Be Healthy with Sweet Potatoes

     Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and have no cracks, bruises or soft spots. Avoid those displayed in the refrigerated section.

• Recent research has focused on some unique root storage proteins with significant antioxidant capacities.
• Sweet potatoes have recently been classified as an "anti-diabetic" food. Recent animal studies have shown sweet potato helped stabilize blood sugar levels and lowered insulin resistance.
• This root vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene; a very good source of vitamin C and manganese; and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron.
• Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate potentially damaging free radicals. These nutrients are also anti-inflammatory; and can reduce the severity of conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis where inflammation plays a role.
• Vitamin B6 protects against high homocysteine levels associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Recent research has shown that a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency. However, a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema. Vitamin A-rich foods such as sweet potatoes may protect smokers and explain why some smokers live substantially longer than others.
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  Source: World’s Healthiest Food