Thursday, December 20, 2012
Sweet Potatoes
12:13 PM | 
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
Whenever I think of sweet potatoes, I
envision the holidays. In my mind's eye I see that glass casserole dish with
warm gooey sweet potatoes covered in melted brown sugar and marshmallows. While
using the sweet potato as a holiday table specialty is nice, sweet potatoes are
actually much more versatile than one might imagine. There are many ways to
include them in one's diet—and many reasons one should. Sweet potatoes are
ranked highest of all vegetables in nutritional value by the Center for Science
in the Public Interest. Ounce for ounce you get a load of nutrients from a
sweet potato. This blog entry will focus on just a few that make this tuber an
excellent dietary choice for the cold and flu season.
Nutrition and the Immune System
As we make our food choices, we must remember that nutrient intake is an important contributing factor in the immune system's ability to function. Micronutrients that are required for the immune system to function efficiently include vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, Zinc, Copper, Iron, and Selenium. It turns out sweet potatoes are high in many of these:
As we make our food choices, we must remember that nutrient intake is an important contributing factor in the immune system's ability to function. Micronutrients that are required for the immune system to function efficiently include vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, Zinc, Copper, Iron, and Selenium. It turns out sweet potatoes are high in many of these:
Vitamin A. The intense orange color of the sweet potato is evidence
of its high concentration of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. In fact,
just one has five times the RDA of vitamin A. Besides being recognized as
essential for vision, growth and bone development, vitamin A plays a crucial
role in immunity.
Vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are considered
to be a very good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C affects the immune system by
stimulating the production and function of white blood cells.
Vitamin B6. Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin B6. Studies
have demonstrated that low dietary intake of vitamin B6 can result in depressed
immune function.
Copper and
Iron. Sweet potatoes are a good source of
both copper and iron. Minerals such as these are essential to immunity as they
aid in the maturation, function, and activation of defense mechanisms.
Eat Sweet Potatoes! Now that you know the incredible nutritional value of the
sweet potato, there is just no excuse to reserve them only for the holiday
table. Be creative - try adding them to your everyday meals, especially during
the cold and flu season!
Nancy
Silva, ND
Faculty,
Health Sciences Dept
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I always love to eat sweet potatoes and now I'm loving it more! Aside from being delish its good for the body. Thanks for these wonderful information. High five!
I did not grow-up with sweet potatoes in my diet. In fact the only time I ever saw them was Thanksgiving in sweet potato casserole and honestly (marshmallows or not) it did not look good to me nor did I think it tasted good. It was not until I lived in Germany about 9 years ago that a friend introduced sweet potatoes as a snack. She would wash them and cut them up raw and eat them like a cucumber. She told (not asked but told) me to try one. It was amazing and I have loved them ever since. Bottom line give foods a try, you may enjoy them prepared in different ways.
Post a Comment