What Is a Sweet Potato? Nutrition, Benefits, Recipes, More Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Diet & Nutrition All About Sweet Potatoes Nutrition Facts Health Benefits Difference From Yams Recipes and More By Sheryl Huggins SalomonMedically Reviewed by Kelly Kennedy, RDNReviewed: July 3, 2019Medically ReviewedSweet potatoes offer fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. MasterfileBaked, fried, mashed, ground into flour, or sliced and baked into chips: If it seems like sweet potatoes are suddenly everywhere, it’s not in your imagination. Consumption of the sweet orange root vegetable rose nearly 42 percent between 2000 and 2016 in the United States, reaching 7.2 pounds per person. Changing dietary habits and marketing hype have fed this trend, yet how much do you really know about this versatile vegetable? (1,2) What Is the Sweet Potato Exactly And Where Does the Root Veggie Come From The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a tuber belonging to the morning glory family of flowering plants. It’s different from a white potato, which belongs to the nightshade plant family and is more closely related to eggplants and tomatoes. Often, the flesh of the sweet potato is orange or yellow, but it can also be white, red, or purple. Believe it or not, sweet potato leaves are also edible. (3,4,5,6) This flexible staple food is native to the tropical regions of the Americas, and its cultivation likely dates back to prehistoric times. These days, it’s grown across the globe, with China, Nigeria, and Tanzania being top producers. Within the United States, North Carolina grows the most sweet potatoes of any state. (7) Most Recent in Diet and Nutrition Later Meals Increase Hunger Decrease Calories Burned Zinc 101 Uses Dosage Foods Supplements Risks and More 6 Bugs You Can Eat and Their Health Benefits Whole Grains 101 Health Benefits Nutrition Facts Recipes and More Sweet Potato vs Yam What s the Difference The terms sweet potato and yam are used interchangeably in America, but they are really not the same vegetable. Most likely that can of “candied yams” sitting in your kitchen cabinets contains cut sweet potatoes, and the list of ingredients on the label will say so — as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires. Whole, unpackaged yams, which are native to Africa and Asia, are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes and belong to the Dioscoreaceae family of plants. The two are so unrelated that they don’t even belong to the same class of flowering plant. The sweet potato is a dicot, with two embryonic seed leaves; while the yam is a monocot with only one embryonic seed leaf. (8)More on Sweet Potato Benefits Sweet Potatoes Are Healthy for People With Diabetes — Here s WhySo why the confusion over names? Sweet potatoes come in firm and soft varieties, and when the soft varieties were first grown commercially in the United States, the crop workers were African slaves. Given that yams are a staple crop in Africa and the soft sweet potatoes resembled them, enslaved workers called them yams. The producers and shippers followed suit to distinguish soft and firm sweet potatoes commercially. (9) How Many Calories Are in a Sweet Potato The Basic Nutrition Facts to Know According to the USDA, these are the nutrition facts for a medium sweet potato — 2 inches in diameter, 5 inches long when raw, and 114 grams (g) — that is baked in the skin without salt: (10) Calories: 103 Protein: 2.29g (4.6 percent of Daily Value, or DV) Total fat: 0.17g Carbohydrates: 23.61g Total dietary fiber: 3.8g (15.2 percent DV) Total sugars: 7.39g Sodium: 41 milligrams (mg) Cholesterol: 0mg Calcium: 43mg (4.3 percent DV) Iron: 0.79mg (4.4 percent DV) Magnesium: 31mg (7.8 percent DV) Phosphorus: 62mg Potassium: 542mg (11.5 percent DV) Zinc: 0.36mg Vitamin C: 22.3mg (37.2 percent DV) Thiamin: 0.12mg Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 0.12mg Niacin: 1.70mg Vitamin B-6: 0.33mg Folate: 7 µg (micrograms) Vitamin A: 21,909 international units, or IU (438.2 percent DV) Vitamin E: 0.81mg Vitamin K: 2.6µg (3.3 percent DV) Editor s Picks on Essential Nutrients and Nutritious Foods 10 High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet 7 Common Nutrient Deficiencies 10 Foods High in Potassium 4 Essential Vitamins for Digestive Health What Are the Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are full of vitamins and minerals essential to daily health, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate guidelines, and have a number of benefits. A sweet potato is high in vitamin A, particularly in the form of beta-carotene. Eating just one of them baked in the skin will give you more than four times the recommended Daily Value of the nutrient, making it one of the richest plant sources of the vitamin there is. Vitamin A is important to the health of your vision, cells, and immune system, as well as embryonic growth. (11,12,13) Sweet potatoes are also great sources of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that plays key roles in immune system health, connective tissue development, and wound healing. Look to tubers like sweet potatoes for vitamin B6, potassium, and dietary fiber. (14) Sweet potato leaves are increasingly recognized as a go-to source for polyphenols, micronutrients that have been studied for their antioxidant properties. (6,15) Steaming may be the best method of preserving the polyphenols in the leaves, according to a study published in September 2014 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (16) Are Sweet Potatoes Good for Weight Loss Certainly, a sweet potato is a more diet-friendly starch option than a white potato. It's lower in carbohydrates and higher in fiber (which can help you feel, and stay, full). Those benefits may help you shed pounds, but you won’t likely notice a difference on the scale just from switching to sweet potatoes. Any hopes that the sweet potato has weight-loss properties are preliminary. (17)More on How to Lose Weight The Best and Worst Diet Plans for Health and Weight LossA study published in December 2016 in the journal Heliyon observed that a protein contained in the wastewater made from sweet potato starch processing inhibited weight gain in mice who were fed a high-fat diet. The mice that were fed the protein had lower body weight, liver mass, cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as higher levels of hormones that control hunger. The researchers called for human intervention studies to confirm that effect in people. (18) Are Sweet Potatoes Okay for People With Diabetes to Eat When eaten in moderation, sweet potatoes can make a healthy, type 2 diabetes-friendly substitute for white potatoes. That’s because compared with the white potato, the sweet potato is lower on the glycemic index (GI), which is a scale that measures how a food containing carbohydrates raises blood glucose levels. Foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the GI of pure glucose (sugar). Glycemic control is an important goal for people with diabetes and with lower GI foods generally being healthier options. (19,20) A boiled sweet potato has a GI of 44 versus a boiled white potato, which has a GI of 82. But another measure gives you an even better picture of which has the ability to raise your blood sugar higher: glycemic load. That’s calculated by multiplying the GI by the number of carbohydrate grams in a serving, and then dividing that value by 100. (21) With this formula, you’ll see that a boiled sweet potato has a glycemic load of only 11, while a boiled white potato has a glycemic load of 25. (22) By the way, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism suggested that boiling is, in fact, is the best cooking method to minimize the GI of a sweet potato. (23) Needless to say, adding sweeteners like honey or toppings like marshmallows will boost GI, so skip these additives and let the vegetable’s natural sweetness shine through instead. If needed, sprinkle your sweet potato with a pinch of salt and pepper — or perhaps a dash of cinnamon. Even then, check with your doctor or registered dietitian to find out the portions that are right for you. A Comprehensive Guide to Building a Type 2 Diabetes Diet Find out the top foods to eat and avoid, how to count carbs, and more.Article How Should Sweet Potatoes Be Selected and Stored More Sweet Potato Recipes 7 New Ways to Make Sweet Potatoes Part of Your Diabetes DietSelect and handle sweet potatoes with care because they bruise easily — and that bruising can promote spoilage. Opt for ones that feel heavy for their size and have no bruises, soft spots, or sign of sprouting. Wash them and cut off any brown spots before you use them. Store your sweet potatoes in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place (like a root cellar), but not in the refrigerator, as that will result in a hard center and bad taste. Stored and handled properly, they will last one to two weeks. (24,25) How Are Sweet Potatoes Cooked or Prepared There are numerous ways to enjoy sweet potatoes! Healthy preparations include being baked in the skin with no salt or added fat, oven-roasted with garlic and olive oil, cooked on a grill while wrapped in aluminum foil, or boiled. Guiltier pleasures include sweet potato chips, sweet potato wedges, sweet potato pudding, and twice-baked sweet potatoes, among a multitude of yummy preparations. Most Popular in Diet and Nutrition 7 Healthiest Salad Dressings for Weight Loss 7-Day Ketogenic Diet Menu and Comprehensive Food List 10 Best and Worst Oils for Your Health 5 Reasons Why You Should Eat Oatmeal Every Day What Are the Best Sweet Potato Recipes A Look at Options From Everyday HealthOven-bake your own Sweet Potato Chips, seasoned with heart-healthy olive oil and rosemary.Add sweet seasonings and a dollop of yogurt to Baked Sweet Potatoes.Take your comfort-eating to a presidential level with this White House Recipe: Crispy Sweet Potato Fries.Whip up a batch of Mashed Japanese Sweet Potatoes.Take out the waffle maker for crispy Sweet Potato Hash Browns.Turn up the heat with chili powder, ginger, and cumin in Smashed Spiced Sweet Potatoes!Delight your taste buds with Brandy's Sweet-and-Spicy Glazed Sweet Potatoes.Indulge yourself with vegan, gluten-free Sweet Potato and Sage Pull-Apart Rolls.Enjoy wedges of Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Balsamic Drizzle.Try a Sweet Potato Casserole — like a sweet potato pie without the crust. More Foods and Ingredients Like Sweet PotatoesApple Cider VinegarBananaBroccoliChocolateCoconut OilEggsQuinoaWatermelon What Are Other Uses of Sweet Potatoes Some people use sweet potato slices, purees, and cooking wastewater as ingredients in DIY beauty treatments that they apply topically in hopes that it’ll improve their skin. Leftovers are recycled as face and hair masks, toners, eye treatments, and skin scrubs. Perhaps the logic goes that this would be effective because sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, the nutrient from which retinoid compounds are derived. Retinoids like Soriatane (acitretin) and Targretin (bexarotene) are used in the treatment of acne, psoriasis, skin cancer, and other skin ailments.More on Boosting Skin Health The 8 Best Natural Ingredients for Your SkinBut to assume the benefits of the vitamin A in a sweet potato could be absorbed through the skin or hair is a leap of logic. At least you know that eating sweet potatoes within a balanced diet can help keep you glowing with good health! (13,26, 27) Are There Any Side Effects or Health Risks for Sweet Potatoes People with kidney disease should limit their intake of certain nutrients, such as vitamin A and potassium — both which are abundant in sweet potatoes. That’s because when your kidneys aren’t working properly, excess nutrients can build up in your body and cause damage. Having too much vitamin A in your body can cause dizziness, nausea, and life-threatening complications. When the level of potassium in your blood is too high, an irregular heartbeat or heart attack can result. (28,29) Leaching, a process that involves soaking the vegetables for at least two hours before cooking in water — can help pull some of the potassium out of a sweet potato. The National Kidney Foundation describes the process on its page about potassium and the chronic kidney disease diet. (29) But anyone with compromised kidneys should consult their doctor or renal dietitian before eating sweet potatoes. Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet Potato and the Answers Q: What are the benefits of sweet potatoes? Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A, which is important for your eye health and immune system, among other health benefits. They are also excellent sources of vitamin C, an antioxidant that plays a role in immune system health, connective tissue development, and wound healing. Look to sweet potatoes for Vitamin B6, potassium and dietary fiber, too. Plus, their edible leaves are getting increased recognition as a good source of polyphenols, micronutrients which have been studied for their antioxidant properties. (12,13,14,15,16,17) For people with diabetes, sweet potatoes can make a healthy substitute for white potatoes as long as they’re eaten in moderation. This is because sweet potatoes fall lower on the glycemic index (GI) compared with white potatoes, and they also have a lower glycemic load (GL) than their white counterpart. These measures can help show how a food containing carbohydrates will tend to raise blood glucose levels. A boiled sweet potato has a GI of 44 and a GL of only 11, while a boiled white potato has a GI of 82 and a GL of 25. (21,22) Q: Are sweet potatoes good for losing weight? Perhaps. A sweet potato certainly is a more diet-friendly starch option than a white potato, as it is slightly lower in carbohydrates and higher in fiber. The results of a mouse study published in December 2016 in the journal Heliyon suggest that a protein contained in wastewater byproduct of the tuber has weight-reducing properties, but the results are preliminary and need to be confirmed in human studies. (19) Q: Is a sweet potato a starch or a vegetable? Actually, it’s both: it's a vegetable that is starchy and contains a relatively high amount of carbohydrates. If you’re counting carbs, watch your portion size, particularly if the sweet potatoes are in pie or topped with marshmallows or any other sweet topping. (30) Q: Are sweet potatoes with sprouts safe to eat? White potatoes that are green in color or have sprouts and green tubers can contain solanine, an alkaloid toxin found in plants of the nightshade family that can cause vomiting, fever, paralysis, and shock. Therefore, you should avoid eating white potato sprouts or potatoes that are green below the skin. But, as mentioned, sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family of plants, which are unrelated. Their sprouts are edible, although by the time they show up in your sweet potato, the flesh has gone bad. Try planting them instead. (31,32) NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Diet and Nutrition Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking ReferencesSweet Potatoes. Ag Marketing Resource Center. December 2017.Bond J. U.S. Sweet Potato Production Swells. United States Department of Agriculture. January 5, 2017.Sweet Potato. Encyclopædia Britannica. May 11, 2018.Potato. Encyclopædia Britannica. July 17, 2015.Sweet Potato, Ipomoae batatas. WorldCrops for Northern United States.Islam S. Nutritional and Medicinal Qualities of Sweet Potato Tops and Leaves. Cooperative Extension Program, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.Wee R. Top Sweet Potato Growing Countries. World Atlas. April 25, 2017.What Is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? The Library of Congress: Everyday Mysteries.What Is the Difference Between a Sweet Potato and a Yam? North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.Basic Report: 11508, Sweet Potato, Cooked, Baked in Skin, Flesh, without Salt. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release. April 2018.Harvest of the Month: Sweet Potatoes. California Department of Public Health.Vitamin A. Office of Dietary Supplements. March 2, 2018.Vitamin A. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. 2001.Vitamin C. Office of Dietary Supplements. March 2, 2018.Pandey K, Rizvi S. Plant Polyphenols as Dietary Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. November–December 2009.Sun H, Mu T, Xi L, et al. Effects of Domestic Cooking Methods on Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activity of Sweet Potato Leaves. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. September 10, 2014.White Potatoes vs. Sweet Potatoes: Which Are Healthier? Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. May 23, 2018.Ishiguro K, Kurata R, Shimada Y, et al. Effects of a Sweet Potato Protein Digest on Lipid Metabolism in Mice Administered a High-Fat Diet. Heliyon. December 2016.Glycemic Index and Diabetes. American Diabetes Association.The Lowdown on Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load. Harvard Health Publishing.Higdon, J. Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load. Oregon State University Micronutrient Information Center. March 2016.Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008.Bahado-Singh P, Riley C, Wheatley A, et al. Relationship Between Processing Method and the Glycemic Indices of Ten Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Cultivars Commonly Consumed in Jamaica. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2011.How to Store Sweet Potatoes. North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.How to Buy and Cook Perfect Sweet Potatoes. Good Housekeeping. November 1, 2017.Jackson K. Use Sweet Potato for Skin, Hair, and Other Beauty Recipes, Because Those Thanksgiving Leftovers Shouldn't End Up in the Trash. Bustle. November 27, 2014.Topical Therapies: Recommendations. American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitamins and Minerals in Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation.Potassium and Your CKD Diet. National Kidney Foundation.All About Carbohydrate Counting. American Diabetes Association. 2009.Solanine. PubChem Open Chemistry Database. June 9, 2018.Potato Plant Poisoning – Green Tubers and Sprouts. Medline Plus. October 16, 2017.Show Less The Latest in Diet & Nutrition Later Meals Increase Hunger Decrease Calories BurnedPeople who skip breakfast and eat a late dinner have more intense food cravings and burn less energy during the day, a new study suggests.By Lisa RapaportOctober 7, 2022 Whole Grains 101 Health Benefits Nutrition Facts Recipes and MoreBy Cristina HoltzerOctober 6, 2022 What Is the Longevity Diet A Detailed Scientific GuideBy Leslie BarrieOctober 6, 2022 Do Sports Drinks Count as Fluid They’re marketed as the ultimate in hydration, but are they really a better option than water? 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