchy, tasteless sweet potatoes with limited shelf life.
It has resistant starch, which takes time to digest, boosts gut bacteria and stabilises blood glucose levels. There are some cooking techniques which can lower the GI of sweet potatoes. It is advisable to have boiled sweet potatoes (GI 46) with a longer boiling time (about 30 minutes). Leave the skin on.
You can grill, smash, bake, mash and even air-fry them. Along with those cooking methods, one of the healthiest ways to cook sweet potatoes is to roast them. The best technique for roasting vegetables is to roast them at higher temperatures so that the natural sugars caramelize.
In a nutrition battle between a banana and sweet potato, the sweet potato would come out ahead. A baked sweet potato has the same calories per gram as a banana, yet has one gram more fiber and five grams less sugar per medium serving.
If you want to eat sweet potatoes and maintain blood sugar balance, Sapola suggests boiling rather than roasting them. This method will take the glycemic index impact down a few points and maybe even challenge your cooking creativity
Add enough water to just cover the potatoes, and a pinch of salt. Boil sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. It will take less time if you cut the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces. Drain and return to the pot.
Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.
You do not need to peel sweet potatoes before boiling. If leaving the peel on, you will need to pierce the skin of the potato with a fork a few times. Also, boiling a sweet potato with the peel will require slightly more time for it to cook through.
Steaming uses indirect heat to cook the sweet potatoes gently.Boiling sweet potatoes causes them to absorb water, resulting in a slightly wetter texture and softened flavor expression. A perfectly steamed sweet potato should hold its shape but turn velvety soft once cut into, like baked sweet potatoes.
You can grill, smash, bake, mash and even air-fry them. Along with those cooking methods, one of the heal Drthiest ways to cook sweet potatoes is to roast them. The best technique for roasting vegetables is to roast them at higher temperatures so that the natural sugars caramelize.
Side effects:
People with kidney problems must avoid eating sweet potatoes because an improper functioning kidney cannot remove potassium from their body, causing high potassium levels that can be harmful to them. Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of oxalates that may increase the risk of calcium-oxalate kidney stones.
Consuming sweet potatoes in excess can result in sweet potato side effects such as Vitamin A toxicity, which is manifested in skin rashes and headaches. Due to high fibre content, excess intake of sweet potatoes can result in bloating, stomach pain and diarrhoea.
Consuming sweet potatoes in excess can result in sweet potato side effects such as Vitamin A toxicity, which is manifested in skin rashes and headaches.
Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, and their excessive consumption can lead to hypervitaminosis A (vitamin A toxicity), in which excess vitamin A accumulates in the liver.
Information compiled by:
Dr. Bhairavsinh Raol
