Is Sweet Potato An Alkaline Food?

When you think of a tasty meal, you must think of sweet potatoes. The earliest records of sweet potato existence are from 750 BC in Peru.

After this period, Cristopher Columbus brought the sweet potato into America.

Since the 15th century, sweet potato has been a worldwide known product that takes part in every house meal plan. 

You can add sweet potato to as many recipes and still have a healthy diet.

But how will your body absorb the nutrient of the potato?

In order to absorb all minerals in the body, you need to maintain a neutral to alkaline pH level. Sweet potato is a slightly alkaline food.

With the process of cooking, the starch content in the sweet potato is degraded. This means that the acidity level is lower because of the lower sugar availability.  

Moreover, boiling water damages the potato cell wall, which places the potato acids out in the water. With this natural chemical process, the pH level is increased and alkalized. 

If you follow an alkaline lifestyle, you can eat sweet potatoes in moderation. Always choose healthy cooking processes like boiling or air frying. 

What is the pH level of Sweet potato?

Sweet potato is an essential food product in many developing countries. It represents a good combination of energy value, vitamins, minerals, and economic potential. 

Sweet potato has a 5.8pH to 6pH value in a boiled form. This specific food contains enzymes that have either acid or alkaline activity. The exciting part is that the acid enzymes are activated if you let your sweet potato be cut and peeled for longer than 6 hours. 

The alkaline enzymes are activated when you fresh peel and cut potato and cook it right away.

Once again, the cooking process leads to a better alkalization of the sweet potato. 

So, what does the pH value mean? pH value serves as an indicator of acidity or alkalinity of some substances like food products. When the pH value is below 7, the food is considered acidic, and when the pH is higher than 7, the food is alkaline. 

With the pH level of sweet potato, its micronutrients are available for absorption in the body. A micro nutritional overview tells that sweet potato is rich in B-carotenes, Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, and Anthocyanins.

What type of Potatoe is alkaline?

There are more than 100 different types of potatoes in existence worldwide. Perhaps, you may know some of them or remember their different tastes. 

Here are some of the most common types:

Sweet potato – characteristic potato with orange pumpkin color, it has an excellent sweet buttery taste.

Russet potato – big potato with lightly brown crust and baby yellow flesh. Perfect for baking. 

Yukon Gold potato – medium-sized, circled potato that has a yellow color. Perfect for all kinds of dishes with potato.

Red Bliss potato – characteristic of its red crust and white flesh, is a great type of potato for mashed dishes.

Fingerling potato – as the name describes, this potato has a finger-type form. Because of the specific content of starch, it is a perfect choice for French fries. 

Terra rosa potato – with purple color in the flesh, it has a specific look that well suits good gastronomic dishes.

There are many studies on the potatoes’ quality, but the results are the same. All types of potatoes are slightly acidic, and only sweet potato has the highest pH value. 

In addition, the one thing that affects the pH of potatoes is the way it is cooked. It is well known that if you cut fresh sweet potato and boil it immediately, the alkalinity will rise up.

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Sweet potatoes have a characteristic brownish-orange color. The orange color is connected with its high Vitamin A and Vitamin B content.

They are a complete package of energy thanks to their high content of insoluble starch as well as minerals like calcium, copper, iron, and zinc.

Still, they are delicious in every recipe idea and sometimes as orange potato chips.

But are they healthy?

Below are 10 Reasons Why Sweet Potatoes May be Healthy

1. Great Source of Vitamin A:

Sweet potatoes are a great natural source of Vitamin A. You will only intake your daily-recommended doses of Vitamin A by eating one potato.

2. Source of Fiber:

Sweet potatoes are a balanced source of fiber that helps for regular bowel movement. They contain only small protein amounts, so you can easily combine them with a protein food source. 

3. Sweet Potato has Anti-cancer Properties:

In the scientific world, sweet potato is researched for every nutrient like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients.

Thanks to the rich content of nutrients, sweet potato is declared a food with anti-cancerogenic features – food that helps maintain good cardiovascular health.

4. Great Source of Carotenoids

Sweet potato is also a super source of lutein and zeaxanthin (types of carotenoids). These carotenoids are often recommended to be beneficial for people with skin problems and pancreas disorders.

Carotenoids increase the antioxidant activity that protects your body from free radicals.

5. Contains Tocopherols That Protects the Body

It is good to know that sweet potato is also a great source of tocopherols. Tocopherols are chemical compounds that protect your body from oxidative stress.

As a result of oxidative stress, your body can suffer from inflammation, atherosclerosis, or fast aging.

With an average intake of sweet potatoes, you increase the levels of tocopherols in your body and protect it from cellular stress.

Final Notes

Sweet potatoes have excellent nutritional value and should be a part of a balanced diet.

Although it is a source of starch (one good reason it was not approved by Dr. Sebi), you should always be careful with the amount of intake and the way of cooking it.

We recommend you to eat it ONLY in moderation while using the boiling method of cooking.