2. Nutritional value
Sweet potato tuber contains 60%-80% water, 10%-30% starch, about 5% sugar and a small amount of protein, oil, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and ash. If 2.5Kg fresh sweet potato is converted into 0.5Kg grain, its nutritional components are higher than rice and carbohydrates except fat. In addition, sweet potato is rich in vitamins (carotene, vitamins A, B, C and E), and its starch is easily absorbed by human body.
1. carotene
Vitamin A is known as the "eye protector", and vitamin A is transformed from carotene. Sweet potato is rich in carotene, which can provide abundant vitamin A. The content of vitamin A can be as high as 40mg/ 100g of fresh sweet potato. Carotene can be converted into vitamin A after being absorbed by human body. Vitamin A can maintain normal visual function.
2. Edible fiber
The fiber content of sweet potato is equivalent to 10 times of that of rice flour. Its texture is exquisite, does not harm the stomach, can accelerate the peristalsis of the digestive tract, help defecate, clean the digestive tract, shorten the residence time of toxic substances in food in the intestine, reduce the self-poisoning caused by constipation, reduce the concentration of carcinogens in the intestine, and prevent hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer. At the same time, cellulose can absorb some glucose, which reduces the sugar content in blood and helps to prevent diabetes.
3. Sugar and protein conjugates
Sweet potato is rich in mucin, which is a mixture of polysaccharide and protein. It has a special protective effect on human body, and can keep the lubrication of digestive tract, respiratory tract, joint cavity and membrane cavity and the elasticity of blood vessels. Because this substance can prevent arteriosclerosis caused by the deposition of substances on the arterial wall, it can prevent the atrophy of connective tissues of organs such as liver and kidney, slow down the aging of human organs and improve the immunity of the body. Sweet potato also contains glycoprotein, which has good anti-mutation, hypolipidemic and immune enhancement effects.
4. Potassium
Sweet potato has high potassium content, which can alleviate the disadvantages caused by excessive intake of salt. Potassium is also an important factor to protect the heart. Because potassium is an alkaline element, the pH value of sweet potato is 10.3 1, which is a physiological alkaline food and has the function of neutralizing body fluids. Proper consumption of sweet potato is conducive to maintaining the acid-base balance of blood and is beneficial to people's health, development and intellectual development.
5. Anticancer substances
There is a physiologically active substance called "deoxyepiandrosterone" in sweet potato, which can prevent colon cancer and breast cancer and greatly promote the activity of brain cells and endocrine glands, so it can delay mental decline and increase human resistance. It contains more carotene, lysine, plant fiber and dehydroepiandrosterone, and can prevent intestinal cancer and breast cancer.
Third, the efficacy of sweet potatoes
1 Sweet potato is rich in essential nutrients such as starch, vitamins and cellulose, as well as mineral elements such as magnesium, phosphorus and calcium and linoleic acid. These substances can maintain the elasticity of blood vessels and are very effective in preventing and treating habitual constipation in the elderly. Unfortunately, most people think that eating sweet potatoes will make people fat and dare not eat them. In fact, on the contrary, sweet potato is an ideal diet food, its calorie is only 1/3 of that of rice, and because it is rich in cellulose and pectin, it has the special function of preventing sugar from transforming into fat.
Sweet potato is not only a healthy food, but also a good medicine for curing diseases. According to Compendium of Materia Medica, sweet potato has the effects of "tonifying deficiency, invigorating qi, strengthening spleen and stomach, and strengthening kidney yin". "Sweet potatoes are steamed, cut, dried and harvested as food, which is called potato food, which makes people live longer and have fewer diseases. "compendium of materia medica" says that sweet potato can tonify the middle energizer, blood, warm the stomach and fatten the five internal organs. "The Manual of Sweet Potato" says that it has six medicinal values: treating dysentery and diarrhea; Treat wine accumulation and heat diarrhea; Treat damp-heat and jaundice; Treat nocturnal emission and white turbidity; Treating blood deficiency and menstrual disorder; Treat infantile malnutrition. "Luchuan Materia Medica" says that sweet potato can produce fluid to quench thirst and cure fever and thirst.
Sweet potato contains a lot of cellulose and pectin which are not easily destroyed by digestive enzymes, which can stimulate the secretion of digestive juice and gastrointestinal peristalsis, thus playing a laxative role. In addition, its rich β -carotene is an effective antioxidant, which helps to eliminate free radicals in the body. In fact, sweet potato is an ideal diet food.