The Mental Health Perks of Sweet Potato Chips | Mental Health Recipe

If you’re looking to quench that crisps or chips craving, this one’s for you! It not only comes with a crunch but is also packed with loads of mentally supportive nutrients.

When stress and anxiety strike, our instinct often leads us to the snack cupboard.

But instead of reaching for processed chips that leave you feeling worse afterward, what if your go-to comfort food actually supported your brain chemistry and emotional well-being?

These homemade sweet potato chips deliver exactly that - a satisfying crunch with powerful nutrients that support your nervous system and your mind. So, let’s dig in.

Sweet Potato Chips for a Mindful Crunch

Probably the best part about this recipe is that it contains only three ingredients.

The hardest part is cutting up the sweet potatoes, but this is made easier with a mandoline slicer. This can also be a great recipe to double-batch since they can last up to three to five days in a sealed container.

How These Sweet Potato Chips Improve Your Mood

It’s not just the satisfying crunch or golden color that makes these sweet potato chips so special (but that does count for a lot for many of us!). The nutrients in sweet potatoes have so much goodness attached to them, so let’s break it down! 

Complex Carbohydrates: The Brain's Preferred Fuel

Sweet potatoes contain complex carbohydrates that provide a steady, sustainable source of glucose—the primary energy source your brain needs to function optimally.

Unlike the simple carbs found in processed snacks that cause blood sugar spikes and crashes (hello, mood swings!), the complex carbs in sweet potatoes release glucose gradually. This creates a stable energy supply that helps maintain consistent focus and emotional balance throughout your day.

Research suggests that diets rich in complex carbohydrates may increase serotonin production—your body’s natural “feel-good” neurotransmitter.

By supporting healthy serotonin levels, sweet potatoes can help:

• regulate mood
• reduce anxiety
• promote feelings of calm and well-being

The fiber content in sweet potatoes further slows digestion, preventing the energy crashes that often lead to irritability and mental fatigue. This steady energy release is particularly beneficial during stressful periods when your brain needs reliable fuel to cope with challenges.

Additionally, this fiber supports a healthy gut microbiome, which is emerging in research and increasingly linked to better mental health through the gut-brain axis. 

Beta-Carotene: Neuroprotection in Every Bite

The vibrant orange color of sweet potatoes signals the presence of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that your body converts to vitamin A.

Recent neuroscience research has linked higher beta-carotene intake with reduced oxidative stress in the brain. This matters because oxidative stress contributes to inflammation and cellular damage that can affect mood regulation and cognitive function.

Studies have also found associations between higher levels of carotenoids (like those found in sweet potatoes) and a lower likelihood of depression and anxiety symptoms. The neuroprotective effects of these compounds may help shield your brain from the physical impacts of chronic stress.

Beta-carotene’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may further support long-term brain health by protecting neural pathways involved in memory, learning, and emotional regulation—functions that influence how we experience and respond to emotions daily.

Vitamin B6: Important for Neurotransmitters

Sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of vitamin B6, an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in synthesizing neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and GABA—all key regulators of mood, motivation, and stress response.

Vitamin B6 deficiency has been linked to increased risk of depression and anxiety. By ensuring adequate B6 intake through foods like sweet potatoes, you support your brain's ability to produce the chemical messengers needed for emotional resilience and mental clarity.

This vitamin also helps regulate homocysteine levels in the blood. Elevated homocysteine has been associated with both depression and cognitive decline, making B6-rich foods like sweet potatoes valuable allies for both current mood regulation and long-term brain health.

Magnesium: Nature’s Relaxation Mineral

Sweet potatoes provide magnesium, which plays a vital role in regulating the body's stress-response system and has been studied for its ability to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.

Magnesium helps activate GABA receptors in the brain, which produce calming effects similar to anti-anxiety medications but without the side effects or dependency.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, the magnesium in sweet potato chips may help restore a sense of calm by supporting these natural relaxation pathways!

Surprisingly, many Americans are deficient in this important mineral, which may contribute to increased vulnerability to stress and mood disorders. Thus, finding whole food sources, like sweet potatoes, is even that much more important.

Potassium: Stabilizes Brain Function

The potassium in sweet potatoes supports healthy nerve transmission and helps regulate electrical activity in the brain.

This mineral is essential for maintaining optimal neural function, including the signaling pathways that influence mood and cognitive performance.

Adequate potassium intake helps stabilize blood pressure, which indirectly benefits brain health by ensuring proper blood flow and oxygen delivery to brain tissues.

This circulatory support is particularly important during times of stress, when your brain requires additional resources to process and respond to challenges.

It’s also worth noting that the balance between potassium and sodium also affects hydration status at the cellular level, impacting energy levels, concentration, and mood.

Luckily, the favorable potassium-to-sodium ratio in homemade sweet potato chips (especially compared to processed snacks) supports this delicate balance.

Related Article: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Quinoa & Black Beans: The Perfect Mental Health Side Dish? | Mental Health Recipes