A Review of the Composition and Health Benefits of Sweet Potato

Abstract

Plant-based medicine is a popular emerging field. If one follows the research of this domain, will observe that the majority of the work is focused on different herbs as medicinal plants. However, many vegetables and fruits, their juices and extracts, possess medicinal properties and have been used as such since ancient times. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the main aliments in many countries. Although regarded as a staple food, people observed its beneficial and medicinal properties. Bioactive components such as anthocyanin, polyphenolic compounds, coumarins, calystegines and triterpenes have been indicated to stimulate immune function, reducing oxidative stress and free radical damage, reduce cardiovascular disease risk, suppress cancer cell growth, prevent and improve symptoms of diabetes and hypoglycemia, suppress HIV symptoms, act as hepatoprotective while being part of a nutritious aliment all together. A sweet potato diet can therefore supplement medication for any of the above-mentioned affections. The current article sets to review the benefits and medicinal properties of sweet potato as regarded by specialty literature. The outcome is to list the main components and the medical benefits observed, outlining the potential uses of Ipomoea batatas in the plant-based medicine field. The review sets to investigate components in all plant parts: tuberous roots, leaves and young shoots.