Yams (Dioscorea) are tuber vegetables that originate in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean (1 Trusted Source).
They’re proper for sweet potatoes. However, yams are less candy and more starchy.
They have an awesome brown, bark-like outdoors. Depending on the yam’s Adamson, the flesh can be white, yellow, purple, or purple.
These surprisingly nutritious and versatile tubers can benefit your fitness in many ways.
Here are eleven fitness and nutrition blessings of yams.
1. Packed with nutrition
Yams are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
One cup (136 grams) of baked yams gives (2):
Calories: 158
Carbs: 37 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: zero grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Vitamin C: 18% of the Daily Value (DV)
Vitamin B5: 9% of the DV
Manganese: 22% of the DV
Magnesium: 6% of the DV
Potassium: 19% of the DV
Thiamine: eleven% of the DV
Copper: 23% of the DV
Folate: 6% of the DV
Yams are not only the simplest Source of fiber but also high in potassium and manganese, which are essential for bone health, growth, metabolism, and coronary heart disease (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
These tubers also offer decent amounts of other micronutrients, such as copper and vitamin C.
Copper is vital for crimson blood cell production and iron absorption, while diet C is a sturdy antioxidant that may enhance your immune machine (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
2. May beautify mind characteristic
Eating yams may also enhance your mind.
In one 12-week study, people who took a yam extract supplement scored higher on a brain function test than those within the placebo group (9Trusted Source).
Yams comprise a unique compound called diosgenin, which has been discovered to promote neuron growth and enhance mind characteristics (9Trusted Source).
Diosgenin additionally has an advanced memory and is learning talents in mice in diverse maze tests (10Trusted Source).
However, more studies on this location are needed to understand how yams can also gain mental fitness.
3. May ease signs and symptoms of menopause
Yams may also assist in alleviating a few signs and symptoms of menopause.
In one 30-day observation, according to today, 24 postmenopausal girls switched from their staple food of rice to ingesting yams in 2 out of 3 meals (390 grams overall). Their estrone and estradiol blood stages elevated through 26% and 27%, respectively (11Trusted Source).
Blood stages of estrone and estradiol—estrogen hormones—normally decrease at some point during menopause. Improving estrogen degrees might also ease menopause signs and symptoms (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Yet, any other six-month examination found that topically applied wild yam cream had little or no effect on menopause signs and symptoms, including flushing and night sweats, in comparison with a placebo (14Trusted Source).
Further studies are wanted to research yams’ position in relieving menopause symptoms.
4. May have most cancers-fighting residences
Yams offer numerous antioxidants that could have anticancer residences (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted).
In an animal study, a yam-wealthy weight-reduction plan drastically decreased colon tumor growth. These consequences had been related to the antioxidants in yams, suggesting that these tubers may protect against most cancers (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Furthermore, a test-tube examination determined that extracts from Chinese yam, particularly the peel, inhibited liver tumor growth and supplied antioxidant properties (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
However, research is confined, and studies have not begun to test these results in humans.
