Are Sweet Potatoes Good For Losing Weight: Discover The Tasty Secret

Sweet potatoes are nowadays becoming popular as it is a rich source of macro and micronutrients essential for your body functions. Sweet potatoes contain bioactive compounds that promote health and are widely consumed as healthy and nutritious root vegetables. When sweet potatoes are healthy, do they support weight loss? Are sweet potatoes good for losing weight?

Sweet potatoes are among the popular food choices that support weight loss. In this article, we will explore the nutritional profile of sweet potatoes, its significant role in weight loss, and its numerous health benefits.

Studies suggest sweet potatoes have medicinal properties that contain anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Different colored flesh of sweet potatoes is found naturally as white, purple, yellow, and orange. The most popular among all is Orange fleshed sweet potato, which is rich in beta-carotene and the purple fleshed are richer in anthocyanins.

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Nutritional Profile of Sweet Potatoes

The nutritional value of 100 grams of raw sweet potatoes is given below

Calories 86 kcal
Protein: 1.57 g
Total lipid 0.05g
Carbohydrates 20.1 g
Fiber 3 g
Calcium 30 mg
Potassium- 337 mg
Vitamin C- 2.4mg
Vitamin A- 769% of DV (daily value)
Choline- 12.3 mg

Sweet potatoes also contain nutrients like magnesium, sodium, and folate in fair amounts.

Are Sweet Potatoes Good For Losing Weight

Research has shown that sweet potato has the potential to inhibit fat accumulation and aid in weight loss.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, complex carbs, antioxidants, minerals, and protein.
Consuming complex carb food helps to keep you satiated for longer, reduces the cravings, and prevents eating extra calories supporting the weight loss goals.
Fiber food is excellent for gut health. It improves digestion and regularizes bowel movement. Good digestive health aids weight loss.
Protein-rich sweet potatoes are good for losing weight by improving metabolism, helping fat loss, and retaining lean muscles during weight loss. High-protein foods have the potential to reduce abdominal fat and help maintain weight for the long term after desired weight loss.
Sweet potato is a low-calorie and low-fat food. Eating calorie-deficit food is one of the strategies that helps in weight loss.
Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants and other important nutrients. Antioxidants reduce inflammation and help reduce weight.
Minerals such as potassium and sodium found in sweet potatoes help to regulate the water-electrolyte balance and reduce water retention in the body supporting weight loss.

Health Benefits of Sweet Potato

Many evidence shows that consuming sweet potatoes can positively affect overall human health. Sweet potatoes offer various health benefits because of their rich nutritional value that can help improve a person’s health.

Healthy Digestion: The fiber in sweet potatoes improves digestion, adds bulk to the stool makes your bowel movement regular, and prevents constipation.
Supports Eye Health: Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that is further converted into vitamin A in the body. This vitamin A is beneficial for the eyes and boosts immunity.
Supports Heart Health: Sweet potatoes contain nutrients like fiber, potassium, and sodium. Fiber-rich foods have the potential to reduce cholesterol effectively—minerals like potassium and sodium help to regulate blood pressure. Moreover, researchers have shown that consuming sweet potatoes can lower total cholesterol and LDL(bad cholesterol) cholesterol levels.
Act as Anti-inflammatory: Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants that help to reduce the oxidative damage created by free radicals in your body. These antioxidants have anti-inflammatory effects which may lower the risk of cancer, and reduce the risk of hepatic diseases.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels: According to studies, consuming boiling sweet potatoes helps minimize post-prandial blood sugar spikes, which can be favorable for those with type 2 diabetes.

Ways to Include Sweet Potatoes into Your Diet

Sweet potatoes can be consumed raw, boiled, baked, roasted, or fried. If you are looking for weight loss I would recommend eating boiled sweet potatoes. Boiling sweet potatoes lowers the glycemic index compared to other cooking methods and is easy to digest.
You can replace regular white potatoes with sweet potatoes in different cuisines due to their high nutritional value.
Dice the boiled sweet potatoes and add to your favorite salads, soups, and chaats.
Toss boiled potatoes with minimal oil and sprinkle with spices like black pepper, chaat masala, salt, and a dash of lemon juice.
Slice the boiled potatoes and have them with a pinch of salt.

Best Time to Eat Sweet Potatoes for Weight Loss

Sweet potatoes are good for weight loss and can be included in breakfast, mid-morning snacks, lunch, dinner, or as a post-workout snack. It is packed with complex carbohydrates and fiber that keep you full, satiated, and active throughout the day. Thus, reducing the hunger pangs and aiding in weight loss.

Complex carb-rich food takes time to digest and provides you with sustained energy for longer durations. Therefore, it is preferred to consume sweet potatoes in the daytime which can help you to be active and maintain your energy levels throughout the day.

Precaution

Sweet potatoes contain a good amount of oxalates. Consumption of high-oxalate-rich food may lead to the risk of formation of kidney stones.

Individuals suffering from kidney stones may avoid or eat sweet potatoes within a limit. Consult your health expert or nutritionist before including sweet potatoes in your diet, if you are suffering from renal stone.

Drinking plenty of water or fluids can reduce the risk of developing kidney stones.

Conclusion

In conclusion, are sweet potatoes good for losing weight? Yes, of course, Sweet potato is an excellent tuber that plays a crucial role in food and nutrition. It is a good source of complex carbs, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It is also low in calories and fat, making it a popular choice for weight loss goals.

Studies suggest consuming sweet potatoes controls blood sugar levels, regulates blood pressure, supports liver function, and improves iron absorption.

Additionally, Studies suggest consumption of sweet potatoes rich in anthocyanins is closely associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, and has also been linked with improved cognitive function.

FAQs

Q1. How to boil sweet potatoes?

Ans. There are 2 common methods of boiling sweet potatoes

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into cubes. Then boil it in water with a pinch of salt until soft and tender.
Boil whole sweet potatoes with skin in water until soft. Peel them when cooked completely.

Q2. Sweet potatoes benefit during pregnancy?

Ans: Sweet potatoes are a good source of nutrients that are found beneficial during pregnancy for maternal as well as fetal health.

Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber which improves gut health and avoids constipation during pregnancy.
The high carotenoid content present in sweet potatoes gets converted to vitamin A in our body. Vitamin A is crucial for fetal growth. It helps in the development of the heart, lungs, eyes, skin, and bones development.
Vitamin A helps to boost the immune system and prevents the risk of night blindness often seen during pregnancy due to a deficiency of vitamin A.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of complex carbs, proteins, antioxidants, various vitamins, and minerals that play an important role in maintaining overall health.

Consult your doctor before including sweet potatoes in your diet, if you are going through any medical condition during pregnancy.

Q3. Benefits of eating sweet potato for skin.

Ans. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Beta-carotene protects the skin from sun damage and provides radiant skin. Vitamin C helps to reduce blemishes and dark spots. It also boosts collagen synthesis, improves skin elasticity, and reduces fine lines and wrinkles on the skin.

Q4. Benefits of eating sweet potato for weight loss

Ans. Sweet potatoes are high in complex carbs, protein, and fiber content that promotes weight loss keeping you full and satiated for longer and reducing appetite.

Being low in calories and fat makes it favorable for weight loss goals.

Q5. Health benefits of eating sweet potato

Ans. Sweet potatoes are packed with important nutrients that show various health benefits.