Sweet potatoes are starchy tubers, often a vibrant orange color, that can be a healthy part of a balanced diet. They may protect against heart disease and cancer, reduce inflammation, and regulate blood sugar levels. The calories in sweet potatoes are relatively low, which can support weight loss.
One sweet potato provides several nutrients, such as:
- Beta-carotene: The orange color of sweet potatoes contains an ample amount of beta-carotene. It has antioxidant properties and is important for eye health.
- Manganese: This mineral supports the immune system. It also aids in other processes, like digestion, blood sugar regulation, and bone growth.
- Potassium: This plays key roles in nerve function, muscle contraction, and heart rhythm regulation. It also moves nutrients into and wastes out of cells.
- Vitamin A: The consumption of vitamin A supports eye health. Vitamin A also helps strengthen your teeth.
- Vitamin C: This vitamin supports immune function, especially during cold and flu season. It can reduce how long and severe cold symptoms will be if you get sick.
Many nutrients found in sweet potatoes, like vitamins C and E, act as powerful antioxidants.
Antioxidants might protect against several conditions like heart disease and cancer. They may also fight free radical damage, but research is inconclusive. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage cells and increase the risk of disease and premature aging.
Choose purple sweet potatoes for even more antioxidants. The pigment that gives them their hue has potent antioxidant properties.
Sweet potatoes are a source of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. Fiber binds with bile acids in the gut, so the liver has to use cholesterol to produce more bile. This process removes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream. High blood cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease.
Natural anti-inflammatory compounds in sweet potatoes help reduce inflammation at the cellular level. Research has found that sweet potatoes, specifically purple ones, can offer anti-inflammatory properties.
Unchecked, low-grade inflammation raises the risk of several diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Sweet potatoes are a source of resistant starch. The body does not digest this filling, fiber-like substance.
One study found several ways resistant starch could help you lose and maintain weight. Resistant starch increases the release of peptides, which tell your body you are full. It also decreases the amount of fat your body stores.
High body weight and obesity are some of the most common risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Maintaining a healthy body weight is key to preventing these conditions.
Purple sweet potatoes are a source of anthocyanins, antioxidants that may protect against certain cancers. Anthocyanins have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth in bladder, breast, colon, and stomach cancers.
Animal studies have also found that anthocyanins can lower the risk of colon cancer. More human studies are needed to examine the effects of these antioxidants on human cancer cells.
Sweet potatoes are a source of beta-carotene, the pigment that gives the veggie its orange color. Your body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A, which is important for eye health. Vitamin A creates the receptors in your eyes that help you see light, which allows you to see clearly.
The anthocyanins found in purple sweet potatoes can also protect eye health. One study found that anthocyanins help you see clearly, keep your eyes moist, and reduce eye fatigue.
Some may regard sweet potatoes as too starchy, but the high fiber content makes them a slow-burning starch. One cup of baked sweet potato provides about 4 grams of fiber.
High-fiber foods help regulate blood sugar levels. Fiber makes the intestines absorb sugar slowly, preventing blood sugar spikes.
One 5-inch-long sweet potato provides the following nutrients:
- Calories: 112
- Fat: 0.1 grams (g), or 0.1% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Sodium: 71.5 milligrams (mg), or 3.1% of the DV
- Carbohydrates: 26.1 g, or 9.5% of the DV
- Fiber: 3.9 g, or 13.9% of the DV
- Added sugars: 0 g, or 0% of the DV
- Protein: 2 g, or 4% of the DV
Sweet potatoes do not pose many risks if you eat them in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Eating too many sweet potatoes may increase your risk of kidney stones. Sweet potatoes are high in oxalate, a naturally occurring molecule known to worsen kidney stones.
