These Sweet Potato Recipes Are Making Us So Excited for Fall (2024)

FAQs

What does the existence of the sweet potato among Polynesian societies tell us? ›

It is unknown how sweet potato began to be cultivated in the Pacific, but the current scholarly consensus is that the presence of sweet potato in Polynesia is evidence of Polynesian contact with South America.

Sweet potatoes contain Vitamin B6, which helps turn on serotonin, a “feel good” neurotransmitter in your brain. Ways to Prepare: Slice sweet potatoes, toss with olive oil and bake them into healthy fries. Add baked sweet potato purée to pancake batter, oatmeal, and muffin batter.

5. Sweet potatoes have nutrients that support mental health. Eating sweet potatoes will make you feel good—literally. Schwarz says that this is because they contain magnesium, a nutrient that supports the brain and nervous system.

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable.

Potato and sweet potato are examples of analogous organs. Both sweet potato and potato have a common function i.e., storage of food in the form of starch. Hence, they show convergent evolution. But they both differ in structural origin as the sweet potato is a root modification while the potato is a stem modification.

According to the “tripartite hypothesis,” sweet potato was introduced into Oceania from South America in pre-Columbian times and was then later newly introduced, and diffused widely across the Pacific, by Europeans via two historically documented routes from Mexico and the Caribbean.

Just one sweet potato gives you 102% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body's defense against germs. It's also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes keep you feeling fuller for longer. They also help balance your blood sugar levels which enhances the functioning of your brain. The humble sweet potato offers your brain a good dose of antioxidants. Especially one called anthocyanin, which may have beneficial memory enhancing effects¹.

You've probably noticed that you feel calmer and more content after digging into a yummy baked potato or plate of home fries. And researchers may have figured out why: Potatoes boast rich stores of tryptophan and potassium — nutrients your brain and digestive tract use to produce the mood-steadying hormone serotonin.

Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, and their excessive consumption can lead to hypervitaminosis A (vitamin A toxicity), in which excess vitamin A accumulates in the liver. Although it is not considered harmful, the color of the skin and nails may turn orange.

Why do I feel weird after eating sweet potatoes? ›

Sweet potato intolerance

However, sweet potato contains a type of sugar called mannitol that can cause stomach pain, trigger bloating, and diarrhoea. Frequent symptoms after eating sweet potato might suggest that you are intolerant to foods that contain mannitol.

Along with anti-inflammatory properties, sweet potatoes have plenty of gut-friendly fiber, especially if you eat the skin. They are a mixture of soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol and balance glucose, and insoluble fiber, which helps keep your bowels healthy and regular.

Sweet potatoes can be white, yellow, red, purple or orange. The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are sweeter than the other varieties. You would have to eat 23 cups of broccoli to take in the same amount of vitamin A that is in one sweet potato.

Yams and sweet potatoes differ in flavor and appearance, and they are not related. Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, is a tender, warmweather vegetable that requires a long frost-free growing season to mature large, useful roots. Sweet potato is native to Central and South America. Availability: Sweet potatoes are available year round, but they are best in the fall.

The researchers calculated the average rate of genetic change for the plant, determining that the Polynesian sweet potato diverged from its South American cousin at least 100,000 years ago. That suggests the plants, or their seeds, somehow migrated across the ocean on their own, possibly via wind, water or birds.

Sweet potatoes have deep roots, making them a powerful symbol of grounding and stability.

'Uala, or sweet potatoes, have been a staple crop in Hawai'i for centuries, with varieties introduced from South America by Polynesian voyagers centuries ago. Early Hawaiians appreciated this hardy tuber for its ability to thrive in drier climates.

Amazingly, it produces more biomass and nutrients per acre that any other food crop. It also has a wide range of adaptability, making production possible in marginal agricultural settings. This adaptability has made the sweet potato incredibly important for food security in developing countries.