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Employees' Articles
Sweet potatoes
Hubdar Hussain
This article is a result of my continuous
interest in studying the healthy and
nutritious foods for human beings.
This is not written by me but has been
compiled for the benefits of all of us,
so please enjoy the contents based on
scientifically proven facts.
Sweet potatoes have somewhat of an
identity issue with the general public.
Most often, with the recent craze of
low-carb diets, sweet potatoes are
often thought to be just an orange
potato. Thus they are blamed for
having too many carbs and being
unfriendly to the waistline like the
regular potato. If not mistaken for a
potato, the sweet potato is regularly
mistaken for a yam, which has its
own set of physical and mental health
benefits. So here is a tribute to the
true sweet potato, highlighting its
nutritiousness and mental health
benefits. Sweet potatoes are rich in
Vitamin A, specifically beta-carotene,
giving them their rich orange color.
They are also a very good source of
Vitamin C and manganese and are
have high levels of copper, dietary
fiber, Vitamin B6, potassium and iron!
As with carrots, because sweet
potatoes have high amounts of Betacarotene
(a type of Vitamin A), they
act as protectors against declining
memory and thought processes. In
addition, having a diet rich in Betacarotene
protects against a decline
in learning new skills, a symptom hat
often precedes Alzheimer’s disease.
Also, Beta-carotene has been
connected with lowering stress
symptoms. Diets low in Vitamin A can
often experience insomnia, chronic
fatigue and depression.
Vitamin C, another vitamin found in
high quantities in sweet potatoes,
has numerous positive benefits for
mental health and mood. Vitamin C is
necessary in the blood stream to create
norepinephrine (a neurotransmitter
created by the adrenal glands) which
in turn helps us feel alert, energetic
and improves our concentration.
Low levels of norepinephrine in the
blood often result in fatigue, low mood,
slow thinking, difficulty concentrating
and memory problems. So if you feel
the 3pm afternoon lull and are starting
to feel fatigued and having difficulty
concentrating, skip the caffeine and
instead eat a food rich in Vitamin C,
such as sweet potatoes. You won’t get
the jolt of caffeine but you will feel
more energetic throughout the day.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of
dietary fiber and are low fat, which
is a good combination to control
Type 2 diabetes. In addition, high
fiber foods improve overall mood and
reduce depressive symptoms, such as
feeling sad, listless or uninterested in
activities.
Vitamin B 6 , found in moderately high
doses in sweet potatoes, are vital for
healthy nerve functions. Not having
enough Vitamin B 6 in the diet has
been closely connected with feeling
irritable and experiencing low mood.
It has been shown that often people
who are clinically depressed also have
a Vitamin B 6 deficiency. While that
does not indicate which comes first,
depression or the vitamin deficiency, it
is enough evidence to support having
high levels of Vitamin B 6 in the diet to
protect against low mood.
Also highly correlated with depression
is potassium deficiency. Sweet
potatoes seem to be a good source
of potassium to protect against
depressive symptoms such as
tearfulness, weakness and fatigue.
Similarly, iron is correlated with
positive and healthy mood. Eating
foods such as sweet potatoes that
are rich in iron can buffer against
depressive symptoms such as
weakness, exhaustion, loss of appetite
and headaches.
Manganese and copper, two minerals
found in moderate amounts in sweet
potatoes, have positive effects on
brain functioning. People who are
anemic are encouraged to eat foods
rich In copper to increase oxygen
transportation to the brain and other
vital organs.
With so many physical and mental
health benefits of this sweet and
delicious vegetable, we hope that you
incorporate this ingredient into your
diet this month while it is in season.
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