Benefits and Healing Power of Organic Yams
Benefits and Healing Power of Organic Yams
Although the yam is often confused with the sweet potato, it is a completely different vegetable with specific nutritional benefits. Yams belong to the Dioscoreae family and are grown throughout Latin America and Africa with Nigeria being the biggest producer, exporting to 70 percent of the world’s market. Yams can be several feet in length and are not as sweet as sweet potatoes.
The Nutritional Benefits of Yams
Many people believe that yams are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which is transformed into vitamin A in the body. However, this attribute belongs to the sweet potato. Yams are actually rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which gives them a lower glycemic index and makes them appropriate for anyone that is trying to maintain a regular blood sugar level.
Yams are also a great source of B-complex vitamins, all of which help to drive metabolism by breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They are actually a rich source of folate, which is particularly important for heart health and fertility.
In addition to being a good source of fiber and B-vitamins, yams are a good source of trace minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Furthermore, they are especially rich in potassium, which is essential for controlling heart rate and maintaining blood pressure. In a 2013 study of yams and their potential health benefits, the researchers concluded that yams could be used as a functional food for fiber and mineral supplementation.
How Yams Contribute to Health
Recent research has revealed that yams may hold medicinal properties that can help to promote health. In a recent in-vitro study, a particular species of yam, Dioscorea tokoro, was responsible for inhibiting the growth of the human leukemia HL-60 cell. More research needs to be done to confirm this; however, this shows the potential of yams to be used as a functional food in the prevention of cancer.
Another 2014 animal study found that supplementing rabbits treated with high cholesterol diets with Dioscorea alata normalized their lipid profile. The researchers concluded that this type of yam has anti-hyperlipidemic effects. DHEA or dehydroepiandrosterone is a hormone that is needed to produce testosterone as well as progesterone. Administration of this hormone to diabetic rats is shown to improve their hyperglycaemic status. Likewise, Diosgenin is a steroidal structure that is very similar to DHEA and is found in high concentrations in yams. Administration of diosgenin or yams to hyperglycaemic rats decreased their blood glucose levels.
The Importance of Organic Farming
In order to gain the most health benefits from yams, it is important that they are sourced from organic farming. Fruits and vegetables, in general, absorb their nutrients from the soil in which they are grown. Nutrient density within the diet is essential for preventing and combating various disease states such as autoimmune disorders or cardiovascular disease; therefore, it makes sense to consider how and in what conditions fruits and vegetables are grown. One can appreciate that yams, for example, will have different mineral content depending on if they are grown conventionally or organically. In order to understand the differences between conventional versus organic farming, the following is an explanation offered by Dr. Isabella Wentz, author of the books Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause and Hashimoto’s Protocol;
“Conventional crops are grown with synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and are in the same fields over and over again, causing soils to become depleted. If you live in the Midwest you will drive past cornfields that have been in the same place for decades. Fruit and vegetables are picked before they are ripe enough in order to survive transport across the country. This does not allow them to continue getting their nutrients from an already depleted soil. In contrast, organic farmers rotate their crops, fertilize their soils with natural fertilizers such as compost, and rely on nature’s pesticides by encouraging insect predators to make the farms their home. Organic farmers also make sure to pick vegetables when they are ripe, and these vegetables have been found to be much more rich in nutrients. One study found that some organic vegetables had almost 90 percent more nutrients compared with their conventionally grown counterparts.”
The increasing number of toxins found in foods causes many chronic disease states like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or cancer. In the case of conventionally farmed produce, the chemicals found in fruits and vegetables from pesticides and insecticides contribute to the rise in chronic diseases seen today. In addition to this, in order to heal or alleviate symptoms of chronic diseases, nutrient-density is key. Therefore, fruits and vegetables from organic farming provide a more substantial source of essential vitamins and minerals needed to promote optimal health.
The Mighty Yam
Yams are a nutritious part of the diet that can help to regulate blood sugar levels, boost fertility, enhance energy levels, provide a good source of iron for vegans and vegetarians, and help to regulate blood pressure because of their high content of potassium. Remember, nutrient-density is key to alleviating symptoms or even healing chronic disease states. Therefore, in order to reap the benefits of the nutrients that yams have to offer, it is important to always choose organic sources.