Energy & Metabolism
Sweet Potatoes
A naturally sweet root vegetable loaded with beta-carotene, fiber, and slow-digesting carbohydrate.
Vision
Energy
Gut Health
Serving
1 medium, baked (114g)
Calories Per Serving
103
Key nutrients
Beta-carotene (vitamin A), fiber, potassium
Nutrient density
83
Why it’s worth eating
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. They promote eye health and aid digestion. Try them baked, mashed, or in soups for a naturally sweet, nutritious addition to meals.
What you may notice
Energy stability through the day
Digestive regularity
Markers worth tracking
Vitamin A / beta-carotene status
Fasting blood glucose
How to eat it
Cooking with the skin on preserves more fiber and nutrients; a little fat in the meal helps absorb the beta-carotene.
Pairs well with
Healthy fats (butter, oil), beta-carotene is fat-soluble and absorbs poorly without it
Black pepper, modestly enhances carotenoid absorption
Storage
Store in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, not the fridge, which alters texture; whole sweet potatoes keep for weeks.
The numbers, per 1 medium, baked (114g)
2%
Vitamin K
122%
Vitamin A
25%
Vitamin C
3%
Calcium
4%
Iron
7%
Magnesium
12%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
3.8g
Sweet potato, baked in skin (FDC 168483)
Evidence
B
TWO DISTINCT EVIDENCE STREAMS, kept separate. The diabetes RCTs used Caiapo, a white sweet potato EXTRACT, not the vegetable. The orange-fleshed biofortification evidence is genuine whole-food evidence with a functional endpoint, in vitamin-A-deficient populations.
Study dose vs. serving
EXTRACT GAP: Caiapo trials used 4 g/day of extract for 12 weeks (HbA1c 7.21% to 6.68%). WHOLE-FOOD: 100-125 g/day boiled OFSP meets a young child vitamin A requirement (about 400 RAE), and over 80% of beta-carotene is retained on boiling.
Ludvik B, et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(2):436-440 (Caiapo extract). Orange-fleshed sweet potato: International Potato Center biofortification trials, van Jaarsveld et al. modified-relative-dose-response study.
Use caution if
You're prone to kidney stones, sweet potatoes contain moderate oxalates
You're tracking carbohydrate intake closely, they're nutrient-dense but still a starchy carb
Details
Type
Fruits & Veg
Season
Autumn harvest, stores well
Forms
Fresh, canned, frozen, Caiapo supplement (a very different product)
Price
Budget
Bioactive
Beta-carotene (orange flesh); anthocyanins in purple cultivars
Heat stable
Partial - dietary fat and cooking sharply increase beta-carotene bioavailability
Watch
ACRYLAMIDE forms with high-temperature roasting or frying (Maillard/asparagine pathway); boiling and steaming avoid it.
Reliability
4 / 5
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