79. SWEET POTATO

                                            SWEET POTATO

Nutrition in 100 gm (Raw)
Energy: 90 kcal
Carbohydrates	20.1 gm
Starch	12.7 gm
Sugar	4.2 gm
Dietary fibre	3 gm
Fat	0.1 gm
Proteins	1.6 gm
Vitamin A eqvi. beta-carotene	709 µ gm 8509 µ gm
Vit. B1 (Thiamin)	0.1 mg
Vit. B2 (Riboflavin)	0.1 mg
Vit. B3 (Niacin)	0.61 mg
Vit. B5 (Pantothenic Acid)	0.8 mg
Vit. B6	0.2 mg
Vitamin B9 (Folate)	11 µ gm
Vitamin C	2.4 mg
Iron	0.6 mg
Phosphorus	47 mg
Calcium	30 mg
Magnesium	25 mg
Potassium	337 mg
Zinc	0.3 mg

Sweet potato is an important root vegetable. It is highly nutritious compared to other vegetables. As the name suggests this vegetable is sweet. But it is eaten mostly cooked. It is used to make many types of sweet dishes and curry. Smaller ones are tastier as the larger ones have more fibre. When it is cut it immediately starts getting discoloured. We can put the pieces in salt water or lemon water to stop the discoloration.

Sweet potato is baked, boiled or deep fried to prepare a number of dishes. Leaves of sweet potato are stir-fried with garlic.

Sweet potato is very high in beta-carotene. It is also high in pro-vitamin called Acaroteniod. It is rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, beta-carotene (vit A eqv.), vitamin C & B6.

There are different varieties of sweet potato but the ones with dark orange flesh have more beta-carotene.

Benefits:

1. Diabetes: Sweet potato helps to balance the blood sugar level in the body and to lower the insulin resistance.

2. Industry: Sweet potato has starch and hence it is commercially used in laundries, in sizing textiles and papers, and in manufacture of adhesives. It is also used to produce industrial alcohol.

3. Dyes: The juice of red sweet potato is combined with lime juice to make dye for cloth.

4. Dengue: The leaves are boiled in water and given to the patients to increase blood platelet levels.