Health & Nutritional Benefits of Yams, Nutrition Facts of Yams

Yam might look similar to that of sweet potatoes but they are by no means related to each other.  Yam is much larger than the sweet potatoes and their skin is really thick as compared to that of sweet potatoes. Africa and Nigeria are the two countries where yam is cultivated in most numbers and Nigeria is said to provide 70% of the world’s total Yam production. Now let us get into the nutritional benefits of Yams, 10 of them are mentioned below –

Nutritional Benefits of Yams

#1: Cure for ulcers, boils and other skin diseases

Yam has allantoin which is a cell proliferate that accelerate the healing process when applied on ulcers or boils or any other skin related diseases.

#2: Good source of Vitamin B6

Yam is said to have rich content of Vitamin B6 which the body requires to break down the homocysteine that has the ability to damage walls of blood vessels.

#3: Rich source of Potassium

This is another component which is present in ample amount in Yam. It is an essential component of cell and body fluids that controls your heart rate and also the blood pressure by counter attacking sodium’s hypertensive effects.

#4: Presence of healthy anti-oxidants and anti – inflammatory properties

The presence of beta carotene and also Vitamin C works really well to keep cancer friendly free radicals at bay. The free radicals are said to cause damage to the body by reacting with DNA therefore the presence of anti oxidants helps in reducing the damage caused by free radicals. It will also be helpful if you are an asthma patient or a patient of arthritis.

#5: Very good for diabetic patient

There is no need to worry about the blood sugar level while eating yam. It takes care of the blood sugar level by slowly raising the level of blood sugar when compared to that of simple sugars and it is mainly recommended as low glycaemic index healthy food.

#6: Ample amount of dietary fiber

The presence of fiber in Yam helps in reducing the constipation and also helps in decreasing bad cholesterol. Potassium helps in enhancing digestion and kindles smooth muscle contraction so that you can have proper bowel habits.

#7: Prevents cancer

The dietary fiber helps in reducing the risk of colon cancer by preventing toxic compounds in the food from accumulating in the colon mucosa. Vitamin A protects us from oral cavity cancer and lung cancer.

#8: Copper improves blood cell

Yam is enriched with copper so having am means you are consuming required quantity of copper which will help in producing red blood cells and also improves the blood flow in the body.

#9: Anti – aging benefits

The presence of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, beta carotene and anti oxidants helps us in preventing wrinkles and other signs of aging.

#10: Increases memory capacity

Another useful nutritional benefit of yams is that the anti oxidant found in yam helps in increasing the memory capacity of human brain. The anti oxidants are also considered to be a good cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Nutrition Facts of Yams