Sweet Potato Swooning // Our Top 7 Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of nature's most perfect foods. Filling and satisfying, delicious, and versatile, with quite the package of health benefits as well. They're also affordable and easy to cook up, and make a great staple, grain-free complex carbohydate source on a plant based, paleo, or gluten-free diet. And if you haven't yet tried freshly baked sweet potato drizzled with our Dastony stone ground tahini or coconut butters, you haven't truly lived.

Now for our favorite benefits....

1. Beta Carotene 

Beta carotene is one of the most powerful antioxidants within the plant kingdom and is especially wonderful for the skin and vision. It also happens to be found in abundance within sweet potatoes! Adding a fat to your sweet potatoes, such as Dastony tahini or coconut butter, will help the assimilation of this fat-soluble nutrient.

2. Vitamin B6

This water soluble B vitamin, like all B vitamins, is critical for energy production and the overall health of our body. B6 helps the body properly metabolize fats and proteins, helps protect our nervous system, and also aids in the production of important neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin within the brain.

3. Potassium

Just put down the banana! It turns out that sweet potato offers an even heftier dose of this critical, electrolyte balancing mineral. Athletes take note!

4. Vitamin C

While you might not think to turn to sweet potato for a Vitamin C boost, they are actually chock full of this potent antioxidant and immune booster. Vitamin C also helps stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in our skin, helping to keep it elastic and youthful.

5. Slow-Release Carbohydates

Despite sweet potatoes medium glycemic level and high starch content, the high levels of fiber help to slow down the digestion of sugars for a more balancing effect on blood sugar and energy levels.

6. Hormone Balancing

Due to naturally occurring plant hormones within sweet potato, consuming them on a regular basis (especially as women) can help keep our hormone levels balanced for an anti-aging effect and overall well being. 

7. Versatility

Whether you're baking, grilling, steaming, juicing, mashing, or blending them - sweet potatoes can be used in a variety of recipes from salads to soups, entrees, appetizers, and even desserts. For somethign fun and different try baking a few, cutting them up after they cool, and freezing them - just like you would a ripe banana - to use as a thickener and sweetener in your smoothies. Pumpkin pie smoothie, anyone?