There is no doubt about it, Sweet potato benefits are known to almost every one of us. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) came to Europe from Central and South America, where they were found by the Spanish. With the botanical name Ipomoea batatas, sweet potatoes arrived later on to other countries as Philippines, China and later one Japan, where they were brought by the Chineese in the 17th century, becoming very popular rapidly.

Ipomoea batatas is cultivated extensively for its nutritious value across many regions of the world, in fact many people consume it as a source of staple food [1,2,3,4]. Ipomoea batatas continues to be of remarkable economic value as the sixth most plentiful food crop in the world [5]. Other reports rank sweet potato seventh among staple crops, with 133 million tons produced annually, 117 of which in a single country, China [10,11], where it is a very popular part of many dishes and culinary preparations.

But Ipomoea batatas is not only popular for its sweet tuberous roots, its leaves or greens are very popular in China, where they are extensively consumed as a vegetable. In other countries as Africa and Asia, Ipomoea batatas leaves or greens are considered a very healthy food and an excellent source of dietary Polyphenols such as anthocyanins and phenolic acids [15], and these are not the only sweet potato benefits, they have many more, would you like to know them? Image: Sweet potatoes roasting on an open fire by Ironchefbalara under Creative Common license (CC BY 2.0).

IPOMOEA BATATAS 

Family: Convolvulaceae 
Genus: Ipomoea
Common name: Sweet potatoes, Sweetpotato (USA), Yam (USA), Kumara (NZ) [19].

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia [1], which impact is presently moderate if we consider the future forecasts, as they predicted that 1 in 85 people or 1,75% will be affected by Alzheimer's disease by 2050 [1,2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) calculated the total amount of people affected by Alzheimer's disease would be about 25 million worldwide by 2025 [3], actual figures estimate that today, that amount has reached the incredible figure of 33.9 million! people affected by Alzheimer's disease [4], and foreseen to triple in the coming 40 years, affecting some 800,000 people in the UK alone [7].

In spite Alzheimer's disease can occur at any age, it is very seldom that cases are reported between the age of 40 to 50 years, and chances to get affected by Alzheimer's disease are increasing between 60 and 65 years old.

The University of Leeds published an article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry about their findings on how these two compounds, namely Resveratrol from red wine and green tea active constituent epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) [7] can prevent the deposition of  β-amyloid plaques and prevent Alzheimer's disease. Image left: Tea harvest by Oli Studholme under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0).

CAMELIA SINENSIS

Family: Teaceae
Genus: Camelia
Common name: Green tea

To the already reported benefits of coffee, namely on some neurological (infant hyperactivity, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases), metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus, gallstones, liver cirrhosis), and gonadal and liver function properties [11] we will have to add a new property, its capability to considerably lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes, or at least that's what it has been announced in a report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC). Reports published on the subject suggest that every additional cup of coffee up to 6-8 cups /day (regular or decaffeinated) is associated with a 5-10% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes [10].

Rich in antioxidants and nutrients, coffee has generally been associated with a healthy profile in consumers [11], but pay attention, depending on the quantities consumed, coffee consumption can affect the intake of some minerals (K, Mg, Mn, Cr), niacin and antioxidant substances [12], something to be considered if we are hooked to it. Image: Coffee by stacey.d under Creative Common license (CC BY 2.0).

COFFEA ARABICA

Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Coffea
Common name: Coffee

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), is a non-flavonoid polyphenol [6] naturally occurring in several foods and plants as red grapes (Vitis vinifera), where it is primarily found in the skin but also in its seeds, and also in the roots of hellebore (Veratrum album), from where it was originally isolated by Takaoka back in 1940 [7], and in more than other 70 plant species, among which we can mention berries and peanuts [1].

In spite nowadays it is widely known that Resveratrol may exert many health benefits, as for example stop breast cancer cell growth, increase longevity, be cardioprotective, neuroprotective [2], to treat pain, inflammation, tissue injury and even beneficial against coronary heart disease [1], something that was only found back in 1992, to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's disease and since now another one, its susceptibility to be used as a radiation enhancer in the treatment of prostate cancer cells.

A University of Missouri researcher has discovered that Resveratrol can make prostate tumor cells more susceptible to radiation treatment, increasing the chances of a full recovery from all types of prostate cancer, including aggressive tumors. Image: Red grapes by Danny Molyneux under Creative Common license (CC BY 2.0).

RESVERATROL

Formula: 3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene
Occurrence: Red grapes, berries, peanuts, hellebore