The sweet potato is a Native American root vegetable. It is one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world. The sweet potato becomes sweeter as it matures. The vegetable is often confused with a yam, but the yam is native to Africa and Asia and contains less nutritional value than the sweet potato.
Calories, Fat and Sodium
A medium sweet potato is approximately 2 inches in diameter and about 5 inches long when raw. When baked, it contains about 105 calories. The vegetable has only a negligible amount of fat that does equal less than 1 percent of the daily value for fat. A medium sweet potato contains only 41 mg of sodium, or 2 percent of the total daily value for sodium.
Carbohydrates
The sweet potato contains approximately 24 g of carbohydrates. Almost 13 g of natural sugars in the potato contribute to that carbohydrate value. The vegetable also contains about 4 g of fiber, or 15 percent of fiber's daily value. Fiber is an extremely important nutrient; it aids in regulating bowel function as well as increasing satiety, which can help to prevent obesity.
Vitamin A
The sweet potato contains approximately 21,900 IU of vitamin A. This is over 400 percent of the daily value for vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Vitamin A is essential for proper vision, and carotenoids such as beta-carotene enhance immune function and may help to prevent future disease.
Vitamin C
The sweet potato contains about 22 mg of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. About 37 percent of the daily value for vitamin C is contained in the sweet potato.Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant. Antioxidants are scavengers for free radicals that can harm cells and lead to disease.
Vitamin B-6 and Potassium
The sweet potato contains about 16 percent of the daily value for vitamin B-6. Vitamin B-6 is essential as a coenzyme in chemical reactions in the body, or metabolism. The vitamin is important for the proper metabolism of amino acids as well as glycogen. Potassium is found inside and outside of cells, affecting nerve transmission and muscle contraction. The sweet potato contains about 15 percent of the daily value for potassium.
References
- Dietary Reference Intakes; Institute of Medicine; 2006
- USDA: Nutrient Data Laboratory
Member Comments