Sweet potato
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The fiber content of sweet potatoes is also impressive. Sweet potatoes are low in calories and fat and contain no cholesterol.
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In addition, it is a fantastic source of potassium, manganese, and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, providing over 400% of the recommended daily intake in just one medium-sized potato. And recent research suggests that sweet potatoes may also have a role to play in managing diabetes. This humble root vegetable is delicious and packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoesįew can match the nutritional value of sweet potatoes when it comes to vegetables. However, research shows that sweet potatoes can be a nutritious addition to a healthy diet. While sweet potatoes are generally considered a healthy food, some people worry that they may raise blood sugar levels and contribute to weight gain. The orange-fleshed variety is the most commonly consumed type in the United States. There are two main sweet potato types: orange-fleshed sweet potato and white-fleshed sweet potato. The sweet potato is an important food crop in many countries and is especially popular in the United States, where it is often consumed as a holiday dish. Its origin is in Central and South America and has been cultivated for centuries. Sweet potato is a root vegetable that belongs to the morning glory family.
SWEET POTATO HOW TO
But is sweet potato good for diabetes? Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of sweet potato for diabetes and how to include it in your diet. On the dates they were discovered or collected.Sweet potato is a nutritious vegetable that is often recommended for people with diabetes. Having been cultivated for centuries, there are thousands of potato varieties worldwide. The cultivated species was domesticated from wild relative potato species in South America (Peru) 7,000–10,000 years ago. Interestingly, discoveries on the origin of potatoes was based on DNA from 200-year-old herbarium specimens! Similarly, the origin of the Irish Potato Famine (caused by potato late blight from a fungal pathogen) was also discovered using fungal DNA extracted from 160+ year old herbarium specimens!įor more on Irish potato famine research: īotanists at Carnegie Museum of Natural History share pieces of the herbarium’s historical hidden collection Potatoes belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceace), which also includes many other important crops like peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, tobacco, and more. Critical to the world’s food supply, potatoes are the fourth most farmed crop. Potatoes are only distantly related to sweet potatoes. They are also called “spuds,” which probably originated centuries ago from a term for a spade used to dig holes to plant potatoes. Sweet potatoes refer to a vine species ( Ipomoea batatas) in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). This species is likely what is on your Thanksgiving dinner table. In the United States and Canada, sweet potatoes are often (confusingly) referred to as “yams.” But sweet potatoes are not even closely related to yams. As such, the USDA requires any label with “yam” to also include “sweet potato.” So why are sweet potatoes sometimes confusingly called yams? The name probably dates back to colonial times when slaves from Africa noted the similarities between some varieties of sweet potatoes to yams in Africa.Īnd last-the “classic” potato, Solanum tuberosum. Yams can be stored for very long periods of time, making them an important crop for seasons when food is in short supply. Yam tubers can be as large as five feet long! Yams are widely cultivated worldwide, especially in West Africa, where 95% of the crop is harvested. Monocots (related to grasses and lilies). Yam is a common name for several vine species in the genus Dioscorea (plant family: Dioscoreaceae). They are Potatoes and yams technically have modified belowground stems (“stem tubers”) while sweet potatoes have “root tubers.” However, they all are widely cultivated for their nutritious starchy belowground plant structures called “tubers.” Tubers function as storage organs for the plants, providing energy for regrowth (the “eyes” or sprouting buds of your potatoes when they sit in your kitchen for too long). What you know as yams are most likely not actually yams. In fact, your “classic” potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams are all in different plant families.