Sweet Potato

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CONSTITUTIONAL MEDICINE INSIGHTS

Sweet potato is unique among comfort foods for its Kapha pacifying lightness. This tuber is beneficial even for those with heavy digestive symptoms. Unlike dairy products, potatoes, and other common comfort foods like pasta, sweet potatoes feel light in the stomach, while still being nourishing. Sweet potato is supportive for digestion and contains ample fiber to encourage good elimination. Besides simple starches, sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, which means these roots can satisfy the appetite for long stretches. Despite the name "sweet," it may be a beneficial food for diabetics as preliminary studies revealed it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene, a Pitta pacifying precursor to vitamin A. Its increased cultivation is encouraged in Africa, where vitamin-A deficiency is a serious health problem. Sweet potatoes are diuretic and can provoke people with Vata symptoms of dryness.Yams are a good alternative to sweet potatoes for those with too much dryness. Sweet potato comes from the morning glory family. Many members of this family contain psychotropics and hallucinogens.

Scott Blossom, in a unique interview with Joyful Belly, says "They facilitate lymphatic circulation. Pretty much all the roots due, the bitter ones are even better. A close second of course is turmeric of course. In the winter time especially I love root vegetables. The kind of carbohydrates they provide is so easy to digest it's really malleable to lots of different flavors you can use many spices with it. My kids love it. It's a great side dish to any meal including breakfast. Yams are feminine in the sense that they encourage ojas, deep juice in the system, deep healing and integration in the system. It makes me happy to eat them."

Watch the video interview with Scott Blossom

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Cooking Sweet Potato

Next to the stuffed turkey, nothing conjures Thanksgiving more than grandma's sweet potato casserole whether candied with maple syrup, topped with roasted pecans, or served mashed with butter. Scott Blossom describes his love of Yams as a veggie-mance, or vegetable romance. In his words:

"I ate one yesterday morning. I love to bake them because they caramelize. There's always this sense of wonder as I'm opening a sweet potato wrapped in foil. I love to see if it's actually created this caramel, the brown, slightly sticky sweet juice that's with the potato. I'm always blown away that it can make its own caramel. The smell of that caramel is the first thing that greats me when I approach a yam.

Then, as I take a bite I always notice a sour flavor. The caramelized sugars will also have a slight sour flavor. There is a sweet sour balance. My mother in law always likes to put a bit of orange zest with the sweet potato. That citrus-y flavor always works well with it because the yam itself already has a sour note. It has an earthy but subtle and refreshing flavor because of the sweet and sour quality mix. If you overdue it with the butter and spices you don't get that. But when you have them plain you may notice that little note of sour. It's another heavenly gift that makes yam as good as any fruit. Note that so many fruits also have that same balance of sweet and sour.

Then when it hits my stomach it's so nourishing and warm. It is soft and soothing to my stomach. Yam immediately gives me a sense of strength and grounded vitality. Further, they are so easy to digest. I just never have any problem digesting a yam. They seem to help other foods digest. I like when I cook them in combination with other foods. They are truly a 'peacemaker in the belly.' To speak to your website it makes my belly joyful."

The large, starchy sweet potato is an important and nourishing vegetable in many countries. As an ingredient in cakes in Spain, a fried street food in Cairo, a sweet jelly in South America, and a snack dish in Southeast Asia, all across the globe, sweet potato is a staple food throughout winter. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. However, it is the root that offers the versatility and nutritional integrity to many diets worldwide.

Sweet potatoes are a popular alternative to potatoes in chips and french fries in the United States. Sweet potato pie is a popular Southern dish. In many African and Asian countries, sweet potatoes can be found as a popular street food and household staple. It is often cooked in rich, fatty, sweet combinations to nourish through the lean, cold calendar months. As a heavy, sweet food, it is either roasted or fried and served with honey, sugar, coconut milk or peanut sauces to provide important fats. In addition, sweet potato is sometimes dried and ground up to use as a flour. In India, during important religious observances in which many foods are restricted, sweet potato provides a prime source of sustenance. Paired with ginger in dumplings and snacks, sweet potatoes are a favorite feast food for religious holidays in Japan and other south-east Asian countries.

Recipes with Sweet Potato: Sweet Potato Pie

Buying & Preparation

When buying sweet potatoes, look for those with deep-orange flesh. The deeper and darker the color, the richer it is in beta-carotene and other nutrients. The sweet potato is often mislabeled as "yam" in North America. In order to avoid confusion, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires sweet potatoes labeled as yams to also be labeled as sweet potatoes. If you are a sweet potato fan, don't miss the National Sweet Potato Festival, held annually the first week of November in Vardaman, Miss., which proclaims itself as the sweet potato capital of the United States. There is a hint of rose flavor in the tips of sweet potatoes. These tips should be removed before cooking.

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SERVING SIZE: 1 c
FAMILY: Convolvulaceae
SPECIES: Ipomoea batatas
MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER, SNACK-DESSERT
PREPARATION: SOUP
EAT IN: AUTUMN-WINTER
FOR OCCASION: ON-THE-MEND

Medicinal Effects of Sweet Potato

Constitutional nutrition systems use biocharacteristics to classify the metabolic nature of food, herbs, lifestyle choices, your body, and disease.

METABOLIC NATURE / BIOCHARACTERISTICS

Metabolic Nature / Biocharacteristics
Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (vital qualtiies). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.
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EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

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HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

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COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

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TASTES

The 6 Tastes
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
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SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

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AYURVEDA BODY TYPES (DOSHAS)

The Three Doshas / Body Types
Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
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PACIFIES

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors
Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
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PACIFIES

CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

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MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

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PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

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SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

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Other Health Virtues

Tissue (dhatu):

Red Blood

RED-BLOOD

Red blood (Rakta Dhatu) includes red blood cells and blood vessels.

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Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Sweet Potato
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

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Digestion:

Spleen Tonic

SPLEEN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues.

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Mind, Stress & Sleep:

Nerve Relaxant Grounding

NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING

Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.

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Energy Vitality:

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

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Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

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Immune System:

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

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Heart & Circulation:

Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

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Opthalmic

OPTHALMIC

Benefits the eyes, vision tonic.

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Liver & Gallbladder:

Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.

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Constituents:

Betaine

STRONG BETAINE

Used to reduce homocysteine in the blood, which supports proper liver function and prevents fatigue and blood clots. Improves muscle stamina and weight loss.

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Catechins

STRONG CATECHINS

Antioxidant that reduces cancer and blood clots, dilates blood vessels, and is antimicrobial.

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, Beta Carotene, Carbohydrate, Insoluble Fiber, Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C

Sweet Potato - Metabolic Impact Report

The reports shared below are part of an educational assignment completed by students at the Joyful Belly College of Natural Health Sciences. These represent subjective experiences intended to help students explore principles of Ayurveda through personal observation. In each report below, students ate the selected food for 3 days and self-reported these effects. See other food & herb reports at Joyful Belly.