This food controls blood glucose, helps to lose weight and fights constipation

Diet is one of the essential factors for the body to function properly and not run the risk of disease. In fact, Eating a balanced diet that contains fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to take care of the body’s health and prevent blood sugar and fat levels from getting out of control.

High blood glucose, elevated cholesterol levels, weight gain, and gastrointestinal problems all cause complex health problems, especially those related to cardiovascular conditions. As such, if blood sugar rises too high, it can develop into diabetes, a chronic metabolic disease that leads to serious damage to the heart over time, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Therefore, it is important to go to the doctor to determine a specific treatment that helps level blood sugar levels and thus prevent weight gain. For this reason, the web portal your health points out that yam is a superfood to combat this health problem thanks to its high fiber content. Also, experts say that yam fiber decreases the absorption of sugar, preventing insulin resistance and diabetes.

On the other hand, this food also helps to prolong the body’s satiety, decreasing the ability to eat throughout the day and favoring weight loss. In addition to this, its soluble fiber content prevents and also combats constipation, since the consumption of yam hydrates the feces, thus facilitating the evacuation of toxins from the body.

How to consume the yam?

As such, this food can be used in purees, soups, toasts, salads, stews, and vegetable drinks. But to use it for medicinal purposes, your health advises the following:

Other benefits of the yam

1. Keeps skin healthy: Yam contains beta-carotene, an antioxidant that protects healthy cells from damage caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays and prevents collagen loss.
2. Controls symptoms of menopause: This food is characterized by containing diosgenin, a bioactive compound that has an estrogenic effect that helps balance female hormones, especially in the menopausal stage.
3. Prevents cardiovascular diseases: Thanks to its contribution in fiber, yam helps to reduce the absorption of fats at the intestinal level, balancing the levels of cholesterol called bad or LDL, and triglycerides in the blood. All this means that there is a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
4. Increases energy: Yam is rich in medium glycemic index carbohydrates, a type of carbohydrate that is released more slowly in the body, which prolongs energy.

Recipe: Yam Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 large yams peeled and diced
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped herbs (cilantro, parsley, chives, and mint)
• 1 minced garlic clove
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: In a frying pan, brown the garlic and onion with the olive oil for three minutes. Then, place the yam, salt and pepper, covering them with cooking water. Then, very carefully, crush the yam in a food processor, adding the cooking water little by little and bring this cream over medium heat. Ideally, let the cream boil for 5 minutes and then add the chopped herbs and mix well for later consumption.