Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes provide soluble fiber, which can be easier to digest than insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber also increases the good bacteria in the intestines, contributing to a healthy digestive system. Sweet potatoes also contain potassium, an electrolyte that is often lost during digestive upsets.
Sweet Potatoes
While they are known for their healthy properties and delicious taste, they serve as a great way to balance the sodium in your body. Plus, it also can reduce the bloating that can come with an upset stomach, so sweet potatoes are a win all around.
Although there is no harm in taking this carbohydrate, excess intake may be troublesome for those suffering from stomach discomfort. Having excessive sweet potatoes when suffering from stomach discomfort may lead to diarrhea, stomach aches, and bloating.
Sweet Potatoes
Cooked potatoes of all varieties are examples of easy to digest foods. Sweet potatoes are especially gentle on the digestive tract because they are mostly made up of insoluble fiber, which speeds up digestion and promotes regularity.
Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying.
Sweet Potatoes
This nutritious tuber is a smart choice for beating belly bloat and gas. “Potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes, which are also antioxidant superstars in the vitamin A department, are a healthy food that can reduce bloating,” shares Moon.
Sweet potatoes are more nutritious than white potatoes, and they still provide insoluble fiber, helping firm up stool and reduce the symptoms of diarrhea.
People with kidney problems must avoid eating sweet potatoes because an improper functioning kidney cannot remove potassium from their body, causing high potassium levels that can be harmful to them. Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of oxalates that may increase the risk of calcium-oxalate kidney stones.
Consuming sweet potatoes in excess can result in Vitamin A toxicity which is manifested in skin rashes and headaches. Due to high fibre content, excess intake of sweet potatoes can result in bloating, stomach pain and diarrhoea.
If your sweet potato is oozing, soft and squishy, discolored, smelly, or have a bunch of sprouts, it's time to toss. If there are only a few sprouts and the sweet potato is still firm you can cut the sprouted portion off, cook and eat right away, or you can plant it!
The acronym “BRAT” stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These bland foods are gentle on the stomach, so they might help prevent further stomach upset.
Just one sweet potato gives you 400% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body's defense against germs. It's also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.
While both our experts say eating a sweet potato a day is certainly healthy, they don't recommend more than that, since there are plenty of other vegetables to enjoy too. “If you're eating more than one a day, you might want to consider varying up your food choices so you get a variety of nutrients,” Rizzo says.
The beta-carotene in sweet potatoes has been shown to fight inflammation, and eating them regularly can help ease joint pain and other symptoms of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. If you're looking for a delicious way to reduce inflammation, add some sweet potatoes to a salad or bake alongside protein!
Sweet potato intolerance
However, sweet potato contains a type of sugar called mannitol that can cause stomach pain, trigger bloating, and diarrhoea. Frequent symptoms after eating sweet potato might suggest that you are intolerant to foods that contain mannitol.
Additionally, sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamins C and E and manganese, all of which can assist with healthy bowel movements and reduce toxins in the colon.
Eating a lot of high-fat meats, dairy products and eggs, sweets, or processed foods may cause constipation. Not enough fluids. Water and other fluids help fiber work better, so not drinking enough liquids can contribute to harder stools that are more difficult to pass.
Spinach. Not only does one cup of cooked spinach pack 4 grams of fiber, but it's also an excellent source of magnesium. The mineral helps the colon contract and also “helps draw water in to flush things through,” says Dr. Blaney.