Will Sweet Potatoes Help You Lose Weight?

by Eric Bakker N.D.

Are sweet potatoes good for weight loss?

As soon as people hear the word “potato,” they jump to the conclusion that it’s a fattening food. But, turns out sweet potatoes aren’t even potatoes. Instead, they are a type of plant called a tuber.

Sweet potato is very good for your health. It’s, in fact, a traditional medicine in several countries like Brazil and Taiwan. Sweet potato belongs to the Ipomoea family or the Convolvulaceae family. In New Zealand, we call sweet potatoes Kumera. This tuber is very popular with the indigenous Maori who brought the Kumera from Polynesia and Hawaii five to six hundred years ago.

There are two types of sweet potatoes, the yellow one with golden flesh and the red one with the white flesh.

Further readings:

I read an interesting study that looked at the impact of eating white-fleshed sweet potatoes. Subjects who consumed the sweet potatoes had improved blood sugar stability and reduced insulin response. As a result, sweet potato is an appropriate food for someone with diabetes.
Sweet potatoes are very high in fiber so they leave you feeling full. They also contain a substantial amount of potassium and sky-high levels of vitamin A. There are also a lot of essential minerals in sweet potatoes.

What I like about the sweet potato the most is its effect on the large intestine. It creates an excellent environment for healthy fermentation, so you’re going to get outstanding levels of bifidobacteria. High levels of bifidobacteria are associated with better energy, improved cognition, and a more positive mood. Feeling better overall means, you’re less likely to grab a big bag of peanuts or chips or a six-pack of beer. That fact that sweet potatoes leave you feeling full leaves you less likely to impulsively grab a candy bar at the supermarket checkout.

Sweet potatoes are also high in water content and have been shown to contribute to weight loss. I highly recommend including sweet potatoes in your diet.

Sources:

About Eric Bakker N.D.

Eric Bakker ND has completed almost ten years of study and has almost almost 25 years of clinical experience in natural and integrative forms of medicine, and has pursued continuous post-graduate study in Australia, America, India as well as in New Zealand.

Eric is the past Vice President of the NZ Natural Medicine Association and is currently on their editorial advisory board.