Doctor CKII Huynh Tan Vu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that sweet potatoes not only have high nutritional value but also have good disease prevention and treatment effects.

Effects of sweet potatoes

In Oriental medicine, sweet potatoes are neutral and sweet, and have the effect of nourishing the body, benefiting qi, strengthening the kidneys, strengthening the stomach, reducing inflammation, clearing the liver, promoting bile, and improving eyesight.

Sweet potatoes are used to treat jaundice, boils, mastitis, irregular menstruation in women (used before menstruation), spermatorrhea in men, and indigestion in children.

In Western medicine, many studies have shown that sweet potatoes contain a unique protein that has antioxidant effects. The protein in sweet potatoes has about 1/3 of the antioxidant activity of glutathione (one of the body's important products that plays a role in creating antioxidants). This helps explain the healing properties of sweet potatoes.

Not only do sweet potatoes have antioxidant properties, they are also packed with nutrients that are good for your health.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin C, vitamin B6, and some minerals such as manganese, copper, potassium, and iron. In particular, sweet potatoes are also known as a food rich in soluble fiber, which is good for the digestive system.

Thanks to its rich vitamin A and vitamin C content, sweet potatoes are an anti-inflammatory food that can help prevent and treat diseases. Beta-carotene and vitamin C are antioxidants that help the body eliminate free radicals.

In addition, sweet potatoes also contain vitamin B6, which is necessary for the body to convert homocysteine, a product in the process of creating an important amino acid in protecting cells.

Research around the world also shows that white sweet potato extract can support the treatment of diabetic patients. Studies show that eating sweet potatoes helps stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance.

Dr. Vu said that caiapo extract from white sweet potatoes can control blood sugar and cholesterol levels well in type 2 diabetes. This substance has been prepared in Japan as a supplementary medicine for diabetic patients.

Research at the University of Vienna (Austria) investigated the mode of action and effectiveness of caiapo from sweet potatoes tested on people with type 2 diabetes with a dose of 12 weeks.

The results showed that treatment with caiapo extracted from sweet potatoes reduced hemoglobin A-1c (HbA1c), a marker of excess blood sugar. Blood sugar levels in the group using caiapo from sweet potatoes were also significantly reduced.

Sweet potatoes are considered a very good food for weight loss. Because the energy in sweet potatoes is very low, only 1/3 compared to rice and 1/2 compared to potatoes. Sweet potatoes do not contain fat and cholesterol, preventing the process of converting sugar in food into fat and fat in the body.

Eating sweet potatoes before main meals will help you reduce a large amount of food intake.

Eating sweet potatoes is very beneficial for the digestive system because vitamin C and amino acids help stimulate intestinal motility, making the food digestion process faster and preventing constipation.

Some good remedies from sweet potatoes

Doctor Vu said that sweet potatoes are used in many simple traditional medicines. People who have a fever in hot weather and cannot sweat can cook white sweet potatoes with green mustard and eat them instead of rice to help sweat, reduce fever, and relieve colds.

Sweet potatoes have laxative properties and are often used in remedies to help relieve constipation. To treat constipation, you can eat boiled sweet potatoes or boil and mash them into a smoothie and drink.

People with hemorrhoids can drink boiled fresh or crushed dried potatoes in the morning to help improve the condition.

Women with mastitis use peeled, mashed white sweet potatoes and apply to the breasts. This can be combined with mashed garlic.

Sweet potatoes are very good food for the kidneys. People with kidney yang deficiency and frequent urination can use the medicine of stewed dog meat with sweet potatoes, adding a little wine and spices. For cases of kidney yin deficiency and back pain and weak knees, use 30g of fresh young sweet potato leaves and 30g of turtle shell, boil well and drink the water.

Although sweet potatoes are very good for health, we should not overuse them. We should only eat them in moderation, balanced with other food groups. When using sweet potatoes as medicine, you should consult a specialist.