Sweet potato flour: a real source of vitamins and minerals

THE sweet potatoes are best known for their sweet taste, which sets them apart from ordinary potatoes. Indeed, if this starchy food is distinguished by its very varied shapes and colors, it is by its sugar content that it surprises. If the sweet potato provides you with 20 grams of carbohydrates in the form of glucose and fructose, cooking also releases maltose, whose sweetening potential is a little higher than that of glucose. This explains the slightly sweet taste of the sweet potato. But unlike the potato, the sugar content of sweet potatoes is not problematic because its Glycemic Index is more moderate. Thus, sweet potatoes could even be enjoyed by diabetics.

Furthermore, the calorie intake is quite low, counting between 60 and 70 calories per 100 grams. However, its distinctive taste should not make you forget its rather exceptional nutritional qualities. While this slightly sweet starch is a gourmet pleasure, it remains true that sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Whether whole or powdered, sweet potatoes should always be part of an athlete's diet.

Sweet potato, a starchy source of vitamins, minerals and trace elements

Sweet potatoes are one of the starchy foods with the most nutritional benefits for our health. They are rich in vitamins A and C as well as vitamin B6 . They are an excellent source of potassium . On the other hand, it contains very little sodium (20 mg/100g on average). But let's say that the first advantage of the sweet potato would be its high content of carotenoids including beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. And we know how important vitamin A is for the health of our immune system. It is necessary for vision, skin health and the development of our skeleton. Present in the form of beta-carotene, it is the precursor to this precious vitamin. Sweet potatoes therefore cannot cause vitamin A overdoses. Don't make the mistake of neglecting this precious antioxidant vitamin.

Sweet potatoes are a source of vitamin B6

Sweet potatoes also provide you with vitamin C and B6. As you also know, vitamin C intervenes in many organic functions including the immune system but also on the synthesis of collagen . Without this precious vitamin, collagen could not be produced by our body. To this end, it acts as an enzymatic cofactor on the synthesis of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine. As for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine or pyridoxal-5-phosphate), it is necessary for the assimilation of proteins and amino acids . It is an enzyme cofactor involved in multiple processes. Pyridoxine is a vitamin involved in the synthesis of our antibodies, hemoglobin, melatonin and the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin as well as GABA. This tasty starchy food also provides vitamins B1, B3, B5 and B9 (folates) but in relatively small quantities. In addition to sweet potatoes, vitamin B6 is found in pork and mutton, pulses, cereals, fresh green vegetables, bananas, eggs and dairy products.

Sweet potatoes provide minerals: manganese and copper, important elements for the body

Indeed, sweet potato tubers provide us with essential minerals such as potassium in significant quantities, but also manganese and copper, two trace elements important for our health. These two elements, required in very small quantities, are essential catalysts for many biochemical processes. They are also essential for many enzymes. In addition, manganese and copper are essential regulators of the immune system, particularly in cases of allergies. As for potassium, its critical role in our health is better known to the general public and experienced athletes.

It also affects hair pigmentation. Often overlooked, copper is a trace element just as essential as zinc or manganese, for example. The latter is also involved in energy release, connective tissue synthesis, and bone tissue. A little-known antioxidant, manganese also participates in cellular defense against free radicals.

These two elements, vitamins and minerals, required in very small quantities, are essential catalysts for many biochemical processes. They are also essential for many enzymes. In addition, manganese and copper are essential regulators of the immune system, particularly in cases of allergies. As for potassium, its critical role in our health is better known to the general public and experienced athletes. On the other hand, sweet potato flour does not lose its nutritional benefits when ground into flour. The manufacturing process used for YAM Nutrition uses gentle dehydration to preserve all the nutrients present in the raw material, in other words, the sweet potato itself…

Sweet potatoes provide more than 300 mg of potassium per 100 grams, or 15% of the recommended nutritional values.

Potassium is the most widely found mineral in this starchy food. It accounts for approximately 15 to 17% of the NRV (Recommended Dietary Values), or between 300 and 350 mg per 100 grams. More precisely, potassium is an electrolyte, that is, a mineral present in the form of an ion in blood plasma. Potassium is one of the minerals that is absolutely vital for the body. Its balance with sodium allows for very precise balancing of intra- and extra-cellular pH.

Potassium, an essential mineral for endurance and bodybuilding athletes

This electrolyte is also essential for the transmission of nerve impulses. It also plays a role in muscle contraction, particularly in the myocardium, the heart muscle. A large number of enzymes will also need potassium to carry out their mission. It should also be noted that this electrolyte is involved in the management of macronutrients and carbohydrates in particular while the synthesis of proteins also requires his presence.

Potassium is an electrolyte essential for muscle contraction

Potassium is an electrolyte essential for athletic performance. It's especially important for athletes because the body can lose a lot of it during exercise through sweat. It's not uncommon for endurance athletes to lose between 600 and 1000 mg of potassium during long workouts. It's also important for bodybuilders to absorb this electrolyte, given its role in the nervous system and muscle contraction. While deficiencies are rare, your diet will remain your primary source of potassium. To this end, sweet potatoes remain one of the best sources of potassium.

Sweet potato provides dietary fiber and antioxidants

Sweet potatoes also provide dietary fiber such as pectin and cellulose, for example. They provide vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin, as does vitamin C. As you know, some varieties of sweet potatoes are naturally colored. In nature, natural colorants are also antioxidant molecules. This is also the case for the purple sweet potato, which contains anthocyanins.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of carbohydrates for athletes.

Remember that sweet potatoes are a very good source of carbohydrates, due to their lower glycemic index than potatoes. Therefore, insulin release will be lower. However, sweet potatoes contain fewer carbohydrates than potatoes, with an optimal balance between starch (a complex carbohydrate) and sugars. On the other hand, proteins and amino acids are almost absent in sweet potatoes. Obviously, they are not a source of protein. Generally speaking, starchy foods provide little protein. Other plant-based foods such as peas, quinoa, or soy provide much more. That being said, sweet potatoes are eaten with equal pleasure by vegan and omnivorous athletes...

Sweet potato, a starchy food with a slightly sweet taste, much appreciated by gourmets

On our website, we offer excellent recipes featuring this vegetable. Feel free to check them out on our blog. Naturally rich in minerals, vitamins, and trace elements, sweet potatoes are a true delight, appreciated for their subtle sweetness. Finally, sweet potatoes, in addition to their slight sweetness, are a true nutritional treasure that should be found more often on the tables of all gourmets. Let's hope this is the case for all French people!