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Is sweet potato just sweet potato?

Sweet potato, also known as sweet potato, sweet potato, sweet potato. Because of different regions, people call it sweet potato, Sichuan sweet potato, Beijing sweet potato and Fujian sweet potato. Its hometown is South America, and it was introduced to China at the end of 16. Nowadays, there are traces all over China except the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Because it was introduced to China from abroad, in the old society, China people used to call foreigners "Fan". For example, Cantonese calls foreigners "Fan Guigui" and foreigners "Fan Gang". Therefore, foreign sweet potatoes are of course called sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato (English: sweet potato) was originally named as sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. ), also known as red taro, sweet potato, yam (Hebei), sweet potato, sweet potato (North), sweet potato, sweet potato, sweet potato, sweet potato, sweet potato. Sweet potato belongs to the family Convolvulaceae of the genus Panicum, which is more than 2 meters long and lies on the ground. Its leaves are usually wide oval, 4- 13 cm long and 3- 13 cm wide. Corolla pink, white, lavender or purple, bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, 3-4 cm long, and capsule ovoid or oblate. Sweet potato is rich in protein, starch, pectin, cellulose, amino acids, vitamins and various minerals, and has the reputation of "longevity food". The sugar content reached 15%-20%. Has anticancer, heart protecting, emphysema and diabetes preventing, and weight reducing effects. The north is commonly known as sweet potato and sweet potato. Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica in Ming Dynasty recorded that "sweet potato can tonify deficiency, strengthen spleen and stimulate appetite, and strengthen kidney yin", and said that people in the sea can eat for a long time. Chinese medicine regards sweet potato as a good medicine.

Nutritional value:

Sweet potato tuber contains 60%-80% water, 10%-30% starch, about 5% sugar and a small amount of protein, oil, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and ash. If 2.5Kg fresh sweet potato is converted into 0.5Kg grain, its nutritional components are higher than rice and flour except fat. In addition, sweet potato is rich in vitamins (carotene, vitamins A, B, C and E), and its starch is easily absorbed by human body.

1. carotene

Vitamin A is known as "eye protection", which is transformed from carotene. Sweet potato is rich in carotene, which can provide rich vitamin A. The content of vitamin A can be as high as 40mg/ 100g of fresh sweet potato. Carotene can be converted into vitamin A after being absorbed by human body. Vitamin A can maintain normal visual function.

2. Edible fiber

The fiber content of sweet potato is 10 times that of rice flour. It has fine texture, does not harm the stomach, can accelerate the peristalsis of digestive tract, help defecation, clean the digestive tract, shorten the residence time of toxic substances in food in the intestine, reduce self-poisoning caused by constipation, reduce the concentration of carcinogens in the intestine, and prevent hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer. At the same time, cellulose can absorb some glucose, reduce the sugar content in blood, and help prevent diabetes.

3. Combination of sugar and protein

Sweet potato is rich in mucin, which is a mixture of polysaccharide and protein. It has a special protective effect on human body, and can keep the lubrication of digestive tract, respiratory tract, joint cavity and membrane cavity and the elasticity of blood vessels. Because this substance can prevent arteriosclerosis caused by the deposition of substances on the arterial wall, it can prevent the atrophy of connective tissue of organs such as liver and kidney, slow down the aging of human organs and improve the immunity of the body. Sweet potato also contains glycoprotein, which has good anti-mutation, hypolipidemic and immune enhancement effects.

4. Potassium

Sweet potato has high potassium content, which can alleviate the disadvantages caused by excessive salt intake. Potassium is also an important factor to protect the heart. Because potassium is an alkaline element, the pH value of sweet potato is 10. 1, which is a physiological alkaline food and has the function of neutralizing body fluids. Proper consumption of sweet potato is conducive to maintaining the acid-base balance of blood and to people's health, development and intellectual development.

5. Anticancer substances

There is a physiologically active substance called "deoxyepiandrosterone" in sweet potato, which can prevent colon cancer and breast cancer and greatly promote the activity of brain cells and endocrine glands, so it can delay mental decline and increase human resistance. It contains more carotene, lysine, plant fiber and dehydroepiandrosterone, which can prevent intestinal cancer and breast cancer.