Guess Me?

Steamed or Baked
I am delicious
check if my toes are dipped in sugar
to make me taste so sweet

I can enhance memory with Anthocyanins
bring down stress levels with magnesium
control blood pressure with
potassium and magnesium

Choline reduces inflammation
my aroma relieves
nose, bronchi, and lung congestion
for asthma patients

slow down aging process with vitamin E
maintain good hair health with vitamins A & C

I can prevent prostate and colon cancer
control sugar for diabetics by
the slow release of glucose into the bloodstream
keep you hydrated to retain water balance
help guard against ulcers


So eat me as often as you can
to help with weight management
contain soluble and fermented fiber
that increases satiety and offers the body
a natural self-sustaining mechanism
for body weight regulation
as well as reduce the overall weight
of an individual by snacking less



(S-W-E-E-T P-O-T-A-T-O)
Scientific Name "Ipomea Batatas"

History


How the sweet potato crossed the Pacific ocean before Columbus
Sweet potatoes originated in Central and S. America. Archeologists have found prehistoric remnants in Polynesia around 1100 AD and have hypothesized that the samples came from S. America. One of the Polynesian words "Knumala" resembles "kumara or cumal " word for the vegetable in Quechua, a language spoken by Andean natives. Capt. James cook's crew picked up the sweet potatoes in 1769 before inter-breeding took off. Examining the genetic blueprint of Cook's sweet potatoes allowed Rouiller and her colleague to trace the root's evolution all the way back to Ecuador and Peru.

So How did the sweet potato make the ocean voyage?
Its seeds could have possibly hitched a ride on seaweed or gotten lodged on the wing of a sea bird.
Reference: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/01/22/16