Key Point: Sweet potatoes are a significant source of vitamin A and carotenoids, which may have protective properties for visual health. Macular degeneration is a degenerative eye disease that can lead to progressively worsening vision. On the positive side, sweet potatoes are one of the best dietary sources of these compounds ( 2).įurthermore, systematic reviews and long-term observational studies demonstrate that these carotenoid compounds may protect against age-related macular degeneration ( 3, 4). Studies also show that carotenoid compounds, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, can help to protect our visual health. While carotenoids are not the most bioavailable form of vitamin A, they can convert to retinol (the most digestible form) in the body, and sweet potatoes contain a large amount of them. This vitamin A provision of sweet potatoes comes from the substantial amount of carotenoids (34592 IU) they contain. Per large sweet potato, they contain more than 1730 mcg of retinol activity equivalent vitamin A, which is almost 200% of the recommended intake ( 1). Sweet potatoes are a significant source of vitamin A. 1) Sweet Potatoes May Help To Improve Vision and Eye Health In this section, we will examine some of these possible benefits in more detail. Through their nutritional values and characteristics, sweet potatoes offer several potential health benefits. The source for all nutrition data is the NCC Food and Nutrient Database. One large sweet potato (baked) offers the following nutrition profile. Nutritionally speaking, each sweet potato variety offers a similar set of nutrients. Some of the more unique (to the Western world) varieties include the purple-fleshed Okinawan and the white sweet potato. In fact, there are more than 6500 kinds that grow around the world.īelow, you can find some of the most famous varieties Īmong these sweet potatoes, the most common is probably the orange-fleshed Beauregard. Just like there are numerous varieties of apples and mushrooms, the same is true for sweet potatoes. Types of Sweet PotatoĪll sweet potatoes belong to the Convolvulaceae family of plants, more commonly known as ‘bindweed’ or ‘morning glory.’ This article provides a complete guide to sweet potatoes, their nutrition profile, potential health benefits, and more. Sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile, and they taste delicious, but what do they offer nutritionally? To be specific sweet potatoes are a tuber, which is a type of root vegetable.ĭespite their name, sweet potatoes bear no relation to regular potatoes, and they are part of a different botanical family. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a popular starchy vegetable that grows underground.
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