Sweet Potato: A Divine Treasure Food And Cure

Port Sudan (Sudanow) – The sweet potato (also known as "Al-Bambi") is a starchy, sweet-tasting root vegetable. It comes in various types that differ in color, flavor, and texture, with differences in appearance, taste, and nutritional value. The most common varieties are the white, orange, and purple types, owing to their high content of antioxidants. It grows in most seasons and is widely cultivated in Khartoum State, Kassala, and most states across Sudan.

Speaking to Sudanow about its nutritional and therapeutic value was Dr. Mohamed Osman Maysara, Consultant in Community Medicine and Public Health, Expert in Alternative Medicine and Therapeutic Nutrition, and Head of the Founding Committee for Alternative Medicine Schools at the Ministry of Health, Khartoum.

Dr. Maysara stated: "The sweet potato plays a major role in alternative medicine and therapeutic nutrition due to its components, easy availability, and affordable price, especially after being sun-dried (tanshif) and ground, rather than oven-dried (tajfif). It also plays a significant role in times of crisis, as was the case during the Great Irish Potato Famine, and it has a big role in modern crises as a fundamental food component, given its ingredients and multiple uses. It can be a substitute for wheat during global crises."
Its uses vary depending on the community, with the most beneficial method being boiling (salq), followed by cooking, frying, mashing, baking in the oven, grilling (shiya), and in bread. It can also be used fresh in salads.

Dr. Mohamed Osman Maysara calls the sweet potato "this forgotten nutritional treasure, which is a sign of God's grace to His servants, as few plants contain all these nutritional components that combine antioxidants, mineral salts, anti-inflammatories, and insoluble dietary fibers."
He added that it enhances the health of the digestive system by stimulating bowel movement and reducing constipation, and it supports the treatment of stomach ulcers due to its high concentration of insoluble fibers. These fibers also nourish beneficial bacteria in the gut and maintain a healthy pattern, as it is safe and part of a complete healthy diet. It is naturally sweet and filling, curbs hunger, and provides good calories due to its carbohydrates.
The sweet potato also contains Vitamin C, the percentage of which rivals citrus fruits, which protects against colds, flu, and maintains the body's mucous membranes. It is rich in iron and potassium, which aids in the absorption of calcium for children and the elderly, and promotes heart health. It is also rich in magnesium and selenium and is very important for women during menopause due to its high enzyme content. It acts as a cleanser for the body from lead, mercury, and copper, and cleanses the liver from cell toxicity.
Its greatest importance lies in combating and removing free radicals that help and work to promote the growth of cancerous cells, especially prostate and breast cancer. Therefore, we highly recommend its consumption for cancer patients (prostate, breast, uterine, and colon cancers).
It boosts testosterone levels due to its content of carotenoids and Vitamin A, which provides tremendous sexual strength by ensuring the flow of oxygenated blood to the reproductive organs. Carotenoids are also essential for improving male fertility.

Sweet potatoes are considered a good choice for diabetics and give a low glycemic index when boiled. However, if grilled, the glycemic index rises, and it is recommended not to steam it (only boil it).

Additionally, it helps in building and strengthening muscles for athletes. It is crucial for strengthening the immune system due to its essential minerals, and for skin health and wound healing due to the large amount of Vitamin A and C it contains. It also assists in controlling and lowering high blood pressure and reducing the risks associated with the heart and blood pressure. It is preferable to consume it in the morning with its skin, after thoroughly washing it with water to remove any fertilizers or fungi from the soil.

Dr. Maysara stated that since nutrition is linked to local customs, traditions, and community behaviors, "we recommend that attention should be paid to intensifying its cultivation due to its economic importance. Some countries invest in it and earn billions from exports because the whole world is now turning to it as a carbohydrate alternative.

Furthermore, its cultivation in Sudan is inexpensive and does not require fertilizers, as light soil is available across all regions of Sudan, along with the workforce." This also highlights its role in nutritional prevention and therapy, instead of cultivating regular potatoes, which require extensive and costly preparation and cooking with hydrogenated oils that weaken the immunity of the elderly, women, and children and lead to many immune problems.

In concluding his discussion with Sudanow, Dr. Maysara provided a therapeutic prescription highlighting the importance of sweet potatoes. Due to their rich content of mineral salts, vitamins, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, iron, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin E, they play a vital and essential role in alternative medicine and therapeutic nutrition.

"Therefore, we recommend using it (after sun-drying and not oven-drying) for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders due to its effective role in rehabilitating children with Down Syndrome, as well as for the elderly suffering from Alzheimer's and memory problems."

This is achieved by supporting normal brain health and function, protecting brain cells from damage, reducing oxidative stress, and supporting memory due to the presence of anthocyanins. It also promotes eye health by warding off dryness and blurriness due to Vitamin A and carotenoids.

"We must not forget its major role in improving the psychological health of children and bringing them joy and happiness. It also has a significant role in supporting and boosting immunity for individuals with autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatism, Lupus Erythematosus, and Multiple Sclerosis."

Recently, the sweet potato has strongly entered the pharmaceutical industry, baked goods, and sweets. In rural areas, it is used to make jam, so we recommend making jam from it for children's breakfast before they go to school.

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