Often confused with sweet potatoes, yams are a completely different species. The interior flesh of yams comes in a variety of colors, including yellow, cream, white and purple. The rough skin may be brown, black, white or pink. Yams can be steamed, boiled or baked and eaten whole or can be used in other dishes. In the U.S., true yams are difficult to find outside African or Asian markets or groceries.
Servings and Calories
One standard serving of yams is 1/2 cup of cooked, cubed yam. This makes up approximately 68g and is considered a single serving of vegetables on the USDA MyPyramid food chart. One serving of yams contains 79 calories. The USDA recommends consuming five or more servings of vegetables daily.
Basic Nutrition
Yams provide 19g of carbohydrate per 1/2 cup serving. Of these carbohydrates, 3g are fiber. There is also 1g of protein in a serving. Yams are a fat-free food. They also contain no cholesterol and only 5mg of sodium. The glycemic load of yams is 8, which means that a single serving does not raise blood glucose levels rapidly, making it a good food for anyone monitoring their blood sugar levels. A serving of yams contains 47.7g of water.
Micronutrients
Yams are high in vitamin C, containing 8.2mg, or 14 percent of the recommended daily intake. Other vitamins in yams include vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, choline, niacin, thiamin, folate and pantothenic acid. Abundant minerals in yams include potassium and manganese, each with 13 percent of the daily recommended value. Other minerals present in yams are calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, copper and iron.
Health Benefits
According to World's Healthiest Foods, the vitamin B6 and potassium in yams help guard against cardiovascular disease. Vitamin B6 operates in the body by breaking down homocysteine, which damages blood vessel walls. The potassium aids in lowering blood pressure. Other potential benefits of yams may be relief of the symptoms of menopause and increased fertility, although these health effects still need to be studied in humans, since no large scale clinical trials have yet been conducted.
Considerations
Yams do not contain any vitamin A, unlike sweet potatoes, which contain high levels of this vitamin. Some types of yams may be toxic if eaten raw, but this is mainly a problem in wild varieties, not cultivated yams. Yams are not typically a highly allergenic food, so individuals susceptible to food allergies need not avoid them.
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