Because eating sweet potatoes often can relieve constipation and edema, sweet potatoes also have some unique cooking methods in people's consumption. So, what are the functions of sweet potato in daily life, and what health care providers need to pay attention to?
First, the taste and orientation of sweet potato
[Attribute] Sweet in taste and flat in nature. Enter spleen and kidney meridians.
Second, the efficacy and function of sweet potato
Sweet potato can invigorate the spleen, invigorate qi, moisten the intestines, relieve constipation, promote fluid production and quench thirst.
Sweet potato is used for spleen deficiency, qi deficiency and constipation; Lung and stomach fever, dry mouth.
After the sweet potato is cooked, some starch changes, which can increase the dietary fiber by about 40% compared with raw food. The increase of various water-insoluble fibers can effectively stimulate the intestine and promote defecation. Dietary fiber is particularly valuable to modern people. Medical research has confirmed that the lack of dietary fiber with laxative effect can induce various lifestyle diseases and colorectal cancer.
Modern medical research shows that sweet potato can scavenge active oxygen. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the causes of cancer, aging and arteriosclerosis.
Experiments on mouse cancer cells show that among the 82 kinds of vegetable juices and plant components used in the experiment, sweet potato has the most obvious inhibitory effect on cancer cell proliferation. In addition, sweet potato can also inhibit skin aging. Animal experiments with mice have proved that chlorogenic acid in sweet potato can inhibit the production of melanin, which is considered to be the cause of freckles and senile plaques.
Lack of protein and lipid is the disadvantage of sweet potato. Today, people no longer take sweet potato as their staple food, which can be completely supplemented by other diets.
Third, health tips
Sweet potato contains dietary fiber, carotene, vitamins A, B, C, E, potassium, iron, copper, selenium, calcium and so on. With high nutritional value, it is the champion of "Top Ten Best Vegetables" selected by the World Health Organization. However, it should be noted that sweet potatoes are also exquisite to eat.
1, sweet potatoes must be steamed before eating, because the starch particles in sweet potatoes are not destroyed by high temperature and are difficult to digest.
2. Sweet potato contains an oxidase, which easily produces a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in human gastrointestinal tract. Eating too much sweet potato will lead to bloating, burping and farting. Sweet potato has a high sugar content. Eating too much will stimulate gastric acid secretion and make people feel heartbroken. Because the stomach is stimulated by excessive gastric acid, the contraction is strengthened, and the gastric acid can flow back to the feeding tube, leading to acid vomiting. When eating sweet potatoes, it is best to match a little pickles, which can effectively inhibit stomach acid.
In addition, sweet potato contains a lot of sugar, which can't be absorbed by the body for a while, and the rest is easy to ferment in the intestine, making the abdomen uncomfortable. Chinese medicine believes that people with dampness blocking the spleen and stomach, qi stagnation and blood stasis should be careful to eat sweet potatoes.
The above is the introduction of some functions of sweet potato in the process of health preservation and the places that need attention.