Sweet Potato Leaves

Hello and so excited to share this post thanks to our Singapore Cancer Society BBB What’s App group. I shared about a salad that I had with Sweet Potato leaves that we have grown in our back garden. And the super news is they are just so simple to grow.

So what is so special about this leaf?

No oil, saute with vegetable stock or miso stock, you can steam as well.

Sweet Potato Leaves (Cantonese: fun she yip) Kills 94% of Prostate Cancer Cells in Vitro. An extract of sweet potato leaves was discovered to be extremely toxic to prostate cancer cells in this study, killing 94% of them in vitro & slowing the growth of prostate tumors in mice by 75%. Other research has shown that these super-greens are also active against breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer & leukemia. And the health benefits of these greens are not just for the lab. One study in Taiwan showed that eating at least 100 grams per week of this super vegetable decreased lung cancer risk by up to 57%! In other studies, sweet potato leaves boosted immunity (T lymphocytes & natural killer cells) in humans & lowered blood sugar in mice with Type II diabetes. And if you need an energy boost, sweet potato leaves could be just the vegetable for you. A recent study showed it significantly relieved fatigue in mice, increased exercise capacity & even boosted muscle glycogen levels! Why are these greens so powerful? They are an excellent source of potent antioxidants called polyphenols, including the unique & powerful caffeoylquinic acids, & anti-cancer peptides. And alkaline diet fans take note: these greens are one of the most alkalizing vegetables out there, delivering 400% of the alkalizing power of pure lemon juice, ounce for ounce.

New analysis published in the journal HortScience found the leaves have 3 times more vitamin B6, 5 times more vitamin C, and almost 10 times more riboflavin than actual sweet potatoes. So it is nutritionally similar to spinach, but sweet potato leaves have less oxalic acid, which gives some greens like spinach and chard a sharper taste.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23629419

Easy to Grow

Sweet potato is easy to grow. If you can buy a vine from the market or supermarket, then take the vine, take off the leaves, and place in the soil and it will quickly start to root. Or you can use the roots from sweet potato if they come with the product when you buy.

If you can’t get hold of cuttings you can start growing sweet potatoes by planting the tubers. You can use any shop bought sweet potatoes. Place them on the ground, cover them with soil, and keep them moist. The tubers will develop shoots, called slips.
They are easy to grow in most climates but especially hot.
Here is a very useful website for the full lowdown on sweet potato and growing it.

Recipes to Use the Leaf In

Link for Creamy Sweet Potato Salad

We like this blanched with fresh tomato and raw onion, season to taste and as an extra zip add a

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