The consumption of sweet potato leaves is a commonplace in the tropical regions of the planet because the said green leafy vegetables are easily accessible and nutritious. Heart-shaped and slightly bitter, it is possible for sweet potato leaves to be steamed, boiled and stir-fried.
Growing sweet potatoes in your garden is a wonderful idea as they are fairly easy to cultivate plus nothing goes to waste — both mature and young leaves of the plant are great for cooking, not to mention those healthy tubers that grow beneath the ground. Definitely, including sweet potato leaves in your diet is highly recommended.
So what are the reasons why you should consider eating sweet potato leaves? Here are some of them:
They are Good for Your Heart
One of the many nutrients found abundantly in sweet potato leaves is vitamin K, something that is vital for keeping your entire circulatory system and most especially your heart in an excellent shape. You see, vitamin K is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, thus it keeps your arteries from hardening and your blood pressure from rising.
You don’t want your arteries hardened and clogged up and your blood pressure increased because both of them can considerably increase your risk of heart disease. To keep yourself as far away as possible from heart-related problems, consider eating vitamin K-rich sweet potato leaves on a regular basis.
Sweet Potato Leaves Help Strengthen Your Bones
Other than keeping your arteries and heart out of harm’s way, vitamin K also helps make your bones strong. It does so by making sure that calcium stays in your bones rather than in your bloodstream. By the way, the particular vitamin K form that’s beneficial for the bones is vitamin K2 — vitamin K1 is necessary for preventing bleeding.
As early as now, regularly consume sweet potato leaves and other bone-strengthening foods to help lower your chances of ending up with osteoporosis in the future. Characterized by weak and brittle bones, having osteoporosis can make your bones more prone to ending up broken or fractured.
These Leafy Greens Contain Vitamin A
We all know that vitamin A is important for the maintenance of sharp vision. Aside from carrots and other orange-colored vegetables, you may also eat sweet potato leaves on a regular basis to ensure that your body is supplied with good amounts of vitamin A, thus warding off problems that concern your eyesight.
Since vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant, it’s also helps save your skin cells from being damaged by free radicals which can be very harmful in excessive amounts, allowing your skin to stay looking young. Including vitamin A-rich foods like sweet potato leaves in your diet also helps keep your nails and mane looking their best.
They’re Known to Combat Chronic Inflammation
Regularly serving dishes containing sweet potato leaves on the table is a phenomenal idea because the said vegetables help fight off chronic inflammation. No, it’s not the kind of inflammation that happens when your cuts and scrapes become infected, but the one that takes place within — which is why it’s bad for your overall health.
Experts link chronic inflammation to a staggering number of diseases. For instance, it is said to increase your odds of having heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. Chronic inflammation may also be blamed for the likes of obesity, accelerated aging, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Sweet Potato Leaves are Rich in Fiber
There is no questioning that fiber is good for you. Some of the best sources of fiber are green leafy vegetables such as sweet potato leaves. We all know that a diet that’s rich in fiber helps keep your bowel movement regular. Experts say that it may also lower your risk of piles and especially deadly colorectal cancer.
Consuming sweet potato leaves is beneficial for someone who is trying to shed off excess pounds. That’s because the fact that it’s loaded with fiber can help stave off hunger pangs and overeating. Also, sweet potato leaves are very low in calories, so you can be sure that you won’t go beyond your daily caloric requirement.
