A new study investigated the useful effect of orange sweet potato (OSP) in reducing the prevalence and duration of diarrhea in children. Researchers highlighted that the OSP provides sufficient vitamin A required for maintaining healthy gut cells, consequently reducing the incidence of diarrhea in children under five by 42% in Mozambique.
The research suggests that the beta carotene is converted rapidly into vitamin A which then forms a protective barrier in the gut against the invading germs. Alan de Brauw, a senior research fellow concludes, “It's a sustainable solution to improving nutrition and child health in many countries’’.