The 'taboos' when eating sweet potatoes that not everyone knows

Sweet potatoes are a familiar tuber, rich in nutrients and bring many health benefits. However, if eaten incorrectly, sweet potatoes can affect your health.

Do not eat raw sweet potatoes

Consuming raw sweet potatoes can cause a number of digestive problems. First, the high content of resistant starch in raw sweet potatoes is difficult to digest, causing bloating, indigestion, and intestinal problems.

Second, the presence of trypsin inhibitors reduces the body's ability to absorb protein, affecting the process of building and repairing cells. Therefore, consuming raw sweet potatoes regularly and in large quantities is not recommended.

Do not eat sweet potatoes when hungry

Eating sweet potatoes on an empty stomach can cause many problems for the digestive system. When the stomach is empty, sweet potatoes will stimulate excessive production of gastric acid, leading to heartburn, heartburn and even stomach ulcers. To protect your health, you should eat sweet potatoes after eating main meals or combine them with foods rich in fiber.

Sweet potatoes eaten incorrectly can also affect health. (Photo: Getty Images)

Do not eat sweet potatoes with black spots.

Black spots on sweet potatoes are a warning sign of harmful bacteria. These bacteria produce toxins that can damage the liver and other internal organs. It is important to note that these toxins are very stable and are not easily destroyed by high temperatures.

Therefore, eating contaminated sweet potatoes can cause serious health problems. To ensure food safety, we need to immediately remove potatoes that show signs of infection and choose fresh, unbruised potatoes.

Don't eat too many sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a nutritious food, but consuming too much can cause unwanted problems for the digestive system. When eating too many sweet potatoes, the body will have to produce a large amount of enzymes to break down starch.

This process consumes a lot of energy and produces carbon dioxide, leading to bloating, belching and indigestion. In addition, sweet potatoes also contain insoluble fiber, which if eaten in excess can irritate the intestines and lead to constipation.

Avoid frying or adding sugar

Sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients, but to fully enjoy the benefits they bring, we need to prepare them intelligently. Boiling or steaming are optimal methods, helping to preserve the maximum amount of valuable vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Avoid cooking methods such as frying, deep-frying or adding too much sugar, as they not only destroy the nutritional value of sweet potatoes but also cause you to take in excess calories, which is harmful to your health.

Correspondent Thu Phuong (VOV.VN)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nhung-dai-ky-khi-an-khoai-lang-khong-phai-ai-cung-biet-ar905149.html