Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. True yams are distinguishable by their blackish/brown, bark-like skin and white or purple-toned flesh. Chances are the “yams” found in your local supermarket are actually a variety of sweet potato. They’re also different from yams, which are edible tubers within the lily family and native to Africa and Asia. Unlike a potato (edible tubers of the nightshade family), the sweet “potato” is a large edible root within the morning glory family. They are also one of the top sources of beta-carotene-a precursor to vitamin A. Although they are often found on holiday tables covered in marshmallows or mixed with added sweeteners, there’s no need! True to their name, sweet potatoes have a naturally sweet flavor, which is further enhanced through cooking methods like roasting. Weight per weight, 100 g of fresh leaves carry more iron, vitamin-C, folates, vitamin-K, and potassium but less sodium than its tuber.Sweet potatoes are typically recognized by their copper-colored skin and vibrant orange flesh, though the hundreds of varieties grown worldwide display colors such as white, cream, yellow, reddish-purple, and deep purple. Sweet potato leaves, indeed, are more nutritious than the tuber itself. Sweet potato provides a good amount of vital minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium that are essential for enzyme, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism. These vitamins function as cofactors for various enzymes during metabolism. These vitamins are essential in the sense that the human body requires them from external sources to replenish. The tubers are packed with many essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), and thiamin (vitamin B-1), niacin, and riboflavin. The total antioxidant strength of raw sweet potato measured in terms of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is 902 µmol TE/100 g. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids helps protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. It is a vital nutrient for healthy vision. Vitamin-A is also required for the human body to maintain the integrity of mucosa and skin. These compounds are powerful natural antioxidants. 100 g of tuber provides 14,187 IU of vitamin-A and 8,509 µg of ß-carotene, a value which is the highest for any root vegetables. The tuber is an excellent source of flavonoid phenolic compounds such as beta-carotene and vitamin-A. Amylose raises the blood sugar levels rather slowly on comparison to simple fruit sugars (fructose, glucose, etc.) and therefore, recommended as a healthy food even in diabetes. Sweet potato has higher amylose to amylopectin ratio than that in potato. Its calorie content mainly comes from starch, a complex carbohydrate. The tuber, however, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, and is a rich source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than potatoes. Sweet potato is one of the high-calorie starch foods (provide 90 calories/100 g vis a vis to 70 calories/100 g in potato). In fact, the tender shoots and leaves contain more nutrients and dietary fiber than some of the popular green leafy vegetables like spinach.Ĩ amazing Health benefits of Sweet potatoes 
They have a mildly sweet flavor and are cooked in a similar fashion to potatoes. Internally, sweet potato has starchy, sweet flesh and, depending upon the pigment concentration, their color ranges from white through yellow, orange, and purple.īoniatos, also known as Cuban sweet potatoes, feature dry, starchy flesh underneath the reddish-brown skin. Whereas, yams are monocotyledons, larger, feature thick, rough, dark brown to pink skin depending upon the cultivar type. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are dicotyledonous, relatively smaller and possess very thin peel. Important differentiating features that distinguish sweet potatoes from yams are: Yams are tropical crops and indeed never grow where the temperature dips below 68 degrees F. Yams are indeed larger in size and can weigh up to 120 pounds in weight and 2 meters in length. Sweet potatoes should not be confused with yams, another starchy root widely grown in Western Africa.
The tuberous root features an oblong/elongated shape with tapering ends and has smooth outer skin whose color may range from red, purple, brown, and white, depending upon the cultivar type. The crop just requires sufficient water and little attention for its successful cultivation. Sweet potato is grown throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions.
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