While sweet potatoes are often called yams, you won't find true yams in grocery stores unless you're shopping in Africa or Asia. Both the yellow and orange tubers that you will find in stores are sweet potatoes. Those with yellow flesh are a little drier and less sweet than those with orange flesh, and take longer to cook, but both offer the same health benefits. Low in calories and high in vitamins, sweet potatoes are available year-round, making it easy to include them as a staple in a healthy diet.
Nutrients
Sweet potatoes are almost as notable for what they don't have in them as for what they do contain; one serving contains no fat or cholesterol, and the sodium content only accounts for 1 percent of your recommended daily intake. A serving of 1/2 cup of baked sweet potato contains 90 calories, 2 g of protein and 21 g of carbohydrates. 3 g of the carbohydrates are dietary fiber, while 8 g are sugars. Each serving also contains 4 percent each of your daily needs for calcium and iron.
Beta-Carotene
The rich orange color in sweet potatoes is an indicator that the root vegetable contains beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body converts into vitamin A. One serving of sweet potatoes contains 380 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. Beta-carotene assists the body in fighting the free radicals that damage cells and helps to maintain tissues, skin, bones and teeth. Vitamin A also helps your eyes adjust to darkness.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that your body must obtain from food because it is unable to store it. Food sources, such as sweet potatoes, offer health benefits that haven't been proven to be available in supplements, points out the University of Maryland Medical Center. The center further notes that vitamin C may help maintain a healthy immune system, lower blood sugar in diabetics and help lower blood pressure, although studies are inconclusive. Sweet potatoes contain 35 percent of the vitamin C you need daily in each 1/2 cup serving.
Fiber
The fiber found in sweet potatoes keeps bowels healthy and regular and helps to maintain beneficial cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Sweet potatoes offer 3 g of fiber in a 1/2 cup serving; retain the skin or peel very thinly to maximize the nutrient content, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A diet high in fiber helps some people lose or maintain weight.
Member Comments