Root vegetables with orangey flesh and a rich amount of beta-carotene, sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, containing enough vitamins and minerals to help protect against various conditions when and if consumed regularly.
Sweet potatoes date back to thousands of years ago, and although their exact origin remains uncertain, it is known that the food was consumed at least 5,000 years ago in Central America. Other findings attest to the vegetable existing in South America as far back as 8,000 years before Common Era.
In the U.S. today there is increasing demand for sweet potatoes, and nowadays America produces more of the vegetable than it has since World War II.
The convenience of farming sweet potatoes
Food is usually scarce in times of war and during World War II when many things were difficult to have, food especially, potatoes both regular and sweet were largely cultivated.
Easier to farm compared to a lot of the other foods, a lot cheaper and overall a more nutritious vegetable, the sweet potato soon became a staple in many American households.
Not to mention sweeter than regular potatoes, the vegetables somewhat satisfied people’s sugar craves, due to the decent amount of sugar they contain.
- A large sweet potato packs 11.7 grams sugars but even more relevant is the number and the amount of minerals and vitamins in this vegetable. The sweet potato is extremely high in vitamin A and a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and biotin among others.
Nutritional profile for sweet potatoes per 1 large vegetable (approximately 180 grams)
Please note that the best cooking method to receive the most nutritional benefits from sweet potatoes is steaming or boiling. Studies have shown that the sweet potato preserves some of its nutrients better through steaming, while boiling has been demonstrated to provide a lower glycemic index compared to roasting.
The following information is provided for 1 large sweet potato, baked without salt.
Vitamins
Vitamin A 34590 IU
Vitamin C 35.3 mg
Vitamin E 1.3 mg
Vitamin K 4.1 mcg
Thiamin 0.2 mg
Riboflavin 0.2 mg
Niacin 2.7 mg
Vitamin B6 0.5 mg
Folate 10.8 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 1.6 mg
Choline 23.6 mg
Betaine 62.3 mg
Minerals
Calcium 68.4 mg
Iron 1.2 mg
Magnesium 48.6 mg
Phosphorus 97.2 mg
Potassium 855 mg
Sodium 64.8 mg
Zinc 0.6 mg
Copper 0.3 mg
Manganese 0.9 mg
Selenium 0.4 mcg
Sweet potatoes contain 136 grams water, 37.3 grams carbohydrates of which sugars is 11.7 grams, starch is 12.7 grams, and 5.9 grams represent dietary fiber.
The vegetables also provide some protein – 3.6 grams per the same serving amount and contain 162 calories.
Top 5 reasons sweet potatoes are very healthy vegetables
They contain in significant amounts carotenoid pigments, which translated into health benefits means that sweet potatoes provide excellent antioxidant support, particularly in relation to anthocyanins that protect against digestive tract problems.
The high amounts of various pigments in sweet potato make this vegetable remarkable in terms of anti-inflammatory health benefits. Consuming sweet potato or sweet potato extract reduces the amount of health threatening protein complexes and enzymes that can trigger unwanted inflammation in the body.
Containing soluble fiber, sweet potatoes stabilize blood sugar levels, even improving blood sugar regulation in people with type 2 diabetes. Thus, the vegetable is a diabetes-friendly food that can be incorporated into the daily diet without risk.
They are great for building healthy bones due to containing a good amount of vitamin D. Sweet potatoes are recommended during the colder season particularly when the body does not receive enough vitamin D through sunlight.
Sweet potatoes protect against premature aging, containing generous amounts of carotenoids, especially beta-carotene which is better assimilated when ingested with fat.