Potatoes and sweet potatoes may share a name, but they actually come from very different plant families. Here's what you need to know about the health differences between potatoes and sweet potatoes and the best ways to eat them.
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The nutritional content of potatoes and sweet potatoes
Both potatoes and sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients, including many different vitamins and minerals. Here's how they compare in their nutritional content:
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Which one is healthier?
While both types of potatoes can be a healthy part of your diet, sweet potatoes are higher in nutrients like vitamin A that may offer extra benefits for your overall health.
There are many similarities between potatoes and sweet potatoes. They have roughly the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, and protein —and they are both good sources of vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium.
Plus, both potatoes and sweet potatoes also contain resistant starch, a type of starch that is digested more slowly and has many health benefits.
Still, there are a few key differences that give sweet potatoes the edge when it comes to your health. Here's why:
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Sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index
An important area where potatoes and sweet potatoes differ is in their glycemic index (GI), a scale from 0 to 100 that rates how quickly a food will cause your blood sugar to rise.
A boiled potato has a high GI around 78, while a boiled sweet potato has an intermediate GI of 63. This means that potatoes break down more quickly into sugar in your digestive tract, causing your blood sugar to spike.
These measures are important because eating foods with a generally lower glycemic index may help lower your blood sugar and manage your weight.
Many of the nutrients in potatoes and sweet potatoes contain compounds that act as antioxidants, which protect the cells in your body against oxidative stress. This is important because oxidative stress is linked to heart disease, cancer, and brain diseases like Alzheimer's.
Sweet potatoes have higher levels of key vitamins that act as antioxidants, including vitamin A and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes also contain antioxidant plant pigments that aren't present in regular potatoes – for example, orange sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene and purple sweet potatoes have more anthocyanins.
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How to fit both types of potatoes into a healthy diet
In general, most preparation methods for potatoes and sweet potatoes are healthy, including baking, microwaving, boiling, or steaming, says Adelia C. Bovell-Benjamin, Ph.D., a professor of food and nutritional sciences at Tuskegee University. All of these methods preserve much of the nutritional value of both types of potatoes, says Bovell-Benjamin.
Eating potatoes with the skin on may also provide extra nutrients like fiber, iron, and potassium, but for sweet potatoes, the skin may be too tough to eat.
Frying any type of food is generally a less healthy option, as it adds extra calories and fat, but for potatoes, frying may be especially bad. A 2017 study found that, while eating potatoes has no negative health effects, eating fried potatoes at least twice a week more than doubled the risk of death.
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Insider's takeaway
Both potatoes and sweet potatoes are healthy foods that can fit well into most diets. However, if you are looking for extra health benefits like regulating blood sugar and more vitamin A and antioxidants, sweet potatoes are a better option. There are many healthy ways you can cook potatoes and sweet potatoes, but try to avoid fried potatoes as much as possible.
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Madeline Kennedy
Madeline Kennedy is a health writer for Insider covering a wide range of topics including reproductive and sexual health, mental health, nutrition, and infectious disease. Before joining Insider, Madeline worked as a health news writer for Reuters, and a domestic violence therapist. She has a master's degree in social work from UPenn and is interested in the intersection of health and social justice.
"Since sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index and slightly more fiber, they might be a better option for weight loss or management because they can help to control blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full for longer," Pallian also said.
Though they can both be part of a healthy diet, sweet potatoes are generally healthier than regular potatoes, partly because of their incredibly high vitamin A content. Sweet potatoes are also lower on the glycemic index, meaning that they are less likely than regular potatoes to make your blood sugar spike.
All potatoes can fit into a healthy diet, but purple potatoes, red potatoes, and sweet potatoes—which are often grouped with potatoes—stand out due to their high amounts of protective plant compounds and essential nutrients.
Sweet potatoes are known to be high in fiber and have a low glycemic index, which results in a less immediate impact on blood glucose levels. This can help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels in check.
Sweet potatoes are very low in calories, so they can be included in a weight-loss diet. Sweet potatoes are said to have about 86 calories per 100 g and roughly 100 calories per dish. However, a roughly equivalent amount (100 g) of peeled potato contains approximately 110 calories per serving, or 400 calories total.
If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.
Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.
Of rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread, potatoes are the healthiest of these starchy and complex carbohydrate foods. This is because potatoes are dense in nutrients, containing essential minerals, vitamins, and other micronutrients. Potatoes are also high in fiber, helping to satiate hunger and regulate blood sugar.
As with all things, excess is bad, and this applies also to your sugar intake. While eating 3.5 ounces of sweet potatoes likely will have a negligible impact on your health, if you eat additional helpings of sweet potatoes, the sugar count can quickly add up.
Potatoes are part of the nightshade family, while sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory clan. Both are considered root vegetables, meaning the part of the plant you eat grows beneath the soil. Regular potatoes have white or yellow flesh inside, while sweet potatoes are known for having orange innards.
Takeaway. A person with diabetes should include a variety of fresh, whole foods in their diet, such as nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. Bananas are a safe and nutritious fruit for people with diabetes to eat in moderation as part of a balanced, individualized eating plan.
Sweet potatoes still have a moderate impact on blood sugar, but that isn't a bad thing. In fact, the nutrients they contain make them one of the best tryptophan foods for sleep.
While sweet potatoes can be part of a healthy diet for weight management, there is no specific food that targets belly fat reduction. Spot reduction of fat in a particular area, such as the belly, is not possible.
For bodybuilding, it's ideal because it's packed with good carbs, calories, and potassium that your body needs to put on muscle mass. Sweet potatoes taste great with or without anything added to them, and they're super easy to make. One baked sweet potato contains 4 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, and 6 g fiber.
One small sweet potato contains half the calories as a piece of toast. Vitamins A and C don't even register on the charts for bread, while sweet potatoes offer a good source of vitamin C and some potassium.
Of the thousands of vegetables available today, sweet potatoes are considered one of the most nutritious. The orange- (or sometimes purple) fleshed vegetables are loaded with minerals and A, B, and C vitamins. This has led to sweet potatoes being called a superfood by many.
Sweet potatoes contain the “good” kind of carbs – often called “complex carbohydrates.” Complex carbohydrates are considered healthier than simple carbohydrates. They take longer to digest and create more lasting energy.
You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.
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