Image: Purple sweet potatoes heal the body and mind/Food Heaven

Purple sweet potatoes are a highly nutritious food. It promotes your gut health, supports healthy vision, supports your immune system, and may enhance brain function. Additionally, many leading experts contend that these color-filled sweet potatoes may even contain cancer-fighting properties.

BY: GUY JABBAR

Most people have never seen purple sweet potatoes. But what you should know about this highly nutritious food is an antioxidant powerhouse.

These purple potatoes, also known as purple sweet potatoes, are packed with fiber, minerals, vitamins, and potassium, which can help with weight loss, your immune system and heart health. 

The dark purple color inside is called Anthocyanins. These are powerful antioxidants, which contain flavonoids like in blueberries, apples, pomegranates, onions, garlic, green tea, vegetables, beans, and more.

According to dieticians and other health professionals, purple sweet potatoes are considered nature’s “Healing Potion” for a healthy body and mind! Here are 6 surprising health benefits of sweet potatoes:

1. Highly nutritious

Purple sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

These colorful purple sweet potatoes also contain protein, carbohydrates, fat, manganese, copper, pantothenic, potassium, niacin, vitamin A, C, and B6.

In addition to the starchy vegetable’s nutritional benefits, the high levels of antioxidants help to protect your body from illnesses, diabetes, heart disease, among other chronic diseases.

2. Promote gut health

The fiber and antioxidants in sweet potatoes can be also beneficial for gut health.

You can start by reducing the amount of processed, high sugar, high fat foods, and eating more foods like purple sweet potatoes for a healthier gut.

3. May have cancer-fighting properties

Sweet potatoes offer various antioxidants, which may help protect against certain types of cancers.

The anthocyanins found in purple sweet potatoes — have been found to slow the growth of certain types of cancer cells in test-tube studies, including those of the bladder, colon, stomach, and breast.

Picture: Purple sweet potatoes recipes/Staysnatched

4. Support healthy vision

Sweet potatoes are incredibly rich in beta carotene, the antioxidant responsible for the vegetable’s bright variety of shades like brown, yellow, orange, red or purple.

The beta carotene and anthocyanins found in sweet potatoes contain antioxidants that may help prevent vision loss and improve eye health.

5. May enhance brain function

According to leading health experts, consuming purple sweet potatoes may also improve your brain function. 

Foods like sweet potatoes are good for your brain. It can help keep this essential organ healthy and can improve your ability to do specific mental tasks, such as memory and concentration.

6. May support your immune system

One of the richest natural sources found in sweet potatoes, beta carotene, a plant-based compound that converts to vitamin A in your body is critical for a healthy immune system.

Vitamin A is not only crucial to your immune system, but it’s also key for maintaining healthy mucous membranes, especially in the lining of your gut. 

The mucous membrane, also known as a mucosa, is a layer of cells that surrounds body organs and body orifices (body openings, such as the nostril, ears, mouth, and anus) made from ectodermal tissue.

Bottom Line

Sweet potatoes are nutrient-dense root vegetables that come in a variety of colors. 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.

Eating more sweet potatoes may also help you cut down on inflammation and damage that can lead to chronic illnesses, like heart disease and cancer.  

If you’re considering adding this highly nutritious antioxidant powerhouse food to your diet, you should keep in mind that it is also infused with anti–cancer properties which may promote immune function and other health benefits.

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