Do not throw away the water you used to wash or soak you peeled sweet potatoes in. You can turn it into a tea that will help you shed those pounds. This is because this water contains the Sweet Potato Protein Peptide (SPP) which was found to help in weight reduction.

According to Medical News Today, Dr. Koji Ishiguro of Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organization found that there is a  high concentration of SPP in the sweet potato water. Their study suggested that SPP helps suppress appetite resulting in weight loss by increasing satiety levels (feeling of being full). At the end of 28 days, the test subjects (mice) had lower cholesterol levels and less liver mass aside from the lower weight.

The humble sweet potato is a recognized diet ingredient. Healthsomeness.com touts it as a good source of dietary fiber, rich in complex carbohydrates but with a low-calorie count. It is also rich in vitamins and C and quite a number of antioxidants.

In some studies, this root crop was found to have other medical benefits as well. The Medical News Today indicates in another report that the sweet potato has been found to decrease blood sugar levels in diabetics. Also, since it has high potassium levels, it is also recommended for people with high blood pressure.

The sweet potato is the fifth most important crop in the world with more than 105 tons produced every year, based on reports from the International Potato Center. It is used in noodles, confectionery, bread, flour and numerous other ingredients mainly due to its high starch content, resulting in gallons of wastewater.

Women's Weekly quotes Ishiguro saying, "Finding alternative uses for the sweet potato proteins in wastewater could be good for the environment and industry, and also potentially for health." In the United States, sweet potato is a known ingredient in Thanksgiving dishes, as recently mentioned in the Thanksgiving celebration feature in Jobs and Hire.