Sweet potato
nutrition facts
Sweet potato, not only is just
sweet to your taste buds but
also good for your cardiovascular health. This starchy root vegetable
is rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
that are essential for optimal health.
Botanically, this tuber belongs
to the
family of Convolvulaceae,
and named as Ipomoea
batatas.
Sweet potatoes
This delicious tuberous root
has
oblong/elongated shape with tapering ends
and has smooth outer skin whose color ranges from red, purple, brown
and white, depending up on the variety.
Internally, starchy flesh has
different hue, depending upon the pigments concentration, ranges from
white through yellow, orange, and purple. The tuber grown throughout
tropical and warm temperate regions and require
just sufficient water and attention for their cultivation.
Sweet potato
leaves (top greens) are also
edible; in fact, contains more nutrients and dietary fiber than some
green leafy vegetables (for eg. 100 g leaves provide 1028 IU of vitamin
A).
Health
benefits of Sweet potatoes
-
Nutritious sweet potatoes
are low in calories (provide just 90 cal/100 g, on comparison with
starch rich cereals) and contains no saturated fats and cholesterol;
but are rich source of dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins and
minerals.
-
They are store-house of
starch, a complex carbohydrate, which raises the blood sugar levels slowly
on comparison to simple sugars; therefore, recommended as a healthy
food supplement
even in diabetes.
-
It is an excellent source
of flavonoids
like beta carotene and vitamin A (provides
14187 IU of vitamin A and 8509 mcg of β-carotene). Highest among root vegetables
category. These
compounds are powerful natural antioxidants. Vitamin A is also required
by the body to maintain integrity of healthy mucus membranes
and skin.
It is also vital nutrient for vision. Consumption of natural vegetables
and fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral
cavity cancers.
-
Sweet potato is packed
with full of many essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin
B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1), niacin and
riboflavin. These vitamins are essential in the sense that body
requires them from external sources to replenish. These vitamins
function as co-factors for various enzymes during metabolism.
-
They also contain good
amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese and
potassium which are very essential for body metabolism.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea
batatas),
raw,
Nutrition value per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient Value |
Percentage of
RDA |
| Energy |
86 Kcal |
4% |
| Carbohydrates |
20.12 g |
15.5% |
| Protein |
1.6 g |
3% |
| Total Fat |
0.05 g |
<0.5% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Dietary Fiber |
3 g |
8% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
11 mcg |
3% |
| Niacin |
0.557 mg |
3.5% |
| Pantothenic
acid |
0.80 mg |
16% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.209 mg |
15% |
| Riboflavin |
0.061 mg |
5.5% |
| Thiamin |
0.078 mg |
6.5% |
| Vitamin A |
14187 IU |
473% |
| Vitamin C |
2.4 mg |
4% |
| Vitamin E |
0.26 mg |
2% |
| Vitamin K |
1.8 mcg |
1.5% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
55 mg |
3.5% |
| Potassium |
337 mg |
7% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
30 mg |
3% |
| Iron |
0.61 mg |
7.5% |
| Magnesium |
25 mg |
6% |
| Manganese |
0.258 mg |
11% |
| Phosphorus |
47 mg |
7% |
| Zinc |
0.30 mg |
3% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene-α |
7 mcg |
-- |
| Carotene--ß |
8509 mcg |
-- |
| Crypto-xanthin-ß |
0 mcg |
-- |
Selection and
storage
Although sweet
potato leaves
are being eaten in
some parts of the
world, it is the root that is the toast of sweet potato lovers. In the
store, buy fresh tubers with intact smooth skin and firm to woody
consistency. Go for organic varieties for best taste and nutrition
levels.
Wash them in
clean running water to remove sand
and soil. They
should be stored in a cool, dark and well ventilated place.
Culinary uses
- Fresh
sweet potatoes can be eaten raw.
- Baking in water with a pinch of
salt would give rich taste to them. Peel off the skin before
eating.
- The roots are also used to prepare
different kinds of baby
foods.
- Sweet potato chips are enjoyed
as favorite snacks.
Safety profile
Sweet potatoes
contain oxalic
acid, a naturally
occurring substance found in some vegetables which may crystallize as
oxalate stones in the urinary tract in some people.
It is
therefore,
people with known oxalate urinary tract stones may have to avoid eating
them. Adequate intake of water is therefore advised to maintain normal
urine output in these individuals to minimize stone risk.
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