Grow sweet potato tops for vegetables and improve your food security

Diversification of sweet potatoes consumption is essential for global food and nutrition security. Eating the tops is popular in the Pacific islands, Asia and Africa, but consumption is limited in the United States. The leaves contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fiber and essential fatty acids, according to dietitian Pace M. Johnson of the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Tuskegee University in Alabama. The bioactive compounds in the vegetables improve immune function by combating free radicals that damage cells. This action helps fight against cancer cell growth and heart disease. Increased consumption of sweet potato tops should be promoted According to Johnson in the October 2010 issue of "Nutrition Reviews. Known scientifically as Ipomoea Batatas, the crop grows in almost every family’s backyards particularly in Africa, Asia and pacific making the vegetables readily available.

In Philippines, sweet potato tops or leaves are common in many native dishes. Filipinos have learned to cook the vegetables in various ways, too numerous to state, the usual method being simply steaming by placing on cooking rice and salting. These crops are easy to grow and cultivate, and grows well in a wide range of climatic conditions. All one needs to do is to plant a vine into the ground, and it establishes. It is a vine, which most people just allow to crawl on the ground and it can also grow on trellis too.  A few weeks later the tops are available for picking as vegetables.  If you choose to leave the tops, the roots will start growing forming tubers which can be pulled from the ground later for food. The crop grows continuously all the year round. It is drought tolerant and can ensure throughout the year availability of greens and subsequent good nutrition. Apart from being tasty, these simple vegetables are packed with nutrition, being the only vegetables with Iodine, a common substance found in seafood. It also contains vitamin A, C and Calcium; In the Philippines, it is widely believed that lactating mothers fed sweet potato tops improve their breast milk production. In fact, it is now a major ingredient of a commercially available food supplement drink in the Philippines. It is also a folk remedy which is used to treat diarrhea and dizziness;

Sweet potato vegetables are good sources of vitamins A, vitamin K and folate, or folic acid. You can eat the leaves of the sweet potato as they are nutritious, delicious and medicinal. The vegetables are known to contain minerals, antioxidants, dietary fiber and essential fatty acids, according to dietitian Pace M. Johnson of the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Tuskegee University in Alabama. The bioactive compounds in the leaves improve immune function by combating free radicals that damage cells. This action helps fight against cancer cell growth and heart disease. Combining sweet potato leaves with mushrooms works well in a heart healthy diet plan to protect you from disease. The tops contain phenolic compounds which are known to fight cancer and heart disease. Here is a simple recipe for these nutritious vegetables which are easy to prepare, and can be eaten with starchy foods

1 large bunch of tender sweet potato tops

4 pcs Irish potatoes, peeled and diced into about 1.5 cm squares

4 medium tomatoes

1 Tbsp cooking oil

1 bulb onion

3 cups water

Salt to taste

Heat the oil, add the Irish potatoes and stir fry them until the outer parts start to change color. Add and stir fry the onions and tomatoes until they become tender. Add the water and allow it to boil. Add salt and the Sweet potato tops. Continue to cook, around 5 minutes, until cooked and tender enough, stirring once or twice to ensure the ingredients are cooked evenly. Serve warm. Grow sweet potato tops in your backyard garden and stay healthy. There are numerous healthy green vegetables for our consumption growing out there! 
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