Yam's six benefits

Yam is a kind of rhizome vegetable that we often eat, also known as dioscorea, potato, etc. Chinese yam is both food and medicine. It is not only a good vegetable to eat, but also a tonic medicine. There has always been a folk saying that "white Chinese yam is better than ginseng". In some parts of China, yam is also called "the food of immortals". It is customary to use yam for dietotherapy when recovering from illness and recuperating from physical deficiency. So, what are the benefits of eating yams for human body? How can I eat Chinese yams better?

Yam is known as "the first tonic in autumn". 

Eating yam often is good for your health

1. Improve immunity

Modern nutrition research has found that yam is rich in carbohydrate, protein, sugar, vitamins, choline, amylase and other components, as well as calcium, iodine, iron, phosphorus and other trace elements indispensable to the human body. It is the best tonic. Regular consumption can play a role in strengthening the body and improving immunity.

2. Tonifying the spleen and stomach

The main component of yam is starch, some of which is converted into dextrin under the action of heating, acid or amylase. The dextrin can help digestion and assist in the treatment of indigestion. In addition, the amylase, polyphenol oxidase and other substances contained in yam can promote digestion, which is conducive to the digestion and absorption of the spleen and stomach. For people with dyspepsia, yam is a natural health product. It is also commonly used clinically to treat diseases such as spleen and stomach weakness, anorexia, diarrhea, etc.

3. Protection against cardiovascular disease

Yam itself does not contain cholesterol, and its fat content is also very low. Moreover, its mucus protein, cellulose, trace elements and vitamins can effectively prevent fat from depositing on the blood vessel wall, maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, and play a positive role in protecting cardiovascular system and preventing arteriosclerosis. In addition, the saponins contained in yam can also help the human body reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, which is conducive to improving hyperlipidemia and hypertension.

4. Lose weight

The most nutritious component of yam is its mucus, which contains a lot of hemicellulose that can be dissolved in water. After absorbing water, it can expand 80~100 times. It is easy to feel full, so that we can avoid taking in too much heat and prevent excess heat stored in the body from being converted into fat.

Secondly, the mucus in yam can not only help prevent atherosclerosis, but also reduce subcutaneous fat accumulation, which is very helpful for weight loss.

Thirdly, yam has very low calories, and is also rich in amylase, dietary fiber, vitamins and trace elements. In addition to feeling full, it can also promote the metabolism of the body, and can also reduce body weight and fat.

5. Moisten the lungs and stop coughing

According to the Drug Transformation Theory, "Yam can warm but not suddenly, smell slightly but not dry. It can regulate the lung and cure lung deficiency for a long time. How can it be stable?" The saponins and mucus contained in Yam can lubricate and moisturize the lung, benefit the lung qi, nourish the lung yin, and treat chronic cough due to lung deficiency. It is a natural product that can replenish the lung and moisten the dryness.

6. Beauty

Li Gao, the founder of the theory of spleen and stomach, said that yams "can cure dry skin and moisten it with this material." Li Shizhen said yams can "moisten skin and hair and grow muscles". It can be seen that yam has a special effect on nourishing skin and beauty. In addition, diosgenin contained in yam, also known as dehydroepiandrosterone, is a precursor for human body to synthesize a variety of sex hormones. When it acts on the skin, it can enhance the skin moisturizing function and improve the constitution.

Steamed yam is the most nutritious

From a health perspective, the best way to cook yams is to eat them steamed. Because in this way, people can not only taste the original flavor of Chinese yam, but also retain the nutritional value completely, and the effective ingredients are not easy to be destroyed.

Tips: Yam is a kind of rhizome food with high starch content. If people with diabetes eat too much, their blood sugar will rise. Ordinary healthy people should not eat too much at a time, otherwise it may lead to bloating and indigestion.

Reminder: Food is the source of nutrition for the human body. There are various nutrients in each food. No food can meet all the nutritional needs of the human body. There is no perfect food and no useless food. All kinds of food have different nutritional characteristics. Only by reasonable collocation can they be nutritionally comprehensive. Balanced nutrition is the basis of health. Therefore, we advocate scientific understanding of food and balanced diet for health care.