Eat sweet potatoes with the skin to lose weight and lower cholesterol at the same time!

Sweet potatoes are a national delicacy that everyone loves. Whether it’s steamed sweet potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, or sweet potato soup, they are all delicious! Sweet potatoes themselves contain a lot of nutrients, but if you eat them with the skin, you can take in more beneficial ingredients, including dietary fiber and "mucin", which is a good choice for lowering cholesterol and controlling weight!

Most people peel off the skin of sweet potatoes before eating them to enjoy the soft and sweet taste. Compared to the sweet potato flesh, the sweet potato skin looks "unattractive" and feels a bit rough. However, sweet potato peel is not only edible, it also has many unexpected health benefits.

Sweet potato peel contains mucin, which can lower cholesterol and protect cardiovascular system

Nutritionist Sun Yuming said that sweet potato peel is rich in "mucus protein", a polysaccharide that can lower blood cholesterol levels, prevent fat deposition in the cardiovascular system, and maintain blood vessel elasticity, helping to prevent cardiovascular problems such as vascular sclerosis and high blood pressure.

Sweet potato peel is rich in "mucin", a polysaccharide that can lower blood cholesterol levels.

Sweet potato peel is rich in fiber, which helps control blood sugar and increase satiety

Moreover, sweet potato peel is rich in dietary fiber, which can promote intestinal peristalsis and help stool formation. Supplementing it in moderation can accelerate the excretion of waste and toxins in the body while preventing constipation! In addition, dietary fiber can delay the rise in blood sugar after meals and increase satiety, making it very suitable for supplementation for diabetic patients and people who want to lose weight.

In addition, eating sweet potatoes with the skin can also allow you to ingest more vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, which has many benefits! It would be a pity if you throw away the skin every time you eat sweet potato. Of course, some people don’t eat sweet potato skins because they are worried about the pesticides and dirt on the skin; therefore, it is very important to know how to clean the sweet potato skins correctly.

Only by scrubbing the sweet potato peel in running water can you effectively remove the dirt and stains on the sweet potato peel.

Wash the sweet potatoes with running water and use a small brush to remove dirt from the skin

Nutritionist Sun Yuming recommends that you prepare a small brush such as a toothbrush, or an ordinary sponge, and scrub the sweet potato skin in running water to remove the dirt and dirt on the sweet potato skin, especially the concave parts of the skin, which should be cleaned carefully.

Don't forget! Be sure to scrub it in running water, and do not just soak it in still water, so as to prevent the dirt scrubbed off from adhering to the sweet potato skin again.

Sweet potatoes with skin are suitable for people who want to prevent cardiovascular disease, help control diabetes, control weight, and improve constipation.

Steaming and cooking sweet potatoes with skin retains nutrients and is healthier

After thoroughly washing the sweet potato skin, you can enjoy the delicious taste with peace of mind! In addition, nutritionist Sun Yuming reminds that although eating sweet potatoes with the skin can retain more nutrients, it is also necessary to avoid long-term high-temperature cooking to prevent the loss of nutrients. It is recommended to use steaming and boiling methods to eat healthy and nutritiously!

Sweet potatoes with skin have high fiber content and can cause bloating, so they are not suitable for consumption

Sweet potatoes with skin are suitable for people who want to prevent cardiovascular disease, help control diabetes, control weight, and improve constipation. However, nutritionist Sun Yuming pointed out that the fiber content of sweet potato skin is high, which can easily irritate the stomach and intestines and produce gas. Therefore, people who are prone to bloating are not suitable to eat sweet potatoes with the skin, so as to avoid worse stomach pain or bloating!

Sweet potatoes with skin combined with water can truly relieve constipation

If you are a person who often suffers from constipation, you should drink plenty of water when eating sweet potatoes with the skin. Otherwise, dietary fiber alone without sufficient water will not promote intestinal motility, and in the end, it will not only fail to relieve constipation, but will also make the stool drier and harder.

People who are prone to bloating are not suitable to eat sweet potatoes with the skin, so as to avoid stomach pain or worse bloating!

A small sweet potato is equal to half a bowl of rice. It is a smart substitution and really healthy.

In addition to the above precautions, don’t forget to replace it with white rice in moderation! Sweet potatoes, like rice, are rich in carbohydrates and are a staple food. A small sweet potato (110 grams) is approximately equal to half a bowl of rice (100 grams). People who want to lose weight or control blood sugar should remember to alternate between rice and sweet potatoes to avoid excessive intake.

In addition, nutritionist Sun Yuming said that sweet potatoes are whole grain foods and are very beneficial to health, so ordinary people can also eat sweet potatoes with meals. For example, you can steam chopped sweet potatoes with rice to make sweet potato rice, or replace part of the refined white rice with 1 to 2 small sweet potatoes (about 110 to 220 grams) in one meal. This way you can eat more dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which is nutritious and healthy!

Sun Yuming is a nutritionist. (Photo provided by nutritionist Sun Yuming)