Constipation is a common problem with the digestive system that affects millions of people all over the world. It can make you feel bad, make you bloated, and mess up your daily life. Constipation can cause problems and hurt your general health if you don’t take care of it. The good news is that nature gives us many ways to help our stomach, and one of these is sweet potatoes.
Root vegetables like sweet potato, which are full of nutrients and taste, have been a mainstay of many countries’ diets for hundreds of years.
Understanding Constipation
According to a study on ‘Chronic idiopathic constipation in adults‘ about fourteen percent of people experience severe constipation at some point in their life. Constipation is a common problem with the digestive system that affects millions of people all over the world. It can make you feel bad, make you bloated, and mess up your daily life. Constipation can cause problems and hurt your general health if you don’t take care of it. The good news is that nature gives us many ways to help our stomach, and one of these is sweet potatoes.
How is Constipation Caused?
Constipation can be caused by many things, like not getting enough fiber, being dehydrated, not getting enough exercise, or having a medical condition.
In addition to having a lot of fiber, sweet potatoes have a lot of other nutrients that are good for the digestive system. They have a lot of vitamins A and C, which are antioxidants and help keep the lining of the gut healthy. Minerals like potassium and magnesium, which help with muscle movements like those that help digestion go smoothly, are also in sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes and Digestive Health
In addition to being tasty and useful, sweet potatoes are also good for your gut health in many ways.
Scientific Evidence on Sweet Potato Helps in Constipation
In a study, the benefits of eating sweet potatoes were looked at on people getting chemotherapy, which can cause constipation. [8]
The study found that when people with constipation ate 7 ounces (200 grams) of sweet potatoes every day for four days, their symptoms got much better. Compared to the control group, they felt less pressure and pain. [8]
Role of Fiber in Promoting Healthy Digestion
Dietary fiber is the part of plant foods that can’t be digested and makes it through the digestive system mostly whole. On average, a small sized sweet potage (100 g) contains about 3 g dietary fiber. [11, 12, 13] It comes in two main types: those that dissolve in water and those that don’t. Both are important for keeping the digestive system in good shape.
Soluble Fiber: Sweet potatoes have soluble fiber, which dissolves in water to make a gel-like material in the intestines. [1] This gel-like material makes the stool softer and easier to pass by making it bulkier. It also works as a prebiotic, feeding good bacteria in the gut and helping to keep the gut microbiome healthy.
Insoluble Fiber: Sweet potatoes also have a lot of insoluble fiber. [2, 9] This insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool and helps keep you from getting constipated. [10] It helps you have regular bowel movements by moving food faster through your digestive system. Also, insoluble fiber can help keep gut problems like diverticulitis and hemorrhoids from happening.
Types of Fiber in Sweet Potatoes and Their Benefits
Pectin [3]
Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that turns into a gel in the intestines. This helps make bowel movements smoother and more frequent. It also feeds the good bacteria in the gut and helps keep the gut healthy as a whole.
Cellulose [4]
Cellulose is a type of fiber that doesn’t dissolve in water. It adds bulk to the stool and helps keep you normal. It keeps you from getting constipated by moving food faster through your digestive system.
Lignin [5]
Sweet potatoes also have lignin, which is a solid fiber. It gives the stool more bulk, which helps keep the bowels moving well and prevents constipation.
Sweet Potatoes’ Impact on Bowel Movements and Constipation Relief
Adding sweet potatoes to your diet can help you go to the bathroom more often and stop being constipated. The high amount of fiber in sweet potatoes helps control bowel movements by making sure that stool moves through the digestive system regularly and on time. [6]
The soluble fiber in sweet potatoes soaks up water in the bowels. This makes the stool easier to pass by making it softer. This can be especially helpful for people with constipation or stools that are hard and dry. By giving the stool more bulk and wetness, sweet potatoes can help ease pain and make bowel movements easier.
Additional Digestive Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes have enzymes that help the body break down complex carbs. [7] This makes bloating and gas less likely to happen. They also don’t have a lot of fermentable carbohydrates, which can make some people feel bloated.
Cooking Methods and Fiber Content
How you cook sweet potatoes can change the amount of fiber they have. Even though all heating methods leave some fiber in the sweet potatoes, steaming and baking usually leave more fiber than boiling.
Sweet potatoes keep their nutrients and taste when they are steamed. This also makes them easier to eat. When you bake sweet potatoes in their skins, the fiber and nutrients stay in the potato, and the taste gets caramelized. But don’t cook it too long, because that can destroy the nutrients.
Creative Recipe Ideas
Recipe 1: Baked Sweet Potato
Recipe 2: Sweet Potato Fries
Cut sweet potatoes into pieces, toss them with olive oil, salt, and any spices you like, and roast them in the oven until they are crispy. They are a healthy choice to regular fries that you can enjoy.
Recipe 4: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos:
Mash cooked sweet potatoes, mix them with black beans, and use the combination to fill tacos. Add fresh vegetables, salsa, and a dollop of yogurt on top for a delicious meal that is also high in fiber.
Recipe 5: Sweet Potato Smoothie
To make a healthy and filling smoothie, blend cooked and cooled sweet potatoes with almond milk, a ripe banana, a pinch of cinnamon, and a handful of spinach.
Recipe 5: Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
Mix sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and a variety of fragrant spices with coconut milk to make a tasty curry. Serve over rice or with whole wheat naan bread for a meal that is both filling and full of fiber.