Healing with Sweet Potatoes: Superfood for Balancing Digestion Blood Sugar, Hormones
Sweet potatoes are more than a comforting food— they are a gentle, nourishing root vegetable that supports digestion, hormones, blood sugar, and overall wellness. Both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and modern nutrition agree that sweet potatoes help strengthen the body in ways that make them especially helpful for people dealing with fatigue, digestive upset, or hormonal changes. It’s no wonder they are regarded as a Superfood by today’s wellness and nutrition providers!
Although all sweet potatoes share similar benefits, the color of the sweet potato—purple, orange, or yellow—actually tells you what extra support it may offer. Below is an easy-to-understand guide to the differences and how to use them for better health.
🌱 What Makes Sweet Potatoes So Good for You?
Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrtients that help steady energy, support gut health, and improve hormone balance over time. These superfoods are are naturally full of:
Fiber
Vitamin A (especially the orange ones)
Vitamin C
B vitamins
Minerals like copper and manganese
Antioxidants that calm inflammation
By TCM standards, sweet potaoes are key to nourishing the bodies metabolic hub; the energtics and smooth flow within the Spleen and Stomach, which are responsible for digestion and making healthy Qi (energy) and Blood. These powerhouse roots help to balance dampness, boost qi, and optimize digestive function.
How the Colors Differ: Purple vs. Orange vs. Yellow Sweet Potatoes 💜🟧💛
All sweet potatoes support healthy digestion, but each color has unique strengths.
💜 Purple Sweet Potatoes: Best for Gut Bacteria & Inflammation
Purple sweet potatoes are rich in anthocyanins, the same purple pigment found in blueberries. These natural plant compounds feed the good bacteria in your gut and help reduce irritation and inflammation in the intestinal lining.
Studies show purple sweet potatoes:
Increase helpful bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus
Help create short-chain fatty acids (fuel for your colon cells)
Support a stronger and healthier gut lining
May reduce symptoms of digestive inflammation
Purple sweet potatoes are especially helpful for people with:
Bloating
Irregular stools
Post-antibiotic recovery
Inflammatory gut issues
Fatigue connected to poor digestion
In TCM terms, their deep color suggests they also nourish the Blood and help build Yin, bringing cooling, restorative energy to the body.
🟧 Orange Sweet Potatoes: Great for Immunity, Energy & Hormone Balance
Orange sweet potatoes contain high amounts of beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A. They also contain fiber that acts like a prebiotic—feeding healthy bacteria in the colon.
Research shows orange sweet potatoes can:
Support steady digestion
Nourish healthy gut bacteria
Improve regularity
Strengthen immune function
Orange varieties are especially good for:
Spleen Qi deficiency (tiredness, bloating, cravings)
Children or sensitive eaters
Skin and immune support
Stable blood sugar
Their sweet, grounding nature makes them a wonderful “everyday” choice.
💛 Yellow Sweet Potatoes: Gentle & Easy to Digest
Yellow sweet potatoes are softer in flavor and easier on the stomach. They offer:
A balanced amount of fiber
Gentle sugars that digest more slowly
A grounding energy that supports the Spleen
They are ideal for people with:
Sensitive digestion
Loose stools
Appetite changes
Fatigue
Weak digestion following illness
While they don’t have the strong pigments of purple or orange varieties, they are wonderful for calming and regulating the digestive system.
How Sweet Potatoes Support Blood Sugar & Hormones
Although sweet potatoes taste sweet, they do not spike blood sugar the way white potatoes or sugary foods do—especially when cooked in certain ways. In fact they help to regulate blood sugar levels with thier complex carbohydrates which digest slowly over time, actually balancing blood sugar levels throughout the day.
This is because sweet potatoes contain:
Resistant starch, which slows down sugar absorption
Soluble fiber, which helps regulate digestion
Antioxidants, which support healthier insulin function
Sweet potatoes help balance blood suger levels which in turns helps to balance hormones. Balanced blood sugar and balanced hormone production provides a stabilized mood, improved focus and concentrtion, and a reduction in digestive irregularity, inflammation, and fatigue symptoms. Eating sweet potatoes regularly can help people with:
PCOS
PMS
Perimenopause
Adrenal fatigue
Insulin resistance
Sugar cravings and afternoon crashes
When combined with protein and healthy fats, sweet potatoes help keep energy steady for hours. Give it a try! You will be pleasantly surprised by how smooth your energy will feel when including sweet potatoes into your weekly routines.
Hormone Health Starts in the Gut
Hormones, in balance and out of balance, regulate much of our experiences throughout the day. When the body is stressed, cortisol (stress hormone) is often at play. When experiencing PMS, high estrogen is often a key factor. Sweet potatoes help to regulate the hormones by way of improving gut absorption, regulating blood sugar levels, and thus giving our body a fighting chane to regulate hormones. The high content of betacarotine and fiber guide our bodies toward:
A balanced microbiome
Steady blood sugar
Low inflammation
The body absorbing nutrients well
Sweet potatoes support our internal system as holisitcally as possible. No wonder they’re regarded as a suprfood!
🌿 TCM Insight: A Food that Builds Qi & Strengthens Digestion
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, sweet potatoes are considered:
Sweet in flavor
Neutral to slightly cool in temperature
Supportive of the Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Kidney channels
They help:
Build Qi (energy) (especially orange variety)
Improve digestion, reducing digestive phlegm
Soothe and strengthen the gut
Nourish Yin and Blood (especially purple varieties)
Support postpartum recovery and lactation, and balancing hormones to regulate the menstrual cyle and peri/menopausal syndromes
TCM practitioners often use sweet potatoes for people who feel tired, weak, or have trouble digesting heavier foods. I love recomending sweet potatoes to anyone looking to take simple steps which provide major impact toward one’s health goals.
🍽️ Easy Ways to Use Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are most supportive when cooked gently. Boiling and steaming tend to preserve the most resistant starch, which is excellent for gut bacteria. Carmelizing and baking are delicious, but break down the beneficial fibers and starches which contain so much of the beneficial aspects we’ve discussed. Once the sweet potatoes carmalize, they become drier and the starches break down in a way that enhances the total sugar availability when eaten, reducing the benefits mentioned. Not to say they’re not healthy anymore! When presented the options of sweet potaotes or not, always go with the sweet potatoes!
Helpful tips:
Boil or steam for better blood sugar balance
Cool before eating if you want extra resistant starch
Leave the skin on for more fiber
Pair them with protein (eggs, beans, fish) and healthy fats (olive oil, tahini, butter)
Rotate colors to get wider benefits for the gut and hormones
Examples:
Purple mashed sweet potatoes with greens and tahini
Orange sweet potato soup with ginger
Yellow sweet potato steamed and mashed with a drizzle of olive oil
Sweet potato bowls topped with hummus, cooked greens, or roasted vegetables
⚠️ People Sensitive to Oxalates
Sweet potatoes contain a moderate-to-high amount of oxalates, a natural compound found in many plant foods. Most people those sensitive are recomended to keep portion sizes moderate. Not sure if you have oxylate sensitivity? Symptoms usually include :
Kidney stone history
Certain gut illnesses, such as Ulcerative Cholitis
Fat malabsorption, a symptom of which can be floating stools
Boiling sweet potatoes can lower oxalate levels, and rotating them with lower-oxalate root vegetables is another option. For more information on oxylates, a full blog on oxalates will be coming soon.
Sweet potatoes are one of the most nourishing, gentle, and healing foods you can add to your meals. They support gut health, steady your hormones, fuel your energy, and strengthen the digestive system. Purple, orange, and yellow sweet potatoes each bring their own unique gifts, and rotating them offers a broad range of nutritional and energetic benefits.
Whether you're supporting digestion, balancing hormones, or simply trying to feel more grounded and energized, sweet potatoes are a delicious and supportive ally for whole-body wellness.
Contact us today if you’re interested in learning how TCM; nutition, acupuncture,and herbs can benefit your health today!
📚 References
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