During the South Beach/Atkins craze (or as I like to call it, the Great Carb Castigation), carbs of all kinds were given a bad name. That means that many whole grains and vegetables were eschewed in favor of protein alternatives. We’ve come to our senses somewhat, but there’s still confusion about the merits of certain carbs, especially potatoes.

The misinformed often put potatoes in the same category as white rice (i.e., the nutrient-deficient one), but all spuds aren’t created equal. Some, like the humble sweet potato, have more benefits than many realize. In fact, making sweet potatoes a diet staple is one of the most healthful choices a person can make.

A Primer on Sweet Potatoes
Labels like sweet potatoes and yams are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. There are numerous types of sweet potatoes, but most of us are familiar with the main two—the yellow, drier variety with lightly tanned skin and the sweeter, darker-skinned kind with orange insides. People mistakenly classify the latter as a yam, but yams are bigger and less sweet.

1. They’re one of our best vitamin A sources.
Sweet potatoes were named the top superfood by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and after looking at their nutritional profile, it’s easy to see why. One medium sweet potato provides over 200 percent of our daily requirement of vitamin A. It comes in the form of beta-carotene, which gives the sweet potato its rich hue and our bodies many advantages.

Vitamin A benefits our eyesight, skin, and bones. Acting as an antioxidant, it stops the free radicals in our bodies that can contribute to aging and increase our risk for diseases like cancer. It’s also helpful in preventing infections in our digestive and urinary tracts and lungs. In fact, a 2003 study conducted at Kansas State University and published in The American Society for Nutritional Sciences found a link between vitamin A deficiency and emphysema.

2. Their other nutrients aren’t too shabby, either.
Aside from vitamin A, sweet potatoes are great sources of vitamin C (one serving meets about 66 percent of our daily requirement), copper, vitamin B6, iron, calcium, potassium, and manganese. They’re also filled with fiber—according to the U.S. Sweet Potato Council Inc., a cooked sweet potato with the skin provides more fiber than a serving of oatmeal. However, if you’re eating an un-skinned potato, make sure it’s organic to avoid chemical residue left from pesticides.

3. Sweet potatoes are easy on the stomach.
Their high starch content makes less work for the digestive system, which eliminates the cause of most stomachaches. The large amount of fiber keeps things regular and running smoothly, preventing constipation (another com

[1] [2] 下一页