While there's no official recommendation for how much beta-carotene we need each day, most experts agree that 3 to 6 milligrams per day is sufficient to help lower the risk of chronic disease. A one-half cup ml serving of cooked sweet potato has 12 milligrams of beta-carotene!

That's twice the beta-carotene found in one-half cup of carrots. Sweet potatoes are also good source of vitamin C. A half-cup ml serving provides 21 milligrams of the nutrient, almost one-third of a day's worth for women and one-quarter of a day's worth for men.

Sweet potatoes are also decent sources of fibre, niacin and vitamin B6. Sweet potatoes are often mistakenly called yams. In many cases, "yams" sold in grocery stores are really just sweet potatoes. Yams are actually the tuber of a tropical vine and can vary in colour from ivory to yellow to purple; they're popular in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine.

Nutritionally speaking, sweet potatoes and yams vary considerably. Yams contain less than one percent of the beta-carotene found in sweet potatoes and less than half the vitamin C. There are many varieties of sweet potatoes but the two that are most readily available in grocery stores are the moist orange-fleshed variety and the dry yellow-fleshed variety.

The moist orange-fleshed variety is the most popular and is distinguishable by its vibrant orange colour, dark orange skin and sweet taste. The dry yellow-fleshed variety has light yellow skin and pale yellow flesh.

Choose fresh sweet potatoes that are small to medium in size and firm to the touch. Sweet potatoes should be heavy for their size. Avoid any that are cracked, bruised or have visible soft spots. For optimal taste and texture, store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark and dry place, such as a cold cellar.

Sweet potatoes maintain their freshness best when are stored between 12°C and 15°C. Stored properly, sweet potatoes will keep for a month or longer. If kept at normal room temperature, sweet potatoes should be used within one week of purchase. There are countless ways to prepare sweet potatoes - from baking to steaming to grilling.

They can even be eaten raw! Sweet potatoes have a very thin skin, which is edible when cooked. Sweet potatoes have more fiber and beta-carotene which our body converts to vitamin A.

Click To Tweet. David Douches , director of the Potato Breeding and Genetic Program at Michigan State University, gave us some history of how white potatoes have developed.

Goodrich in upstate New York who got some potatoes and started making crosses. Our Russet Burbank potato, which is used for making french fries, comes from that lineage. Russet Burbank actually came from a chance seedling that was selected by Luther Burbank in the s.

That potato hung around for a while and a Russet mutation was found in it in the late s and early s. The Russet Burbank potato was well adapted to growing in the Pacific Northwest and so during World War II, they were using that to make potato flakes for the war effort.

It was after World War II that the frozen fry industry started up as an innovative idea. And do you lose their nutritional benefits if you add something like… marshmallows?

Duncan: Any way you cook them is healthy. You will always get some nutritional value from the sweet potato itself, but of course if you prepare it with other things like marshmallows or a less healthy fat, you will be getting other things.

But overall, you are still eating sweet potatoes and it is worth trying them without marshmallows as they are very sweet on their own! Duncan: I like them best simply prepared in the microwave. I just take a sweet potato, wash it, pierce it with a fork multiple times, wrap it with a damp paper towel and microwave for two 5-minute periods.

I then let it cool, cut it in half and then simply eat it all with nothing added as it is sweet enough on its own! Back to How to How to cook sprouts How to cook cabbage How to cook sweet potatoes How to cook long stem broccoli. Back to How to How to poach an egg How to cook rice How to make risotto How to cook couscous How to knead bread dough.

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Top 5 health benefits of sweet potato. Nicola Shubrook — Registered nutritionist. More like this. Comments, questions and tips Choose the type of message you'd like to post Choose the type of message you'd like to post.

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They have a lower GI, more fiber, and large amounts of beta carotene. Sweet potatoes are associated with multiple benefits As vitamin A plays an important role in your body, deficiency in this essential nutrient is a major public health issue in many developing countries Deficiency can cause both temporary and permanent damage to your eyes and even lead to blindness.

It can also suppress immune function and increase mortality, especially among children and pregnant and lactating women 14 , Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of highly absorbable beta carotene, which your body can convert into vitamin A.

The intensity of the yellow or orange color of the sweet potato is directly linked to its beta carotene content Orange sweet potatoes have been shown to increase blood levels of vitamin A more than other beta carotene sources, as they contain a highly absorbable variety of this nutrient This makes eating sweet potatoes an excellent strategy against vitamin A deficiency in developing countries.

Imbalance in blood sugar levels and insulin secretion are the main characteristics of type 2 diabetes. Caiapo, a type of sweet potato with white skin and flesh, may improve symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes. This sweet potato may not only decrease fasting blood glucose and LDL bad cholesterol levels but also increase insulin sensitivity 43 , 44 , Further human research is needed Oxidative damage to cells is often associated with increased risk of cancer, which occurs when cells divide uncontrollably.

Diets rich in antioxidants, such as carotenoids, are associated with a lower risk of stomach, kidney, and breast cancers 47 , 48 , 49 , Purple potatoes have the highest antioxidant activity 14 , Sweet potatoes may have a variety of benefits, including improved blood sugar regulation and reduced oxidative damage.

However, they are considered fairly high in substances called oxalates, which may increase your risk of kidney stones Sweet potatoes are widely considered safe but may increase your risk of kidney stone formation due to their oxalate content.

Sweet potatoes are underground tubers that are excellent sources of beta carotene, as well as many other vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. This root vegetable may have several health benefits, such as improved blood sugar regulation and vitamin A levels.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Sweet potatoes are a popular root vegetable, packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

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While they're not typically able to prescribe, nutritionists can still benefits your overall health.

Let's look at benefits, limitations, and more. A new study found that healthy lifestyle choices — including being physically active, eating well, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption —…. Carb counting is complicated. Take the quiz and test your knowledge!

Together with her husband, Kansas City Chiefs MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mohomes shares how she parents two children with severe food…. While there are many FDA-approved emulsifiers, European associations have marked them as being of possible concern. So the RDA for beta-carotene is equal to the RDA for RAE times Avoid beta-carotene from supplements.

While eating a lot of beta-carotene in foods is considered harmless, beta-carotene in the form of supplements can increase the risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Again, these risks only come from the form of beta-carotene found in supplements, and in high doses.

Beta-carotene from foods is considered safe and healthy. Only consume beta-carotene supplements under the supervision of a medical professional. Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository. You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the Source link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away. Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.

Try the recipe nutrition calculator , or daily meal planner. Click To Tweet. David Douches , director of the Potato Breeding and Genetic Program at Michigan State University, gave us some history of how white potatoes have developed.

Goodrich in upstate New York who got some potatoes and started making crosses. Our Russet Burbank potato, which is used for making french fries, comes from that lineage. Russet Burbank actually came from a chance seedling that was selected by Luther Burbank in the s.

That potato hung around for a while and a Russet mutation was found in it in the late s and early s. The Russet Burbank potato was well adapted to growing in the Pacific Northwest and so during World War II, they were using that to make potato flakes for the war effort.

It was after World War II that the frozen fry industry started up as an innovative idea. And do you lose their nutritional benefits if you add something like… marshmallows?

Duncan: Any way you cook them is healthy. You will always get some nutritional value from the sweet potato itself, but of course if you prepare it with other things like marshmallows or a less healthy fat, you will be getting other things.

But overall, you are still eating sweet potatoes and it is worth trying them without marshmallows as they are very sweet on their own! Duncan: I like them best simply prepared in the microwave. I just take a sweet potato, wash it, pierce it with a fork multiple times, wrap it with a damp paper towel and microwave for two 5-minute periods.

I then let it cool, cut it in half and then simply eat it all with nothing added as it is sweet enough on its own! Duncan: Sweet potatoes actually come in other colours besides orange.