By: Ozren Podnar |
Are Sweet Potatoes Really Healthier Than Regular Potatoes? |
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Recently we can often hear a question: what is healthier – regular potatoes or sweet potatoes?
In certain “healthy eating” circles, the sweet potatoes have been crowned a “superfood”.
At the same time regular potatoes are considered unhealthy because they contain high carbohydrates, high glycemic index and high calorie value.
Even though nutritionists claim that sweet potatoes are a healthier alternative, the truth is that both contain important nutrients necessary for body’s health.
Furthermore, both of them can me consumed as part of a well- balanced diet and you can still have a lean and healthy body.
Here is the answer why regular potatoes and sweet potatoes both deserve to be placed on your plate.
Sweet vs Regular potatoes – which is better?
Even though sweet potatoes are known as a potatoes, they are only a distant relative of regular potatoes.
Regular or real potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are in the family of Solanaceae which is related to tomatoes, paprika and eggplants.
Sweet potatoes (lpomoea batatas) are in the family of Convolvulaceae.
Even though they are botanically unrelated, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes originated from Middle and South America.
There are about 4.000 known varieties of regular potatoes and about 5.000 varieties of sweet potatoes that are being cultivated around the world.
Both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes come in colors ranging from white to orange to purple.
In many ways both “potatoes” have similar nutritional values but they also differ in certain ways.
Glycemic index
Regular potatoes have a higher glycemic index than sweet potatoes.
Fried sweet potatoes have GI of 94 and fried regular potatoes have a GI of 111.
But glycemic load in fried sweet potatoes is 42, while in fried regular potatoes it is only 33.
This is an important information for all diabetics who have to control sugar levels in their blood. Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food converts to glucose.
The more food index is higher, the more its compounds are transformed into glucose.
High glycemic index food causes a quick increase of sugar levels in blood and contributes to accumulation of fats.
Glycemic load shows how quickly a certain type of carbohydrate will be transformed into sugar.
In practice this means that high GI food which has a low GL will be slowly transformed into sugar i.e. it will not lead to immediate increase of blood sugar levels – which is an excellent news for diabetics.
Fried regular potatoes have a higher glycemic index but lower glycemic load and therefore when taking into consideration the increase of blood sugar levels we can say that fried sweet potatoes are not better than fried regular potatoes.
Glycemic index also changes and depends on the way the food is prepared.
Cooking causes low glycemic index since starch can bind with water.
Therefore cooked sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than cooked regular potatoes – 46 to 82.
Glycemic load in cooked sweet potatoes is also lower than in regular potatoes – 11 to 21, which makes cooked sweet potatoes an ideal food for diabetics.
Nutritional value
100 g of sweet potatoes contain 90 calories, while the same amount of regular potatoes contains 93 calories. Considering this fact sweet potatoes are only slightly better than regular potatoes.
Sweet and regular potatoes almost do not contain any fat and have the same amount of proteins and carbohydrates.
100 g of sweet potatoes or regular potatoes contain 21 g of carbohydrates.
Fibers
Sweet potatoes have slightly more fiber than regular potatoes.
100 g of sweet potatoes contain 3,3 g of fiber, while 100 g of regular potatoes contain 2,2 g.
Nutrition that is rich in fiber is often connected to low rates of colon cancer, heart problems and constipation.
Fibers improve digestion, decrease the feeling of hunger and lower the cholesterol in blood.
Vitamins and minerals
Both ingredients are rich in vitamins A, C and D – that are considered as antioxidants which prevent the damages caused by the activities of free radicals in the body.
- Vitamins
Sweet potatoes contain more important vitamins then regular potatoes.
100 g of sweet potatoes contain 20 mg of vitamin C, 6 mcg of folic acid and 19.200 IU of vitamin A.
At the same time, 100 g of regular potatoes contain 9,6 mg of vitamin C, 28 mcg of folic acid (considerably more than sweet potatoes) and only 1 IU of vitamin A.
- Minerals
Regular potatoes are a better source of iron and potassium.
100 g of regular potatoes contain 1,1 mg of iron and 535 mg of potassium while the same amount of sweet potatoes contain 0,7 mg of iron and 435 mg of potassium.
Calcium, a mineral that is important for healthy bones, is contained more in sweet potatoes than in regular potatoes.
100 g of sweet potatoes contain 28 mg of calcium while only regular potatoes contain only 10 mg.
Sweet and regular potatoes contain desirable phytonutrients such as polyphenol, alpha-lipoic acid, selenium, lycopene and many others.
The Choice Depends on Your Taste while Your Health Depends on Food Preparation
Both ingredients are good for you if they are not fried or added to other side dishes that will make you fat.
The choice depends on your taste and personal needs.
If you need more calcium or vitamin A eat sweet potatoes.
If you need potassium and iron eat regular potatoes.
If you are suffering from diabetes consume cooked sweet potatoes.
How to take the maximum of both ingredients – prepare them properly!
- Baking and cooking is healthier than frying. Frying increases the food glycemic index and produces toxic substances.
- Eat them as part of a healthy meal with vegetable side dishes.
- Be careful when using unhealthy sauces.
- If you add a little bit of healthy fats such as a few drops of olive oil, you can improve the taste of both ingredients and boost the absorption of vitamin A.
- Mind your portions – two handfuls of regular potatoes or sweet potatoes per meal are enough.
Sources used in writing this article:
[url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/[/url]
[url=http://www.precisionnutrition.com/]http://www.precisionnutrition.com/[/url]
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