Sweet potatoes and yams are often interchanged and considered the same thing, but even though they look similar, they are actually from two different botanical families. Adding either sweet potatoes, yams or both to your diet will have some nutritional and health benefits. They can be steamed, boiled, baked or mashed to create tasty side dishes that are nutrient-dense and good for your entire body.
Beta-Carotene
Fruits and vegetables that are dark orange, like sweet potatoes and yams, are often high in beta-carotene, which your body needs to make sufficient amounts of vitamin A in your body. The Harvard School of Public Health notes that vitamin A helps maintain the health of your eyes and also plays a role in bone formation and cell growth and division. A 1-cup serving of cooked sweet potato contains much more beta-carotene than yams with 23,018 micrograms (mcg) compared with 99 mcg in the same size serving of yams.
Fiber
Fiber is an important part of your diet, but many people fall short of the recommended 30 to 38 g men need and the 21 to 25 g that women need on a daily basis. If you are following a high-fiber diet you are less likely to experience constipation and other digestive problems. Your risk of colon cancer may also be reduced, according to MayoClinic.com. Fiber may also help regulate your blood sugar levels and may also help keep your cholesterol levels low. A 1-cup serving of sweet potatoes supplies 6.6 g of fiber, and the same amount of yams provides 5.3 g.
Protein
Your entire body relies on protein for continual development, maintenance and repair. A diet that includes sufficient amounts of protein will also ensure that you have plenty of energy to go about your day. Both yams and sweet potatoes are low-calorie and low-fat sources of protein that can sometimes replace higher fat meat sources of protein in your diet. One cup of cooked sweet potatoes contains 4 g of protein, and the same amount of yams contains 2 g.
Minerals
Both sweet potatoes and yams contain beneficial minerals that you should include in your daily diet. While sweet potatoes contain more of these minerals per serving, a 1-cup serving of either food is a high mineral option. Sweet potatoes contain 950 mg of potassium and yams have 911 mg of this mineral that is important for the heart. Sweet potatoes have 76 mg of bone-building calcium and yams contain 19 mg. Sweet potatoes have 1.38 mg of iron and yams contain .71 mg of iron, which is important for red blood cell production. Sweet potatoes and yams are also nutritious sources of magnesium and phosphorus.
References
- USDA Nutrient Database; Nutrient Data Laboratory
- The Library of Congress; What Is the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?
- Centers for Disease Control; Vegetable of the Month: Sweet Potatoes
- Harvard School of Public Health; Vitamins
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; November 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with these Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
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