Nutritional Profile

Sweet potatoes provide 86 calories per 100gm; 0.1g fat, 1.6g of protein, 55mg of sodium, 337mg potassium and 20g of carbohydrates.

Interesting facts

· The sweet potato was domesticated more than 5,000 years ago.

· Members of Columbus’ expedition in 1492 were the first Europeans to eat sweet potatoes.

· 80% of the world’s sweet potatoes come from China.

· George Washington Carver, a famous scientist, developed 118 products from sweet potatoes including glue for postage stamps and starch for sizing cotton fabrics.

· American president George Washington grew sweet potatoes on his farmland in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Health facts

· Sweet potatoes are high in Beta Carotene. They are an excellent source of copper, manganese, potassium, iron, calcium and vitamin B-6.

· They are loaded with vitamins A, C and E – antioxidants that can help prevent heart disease and cancer, bolster the immune system and even slow aging by promoting good vision and healthy skin.

· Sweet potatoes have been recently reclassified as an antidiabetic food. They are anti-inflammatory as well and can protect against emphysema.

· The vegetable is a good source of fiber when eaten with the skin.

· These orange-fleshed potatoes are known to be a great source of dietary fibre which helps in terms of blood sugar regulation, helping to steady the pace of digestion.

Study

Recent research has also shown that extracts from sweet potatoes can significantly increase blood levels of adiponectin in persons with type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is a protein hormone produced by our fat cells, and it serves as an important modifier of insulin metabolism. Persons with poorly-regulated insulin metabolism and insulin insensitivity tend to have lower levels of adiponectin.