Every health-conscious person knows the many health benefits that sweet potatoes offer. Unfortunately, not a lot of people are giving sweet potato leaves the attention they also deserve. Did you know that the inclusion of these leaves in the diet allows you to enjoy a number of perks, from sharper vision to stronger bones?
Read on if you like to know about the amazing things that sweet potato leaves can bring into your life. After reading this article, share it to have your family members and friends introduced to these healthy vegetables, too!
Sweet potato leaves are heart-shaped, and a lot of people residing in various tropical areas of the planet simply love consuming them regularly. Both young and mature sweet potato leaves can be eaten, and they are often boiled, steamed or sautéed together with other vegetables. Sometimes they are used as replacements for spinach.
And just like spinach, sweet potato leaves are also slightly bitter in taste. But that’s okay because a little seasoning is enough to make them more palatable, letting you enjoy the many health perks they offer.
Without further ado, let’s check out the reasons for you to regularly consume sweet potato leaves:
They Lower Inflammation and Slow Down Aging
Sweet potato leaves are incredible sources of antioxidants. According to doctors, antioxidants are important for zapping free radicals in order to prevent oxidative stress, which is something that causes inflammation.
It’s exactly for this reason why the regular intake of sweet potato leaves and other antioxidant-rich foods is a great idea most especially for individuals who are experiencing painful joints and muscles. If you are suffering from osteoarthritis, the regular intake of sweet potato leaves can help reduce your intake of NSAIDs.
Oxidative stress also accelerates the process of aging. And that’s why if you want to stay looking young by keeping your skin wrinkle-free, consider eating sweet potato leaves often to have your body supplied with antioxidants.
They Promote Healthy Eyes and Sharp Vision
Just like sweet potatoes themselves, sweet potato leaves also supply your body with vitamin A. That is why their addition to the diet can help you steer clear of developing all sorts of eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration — eye experts say that vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps prevent those.
Do you suffer from night blindness? Then regularly add some sweet potato leaves to your diet. Their vitamin A content is known to help improve night vision, as well as sharpen one’s eyesight in general.
They Help Keep the Cardiovascular System Healthy
Fiber and potassium in sweet potato laves work together in lowering the blood pressure. Fiber helps in taking bad cholesterol out of the body, sparing the arteries from being clogged and keeping hypertension at bay. On the other hand, potassium has a more direct effect on lowering the blood pressure by causing the blood vessels to relax.
Because of the blood pressure-lowering abilities of sweet potato leaves, they help in keeping the heart out of harm’s way. Your risk of having heart disease, heart attack and stroke may be reduced with the help of sweet potato leaves.
They Lower a Person’s Risk of Having Osteoporosis
Sweet potato leaves supply the body with calcium, and everyone knows that this mineral is essential for keeping the bones strong. So in other words, eating sweet potato leaves can help in warding off osteoporosis.
But there is another reason why sweet potato leaves are considered as superb strengtheners of the bone, and that’s the fact that they also yield vitamin K. According to doctors, calcium is practically useless without vitamin K because it’s known to help promote the absorption of calcium by the body.
Vitamin K in sweet potato leaves, by the way, also offers many other benefits. Experts say that it’s important for proper blood clotting and brain health. Women who suffer from PMS can benefit from vitamin K, too.
