Sweet potato is the 'king of cancer'? Japanese research: Sweet potatoes can kill 98% of cancer cells, is it feasible?
The 80-year-old Grandma Wang has high blood pressure and diabetes and needs to take medicine for a long time. Her usual diet is also very light, and she especially likes to eat whole grains and whole grains.
Some time ago, relatives in my hometown gave Grandma Wang a big bag of sweet potatoes. I heard from neighbors that sweet potatoes can lower blood sugar and fight cancer. So Grandma Wang ate them almost every day , sometimes as a meal. As a result, she suffered from abdominal distension, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. .
After the daughter discovered the abnormality of Grandma Wang, she rushed her to the hospital for examination.
After the consultation, the doctor found that Grandma Wang's skin was dry, her limbs were clammy and cold, and the CT of her chest and abdomen showed "possible space occupation of the small intestine with small intestinal obstruction" . The blood test results showed "severe infection and abnormal heart and kidney function". .
Fortunately, after the operation, Grandma Wang was out of danger.
The doctor explained that the gastrointestinal function of the elderly is poor, and sweet potatoes contain a lot of tannic acid. If you eat too much on an empty stomach, hard stomach stones will form, leading to intestinal blockage . If it is not intervened in time, the proximal intestinal tube will be necrotic, perforated, and even lead to death in severe cases.
1. Sweet potato is the "king of anti-cancer", can it also lower blood sugar?
From this point of view, sweet potatoes cannot be eaten too much. However, is it true that "sweet potatoes can lower blood sugar and fight cancer" that Grandma Wang heard?
In fact, the saying "sweet potatoes fight cancer" comes from a study conducted by Japanese scientists in 2014. After the researchers investigated the eating habits of Japanese citizens, they found that:
Eating vegetables can fight cancer. Among them, sweet potatoes can have 95% anti-cancer effects, and cooked sweet potatoes can even inhibit 98% of cancer rates .
Researchers believe that vitamins, proteins, dietary fiber, amino acids, pectin, etc. in sweet potatoes can protect the activity of human epidermal cells, enhance cell activity, and play a role in suppressing cancer.
However, sweet potatoes are not so magical, and "sweet potatoes fight cancer" is an unscientific statement.
First of all, the study did not conduct human experiments. Although the anti-cancer effect of sweet potato has been found in animal experiments and in vitro experiments, it does not mean that it can have the same effect in humans . Secondly, all the experiments use the extracts from sweet potatoes, not sweet potatoes. Sweet potato extracts are not equal to sweet potatoes . Do not confuse the concept.
In addition, regarding the statement that "eating sweet potatoes can lower blood sugar", Cheng Zhifeng, director of the Endocrinology Department of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, explained:
Foods with a glycemic index higher than 70 are high glycemic index foods. Red-skinned sweet potatoes have a glycemic index of 76.7 when cooked and 54 after cooling .
The reason why sweet potatoes are said to lower blood sugar is that compared with foods such as rice and noodles, sweet potatoes have lower carbohydrate content and calories, and are rich in dietary fiber and pectin, which can delay the absorption of sugar and fat in food.
In short, sweet potatoes cannot lower blood sugar, but can increase satiety and indirectly reduce sugar intake . Of course, if you eat sweet potatoes and rice, your blood sugar may not drop but rise.
2. What can the body gain from eating sweet potatoes every day?
Having said that, although eating too many sweet potatoes is not beneficial, the nutritional value of sweet potatoes cannot be ignored. The main component of sweet potatoes is starch, which can be eaten as a staple food.
In addition, the amino acid structure in sweet potatoes is more reasonable, which can complement the protein in rice noodles and improve the utilization rate of protein . The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" recommends that you can consume 50-100g of potato food per day, so what benefits can the body gain from one sweet potato per day?
1. Weight control
Sweet potato is a low-fat, low-calorie food. Compared with rice, sweet potato has lower fat and calorie content. Every 100 grams of fresh sweet potato contains only 0.2 grams of fat, which produces 99 kilocalories of heat. As a staple food, it can enhance satiety Feeling, reduce the intake of other foods, to achieve the effect of weight control.
2. Promote intestinal peristalsis
Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, which can promote the peristalsis of the digestive tract, clean the digestive tract, shorten the time for toxic substances in food to stay in the intestinal tract, speed up the excretion of feces, prevent constipation, and reduce the risk of hemorrhoids and colon cancer.
3. Protect eyesight
Sweet potatoes can also protect eyesight. The carotene and vitamin A contained in it can maintain normal visual function and protect eyes.
There are also many types of sweet potatoes, including sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, white potatoes, etc. It is said that purple potatoes are healthier than sweet potatoes. Is there any scientific basis?
In fact, both sweet potatoes and purple potatoes are low-calorie foods, but purple potatoes contain more calories than sweet potatoes . The calories of purple potatoes are 133kcal/100g, and the calories of sweet potatoes are 87kcal/100g.
In addition, both are also high dietary fiber foods, with dietary fiber content as high as 2.5g-3g/100g. The main difference between sweet potato and purple potato lies in the content of micronutrients . The content of lutein in sweet potato is higher than that of purple potato, and the content of anthocyanin in purple potato is higher than that of sweet potato.
Therefore, both purple potato and sweet potato are very good. There is no saying that one is healthier than the other. Which one to eat mainly depends on personal preference.
3. Will eating roasted sweet potatoes in winter cause cancer?
The weather is getting colder, and it’s time to eat roasted sweet potatoes, but many people worry that roasted sweet potatoes will pose health risks, and the roasted sweet potatoes sold outside are extraordinarily sweet, is it “additional”?
Roasted sweet potatoes are sweeter, not only related to the variety of sweet potatoes, but also related to the cooking method. During the roasting process, the water in the sweet potato is continuously lost, the sugar is continuously concentrated , and finally part of the starch is decomposed into maltose , so it tastes fragrant and sweet.
As for the black hard lumps on the surface of roasted sweet potatoes, it is the result of caramelization after the sugar in sweet potatoes is concentrated at high temperature, and it is not a carcinogen.
Sweet potatoes are a rare nutritious and affordable food. Of course, if you want to eat sweet potatoes healthily, you should remember these points:
1. Sweet potatoes should be eaten in moderation, not too much
Eating too much sweet potato will cause gas, hiccups, and even intestinal blockage. It is recommended not to eat more than 100-200 grams of sweet potato per day. In addition, it is best to replace part of the staple food with sweet potatoes, and don't eat sweet potatoes as a staple food.
2. People with poor stomach should eat less sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes also contain a lot of sugar. Excessive intake of sugar will increase gastric acid secretion and increase gastrointestinal pressure, so people with poor stomach and weak spleen and stomach should eat less.
3. Do not eat moldy sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are not recommended for long-term storage, as they are prone to mold and produce carcinogen aflatoxin. Do not eat moldy sweet potatoes to avoid poisoning.
Do you like eating sweet potatoes? Sweet potatoes have many health benefits, but you must remember to eat them in moderation, not too much!
References
[1] "Can Sweet Potatoes Kill 98.9% of Cancer Cells? Research results announced! ". Communication itinerary card. 2021-12-25
[2] "It is the most "down-to-earth" health food! It can be bought everywhere on the street, but it is rated as the king of nutrition by the WHO. Life Times. 2017-10-12
[3] "Japanese research found: sweet potato can inhibit 98% of cancer cells? Is it credible? The real benefit of eating sweet potatoes is... ". I am the official Weibo of a great doctor. 2022-11-08
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