The fountain of youth may not be a fountain at all. It could be anything – sweet potato, even!
According to the family of Lessie Brown, who was believed to the be the oldest living person in the United States before she recently passed away at the age of 114, it has to do with a starchy and sweet-tasting root vegetable.
While the Ohio woman attributed her long life to “God’s will,” her loved ones maintained it was the sweet potato that did it because that she ate one every day until she was well past 100, said a report published on prevention.com, a health portal.
“Oh, I don’t know. A lot of them say it’s because I ate a lot of sweet potatoes, but I don’t think that’s it. I don’t know, God’s will,” the portal quoted her as explaining at a TV show when asked about her secret to longevity as she celebrated her 109th birthday in 2013.
According to the United States Department of Agiculture (USDA) a medium sweet potato has 103 calories, no fat, 2 g protein, 24 g carbs, 4 g fiber, and 7 g sugar.
The sweet potato has, what experts call complex carbs that take your body longer to digest — translating to more sustained energy that will fuel your day, said the portal.
Complex carbohydrates, by the way, also cause flatulence or intestinal gas – in Tagalog, utot! And it’s not a bad thing; medical experts say farting is a sign of good health.
No need to worry about the sugar content, too because the tuber also has an abundance of fiber, so it will help slow down the release of the glucose into your system.
Even the American Diabetes Association recommends sweet potatoes, as they won’t spike your blood sugar level. The fiber will also help regulate your weight, as sweet potatoes will not only leave you full but also lower cholesterol and keep you regular, said the report.
Moreover, sweet potatoes also has up to six times one’s daily value of vitamin A with nearly 22,000 IU of the eye health, bone development, and immune function-boosting vitamin.
