Sweet potato

The sweet potato has no botanical relationship with the common potato. In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According to these criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 points over the next on the list, the common potato.

Sweet potato varieties with dark orange flesh have more beta carotene than those with light colored flesh and their increased cultivation is being encouraged in Africa where Vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem. Despite the name "sweet", it may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance.

Sweet potato Nutrition Facts: Calories, Carbs, and Health Benefits

The composition of sweet potato is 77.28% water, 20.12% carbohydrates, 1.57% protein, 3% dietary fiber, and 0.05% fat. One sweet potato supplies you with 26.156 grams of carbohydrates, which is 20.12 percent of the minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates you should have daily, according to the Institute of Medicine (US). That same it has an energy value of 359 kJ (86 Calories) in a 100 g (3.5 Oz) amount and is an important source of Vitamin A (total, RAE) (101.29% of the Daily Value). So if your diet contains sweet potato, it helps your body to reduce the risk of lung and prostate cancer, maintain your reproductive system's health, keep your immune system healthy and it is effective against night blindness or nyctalopia which is caused by vitamin A deficiency, impairment in bile production that leads to unabsorbed lipids and bacterial infections. At the same time it contains a good amount of Copper (16.78% DV) and Manganese (14.33% DV).