What do yams have in them

Why is dietary fiber important? Learn more here. As mentioned above, sweet potatoes are a good source of provitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. After the age of 18, the Dietary Guidelines recommend an intake of mg of vitamin A per day for women and mg per day for men.

Vitamin A is important for protecting eye health. Vitamin A also acts as an antioxidant. Together with other antioxidants, it can help protect the body from a variety of health conditions. Learn more here about vitamin A.

One g serving of sweet potato provides Current guidelines recommend a daily intake of 75 mg of vitamin C for adult women and 90 mg for adult men. A person who consumes little or no vitamin C can develop scurvy. Many of the symptoms of scurvy result from tissue problems due to impaired collagen production. Vitamin C also supports the immune system and enhances iron absorption. Find out more about vitamin C and why we need it here. A rodent study from suggests that an extract of purple sweet potato color may help reduce the risk of inflammation and obesity.

Sweet potatoes contain choline , a nutrient that helps with muscle movement, learning, and memory. It also supports the nervous system. A study found that taking high dose choline supplements helped manage inflammation in people with asthma. However, this does not necessarily mean that choline from sweet potatoes will have the same impact.

The table below shows the nutrients in sweet potato and the recommended daily intakes for adults. Exact requirements will depend on age, sex, and activity levels for calories.

Sweet potato also contains B vitamins, calcium , and other essential vitamins and minerals. Here are 6 surprising health benefits of sweet…. This is a detailed review of glucomannan, a natural dietary fiber that has been shown to be an effective weight loss supplement.

Everyone knows that vegetables are good for your health, but some truly stand out from the rest. Here are 14 of the healthiest vegetables on the…. Getting your meals delivered can save major time on meal prep. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Share on Pinterest. Packed with nutrition. May enhance brain function. May ease symptoms of menopause. May have cancer-fighting properties. May reduce inflammation. May improve blood sugar control. Other potential benefits.

Easy to add to your diet. The bottom line. Read this next. The 13 Healthiest Root Vegetables. Chinese Yam. The 14 Healthiest Vegetables on Earth. Depending on the type, the flesh can range from white to orange to even purple. Compared to golden-skinned sweet potatoes, these are softer and sweeter with a darker, copper-brown skin and bright orange flesh. They tend to be fluffy and moist and are commonly found in the US.

This version is firmer with a golden skin and light yellow flesh. It tends to have a drier texture and is less sweet than dark-skinned sweet potatoes. They are an extremely robust vegetable. Their long shelf life allows them to be sold year-round. If stored correctly in a cool, dry place, they can keep for up to 2—3 months.

You can buy them in a wide range of different forms, most often whole or sometimes pre-peeled, cooked and sold in cans or frozen. Summary: Sweet potatoes are a starchy root vegetable originating in Central or South America.

There are two main varieties. They have a long shelf life and are usually sweeter and moister than regular potatoes. Their scientific name is Dioscorea , and they originate in Africa and Asia. They are now commonly found in the Caribbean and Latin America as well. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams can grow very large. Size can vary from that of a small potato to up to 5 feet 1.

Not to mention, they can weigh up to an impressive pounds 60 kgs 2. Yams have some distinct characteristics that help distinguish them from sweet potatoes, mainly their size and skin. They are cylindrical in shape with brown, rough, bark-like skin that is difficult to peel, but it softens after heating.

The flesh color varies from white or yellow to purple or pink in mature yams. Yams have a unique taste, too. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are less sweet and much more starchy and dry.

In the US, true yams can be tough to find. They are imported and rarely found in local grocery stores. Your best chances of finding them are in international or ethnic food stores. Summary: True yams are an edible tuber originating in Africa and Asia.

There are over varieties, which vary widely in size. They are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes and rarely found in local grocery stores. This is because it reminded them of true yams, a food staple they knew in Africa. Other studies have found that an increase in dietary iron intake reduces the risk of ovulatory infertility Bottom Line : Iron is essential in the promotion of fertility amongst women.

An important source of dietary iron is sweet potatoes. Studies have shown that an increase in dietary intake of iron from food sources such as sweet potatoes can help reverse secondary fertility, as well as reduce the chances of women ending up suffering from ovulatory infertility.

In addition, sweet potatoes contain high doses of vitamin A, which is essential in improving reproductive performance in women of childbearing age. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of vitamin A, and most of us know that vitamin A is good for our vision, but we may not know in exactly which way the vitamin improves our vision.

Studies have shown that the vitamin is essential in the formation of the pigments responsible for light absorption In addition, vitamin A is also essential in maintaining the proper structure of the retina. A deficiency of vitamin A can result in poor vision, and in some instances blindness.

Deficiency in the vitamin can also lead to night blindness 51 , Furthermore, other eye diseases including the dryness of the cornea, the ulceration of the cornea, and conjunctiva, have also been linked to a deficiency in vitamin A Sweet potatoes are also a significant source of both Vitamin C and E.

A study carried out in India showed that there was a significant relationship between Vitamin C deficiency and the development of cataracts Other studies have found that both vitamin C and E could be effective in the fight against oxidative stress, which most often leads to eye cataracts 54 , Bottom Line: Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of vitamin A, C, and E, all of which are integral in promoting good vision.

Deficiency of vitamin A results in night blindness, total blindness, as well as malformation of the retina. Deficiency in vitamin C is mostly associated with the development of cataracts.

Sweet potatoes contain soluble and fermentable fiber that increase satiety and offers the body a natural, self-sustaining mechanism for body weight regulation Studies have shown that one of the major soluble dietary fibers in sweet potatoes, pectin, is effective at reducing food intake , reducing weight gain, and also increasing the activity of satiety hormones in the body.

Scientific studies have also shown that a higher intake of fibers is strongly correlated to reduced body weight An increase in consumption of sweet potatoes will result in an increase in fiber intake, which will in turn, lead to a lower body weight.

Bottom line : The fiber in sweet potatoes can help in maintaining satiety, as well as reducing the overall weight of an individual. The more full you feel throughout the day, the less you will snack, which will help you manage your weight effectively. Studies have shown that the anthocyanin contained in the purple sweet potato possess memory enhancing properties The underlying belief here is that the antioxidant properties of the anthocyanins are what make sweet potatoes memory enhancing agents.

Bottom Line : Consuming sweet potatoes regularly can help enhance your memory. This article was republished here with permission by Jen Reviews. For five tasty and healthy sweet potato recipes, click here! Sweet potatoes help prevent Vitamin A deficiency Vitamin A deficiency is a serious issue especially in developing nations around the world.

Sweet potatoes can also help manage diabetes Sweet potatoes are categorized as low to high on the glycemic index scale, and several studies have indicated that it can minimize the occurrence of insulin resistance and low blood sugar levels, as well as high blood sugar in people who are suffering from diabetes 7. Sweet potatoes can help manage stress levels Sweet potatoes contain a significant amount of magnesium, which is an essential mineral for normal body functioning Sweet potatoes contain anti-inflammatory activity Sweet potatoes contain a significant amount of vitamins, most of which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

Sweet potatoes can help guard against ulcers An ulcer occurs when an inflamed tissue is shed from the mucous membrane or from the skin, and it can be quite painful. Sweet potatoes can help in minimizing the risk of cardiovascular diseases Oxidation in the body results in complications such as atherosclerosis, which in turn can lead to the development of a number of cardiovascular diseases. Leaf extracts from sweet potatoes were tested and scientists found that the high levels of polyphenols in the leaf extracts were able to suppress oxidation in humans, decreasing the chances of development of cardiovascular disease 30 Scientists believe that the leaves of the vegetable have considerable antioxidant properties because of their relatively high levels of radical scavenging activity, as well as a high amount of polyphenol compounds.

Sweet potatoes contain antimicrobial properties Despite the fact that studies on the antimicrobial properties of sweet potatoes are limited, a number of scientific reports have concluded that the sweet potato does have some level of antimicrobial activity Sweet potatoes can help improve hair and skin As mentioned above, sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A 1 , 4.