November is Sweet Potato Month

November is National Sweet Potato Month! Sweet potatoes are not only delicious, but very healthy as well. In fact, they are considered superfoods, because they are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Sweet potatoes are especially popular around the Thanksgiving table, either mashed, roasted, or in a pie. When sprinkled with cinnamon, they make for a perfect, cozy wintertime food.

One cup (200 grams) of baked sweet potato with skin provides

Calories: 180

Carbs: 41.4 grams

Protein: 4 grams

Fat: 0.3 grams

Fiber: 6.6 grams

Vitamin A: 769% of the

Daily Value (DV)

Vitamin C: 65% of the DV

Manganese: 50% of the DV

Vitamin B6: 29% of the DV

Potassium: 27% of the DV

Pantothenic acid: 18% of the DV

Copper: 16% of the DV

Niacin: 15% of the DV

In addition, sweet potatoes — especially the orange and purple varieties — are rich in antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals. Natural compounds called carotenoids give sweet potatoes their rich color. Carotenoids are also antioxidants, which means they have the power to protect your cells from day-to-day damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage DNA and trigger inflammation. Free radical damage has been linked to chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and aging. Therefore, eating antioxidant-rich foods is good for your health. This is especially so for brain health, because antioxidants play a role in protecting brain cells when aging.

Just one sweet potato gives you 400% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body’s defense against germs. Also, sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene and anthocyanins, antioxidants that may help prevent vision loss and improve eye health. In fact, the large amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin A, which are in sweet potatoes, can lower your chances of developing macular degeneration eye disease, which is the most common cause of vision loss. Sweet potatoes are also beneficial for those with diabetes, because the compounds found in them can help control blood sugar. When boiled, sweet potatoes are low on the glycemic index (GI), which means they won’t raise your blood sugar as quickly as high-GI foods.

In addition, sweet potatoes promote gut health due to their high levels of both soluble and insoluble fiber as well as antioxidants. Studies have found that fiber-rich diets containing 20–33 grams per day have been linked to a lower risk of colon cancer and more regular digestion. Antioxidants in purple sweet potatoes promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, including certain Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species. Greater amounts of these types of bacteria within the intestines are associated with better gut health and a lower risk of conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and infectious diarrhea. The high levels of Vitamin A in sweet potatoes contribute to a healthy immune system. Vitamin A is also key for maintaining healthy mucous membranes, especially in the lining of your gut. The gut is where your body is exposed to many potential disease-causing pathogens. Therefore, a healthy gut is an important part of a healthy immune system. The gut of course is responsible for digestion, but also plays a critical role in immunity, and sweet potatoes act as a superfood in that they support both of those functions.