Sweet potato root or leaves better?

Sweet potatoes are a low-fat source of nutrients that are beneficial to human health. The two most commonly used parts of sweet potatoes are the tubers and leaves.

Some people believe that the root of the potato has the greatest nutritional value, while the vegetable is just a common thing, not as delicious and nutritious as some other vegetables. Others say that the leaves of the potato provide many vitamins and minerals that are good for the body.

It is impossible to compare tubers and vegetables because both have their own nutritional values and uses. Tubers are classified as food, providing starch, most clearly seen is that many people use sweet potatoes for breakfast instead of rice, noodles, pho because it provides a large amount of sugar and starch for the body.

Sweet potato leaves belong to the leafy vegetable group, and are used to prepare dishes such as soups, boiled dishes, and stir-fried dishes, providing many nutritional values that are good for health.

Many people wonder whether sweet potato tubers or leaves are better. (Illustration)

Studies show that sweet potato leaves are rich in vitamin B2, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, antioxidants, and have the effect of cleansing the digestive system, helping to cool down, detoxify, and effectively reduce blood fat. In particular, sweet potato leaves contain flavonoids, which promote glucose absorption in peripheral tissues and enhance insulin secretion, helping to prevent diabetes.

If we have a guaranteed source of vegetables, we should use them regularly, combining them with other vegetables to diversify the food groups in our meals. In addition, sweet potato leaves rot very quickly, so we need to take them out when they are just cooked to preserve the vitamins and minerals.

Sweet potatoes are rich in starch, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and contain many antioxidants that help protect the body, but you should not eat a lot at once or continuously. The reason is that they can increase blood sugar due to their high starch content.

Although sweet potato leaves have many nutritional values, not everyone should eat them. Some people should limit their use, such as people with diarrhea, gastritis due to excess gastric juice, low blood sugar, and people with kidney stones. If you want to eat sweet potato leaves to laxative, you should eat fresh, boiled sweet potato leaves, not raw sweet potato leaves because it will cause constipation.

TS TU NGU (Vietnam Nutrition Association)

Source