Delicious and nutritious food for any occasion – sweet potato

Have you ever heard of sweet potato? Perhaps you’ve even had the chance to try it? While sweet potato gained popularity several decades ago, Croats have recognized its value just a couple of years ago. When I first tried it, I was literally blown away by its magnificent taste. Other than exquisite taste, sweet potato is rich in vitamins C, B6 and D and minerals like iron, phosphorus and magnesium. It is a well-known fact that vitamin C plays an essential role in health since its antioxidant mechanism protects our body cells from harmful effects of free radicals. Moreover, vitamin C increases the synthesis of collagen which helps us to look younger and fresh.

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, plays an important role in amino acid metabolism. It is recommended to use in case of sleep disorders or stress, very frequent in fast-paced life that most of us lead today. Vitamin D keeps our bones strong, but its most important function lies in maintaining normal calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood. As far as minerals concerned, iron is the most abundant in sweet potato and it necessary for oxygen transport in red blood cells. Though sweet potato is famous for its sweet taste, it is a low glycemic index food (unlike regular potato) which means it slowly releases sugar into the bloodstream, making us feel full longer, thus avoiding large blood glucose fluctuations. Roasted or cooked, once you try it, sweet potato will win over your taste buds and also improve your health.

 

 

 

   

 

Translation: G. Dujmović