Sweet potatoes are a fall staple and a favorite at the Thanksgiving table. But, experts say that the root vegetables can benefit your health as well as your taste buds.
They are nutrient-rich and help keep the heart functioning normally, according to experts.
That’s partially due to their fiber content, and sweet potatoes have about four grams of fiber per spud. Fiber plays a crucial role in preventing high cholesterol, which can block arteries and result in life-threatening heart attacks and stroke.
"The fiber in sweet potatoes helps support heart health by lowering your bad cholesterol," registered dietitian Samantha Snashall told Martha Stewart.
Sweet potatoes also have nine grams of sugar. That may seem like a lot, but the vegetables’ fiber content works to slow the breakdown of sugar, Judy Simon, a clinical dietitian at the University of Washington Medical Center, explained to The New York Times.
While blood sugar levels spike when you eat ice cream, levels rise gradually when eating a sweet potato.
High blood sugar can also lead to heart disease, nerve and kidney damage, bone and joint problems, and damage to the blood vessels, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes share similar qualities. Like regular potatoes, they’re high in carbohydrates and have essential vitamins and minerals.
Both also have potassium, an essential mineral and electrolyte that works to offset the blood pressure-raising effects of sodium, relaxes blood vessels, and prevents muscle cramps.
Sweet potatoes give people more potassium than a banana. A medium-cooked sweet potato has around 350 milligrams of potassium. Women should get 2,600 milligrams a day, and men should get 3,400 milligrams.
Both potatoes and sweet potatoes have immune-boosting vitamin C and vitamin B6, which strengthens the brain and nervous system, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
So, which is better? Well, sweet potatoes hold a slight edge over regular potatoes because of their orange-colored flesh. That’s because they’re packed with the antioxidant beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps to protect eye health and cell growth.
“That’s the main reason why sweet potatoes come across as a little bit of a better option,” registered dietitian Beth Czerwony told the Clinic.
You just need one sweet potato to feel the nutritious effects, and they’re great in pies, served as fries alongside a turkey burger, or roasted as their own main course.
Although, how you prepare your sweet potatoes makes a large difference. Baking the sweet potatoes can eliminate antioxidants, Dr. Michael Greger, a physician and founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, warned.
Boiling is the way to go, according to Dr. Matthew Allan, a research associate at the Department of Agriculture.
“Some evidence suggests that boiling sweet potatoes retains more of their antioxidants than roasting, steaming, and baking,” he said.
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