“Talbos ng kamote” or “sweet potato leaves” is scientifically known as Ipomoea Batatas, a plant widely grown in the Philippines. Talbos ng kamote is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young shoots and leaves are sometimes eaten as greens.
Talbos ng kamote is cooked as a vegetable in many parts of the world and is often served as a delicious side dish for various meals. They are rich in vitamin B, ßcarotene, iron, calcium, zinc, and protein. A one-cup serving of Talbos ng kamote contains around 305 mg of potassium. They also contain other nutrients, including magnesium, folate, vitamin K, and riboflavin.
Talbos ng kamote is an all-season vegetable with so much more to offer. Here are some of the health benefits of Talbos ng kamote:
Help Fight Diabetes: Talbos ng kamote is an excellent non-starchy and diabetic-friendly vegetable you can add to your diet. Talbos ng kamote also contains a good quantum of fiber, which prevents spikes in blood sugar levels. Talbos ng kamote has a very low glycaemic index too. Talbos ng kamote is desired for its anti-diabetes properties and for diet therapy. Several studies have already proven that this plant has anti-diabetic compounds that lower blood glucose content. This is advantageous to know considering that the Philippines was reported to be a diabetes hotspot now with over 6 million Filipinos living with diabetes in the country.
Promote Heart Health: Vitamin K may help keep blood pressure lower by preventing mineralization, where minerals build up in the arteries. This enables the heart to pump blood freely through the body. Talbos ng kamote has lots of Vitamin K which helps in de-calcifying arteries of hard and harmful plaque deposits, a major cause of heart attacks. Vitamin K in Talbos ng kamote also helps reduce inflammation of the cells lining the blood vessels along your veins and arteries. Including Talbos ng kamote in your daily diet helps you maintain healthy blood pressure and reduces the risk of having heart attacks.
Anti-Cancer Agent: Now, this is the most interesting quality of Talbos ng kamote: they have antioxidants and antimutagenic compounds or substances that reduce the rate of mutation of cancer cells. The presence of increased levels of exogenous antioxidants has been shown to prevent the types of free radical damage that have been associated with cancer development. In fact, a study of the effects of 82 kinds of vegetables and plant compounds on the mutation and replication of cancer cells indicated that Talbos ng kamote has one of the highest cancer checking rates.
Anticoagulant: Vitamin K is well known for its function in blood coagulation. The vitamin K component of Talbos ng kamote facilitates the blood clotting abilities of our blood. Talbos ng kamote is known to have this particular quality, assisting the body to help recover fast from cuts, bruises, and blood clotting problems.
Promotes Eye Health: Talbos ng kamote has been proven to be high in lutein and zeaxanthin (xanthophylls) which is supposed to contribute to the prevention of cataracts and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Lutein is also an antioxidant which means it prevents oxidative damage to eye lens muscles that contribute to cataracts due to old age.
Prevents Infection: An extract from the lyophilized Talbos ng kamote powder from a variety of sweet potatoes provided antibacterial properties. Moreover, the water extracted from the Talbos ng kamote inhibited further growth of food poisoning bacteria such as the pathogenic E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus.
Boost Bone Health: Vitamin K in Talbos ng kamote helps in maintaining the calcium in our bones, thus reducing the risks of developing osteoporosis (bone loss) and lowering the incidence of bone fractures in post-menopausal women. Any other benefits from Talbos ng kamote that you know about? Share in the comments section below!
Side Effects of Talbos ng kamote
People with heart disease and on beta-blockers medication should avoid consuming vegetables like Talbos ng kamote. This is due to the fact that beta-blockers cause potassium levels to increase and further consumption of potassium-rich Talbos ng kamote may create complications. Again, Talbos ng kamote should be avoided by people with kidney problems as it is necessary to remove excess potassium from the blood which, otherwise, can prove fatal since they are rich in potassium, eating them in an unhealthy amount might cause the level of potassium in the body to rise. Ultimately resulting in hyperkalemia (potassium toxicity) & heart attack. Excess consumption of Talbos ng kamote can make your skin and nails appear a little orange.
