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.
What type of sweet potato is best?
For our Best Baked Sweet Potatoes, we recommend passing on tan- or purple-skinned sweet potatoes (so-called dry varieties) and sticking with red or orange, which are known as “moist” varieties. These contain more of the enzyme amylase, which breaks down starches into sugars.
Which is healthier red or white sweet potatoes?
A medium baked sweet potato provides over four times the daily value for vitamin A, while the white-skinned potatoes have almost none. White and red-skinned potatoes, however, contain more potassium, magnesium, and iron than sweet potatoes.
Which sweet potato is good for health?
Orange sweet potatoes have been shown to increase blood levels of vitamin A more than other beta carotene sources, as they contain a highly absorbable variety of this nutrient ( 42 ). This makes eating sweet potatoes an excellent strategy against vitamin A deficiency in developing countries.
Are purple sweet potatoes healthier?
Purple sweet potatoes are a good source of beta-carotene but are an even richer source of anthocyanin pigments, which act as antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation and boost your immune system. Purple sweet potatoes have about three times more anthocyanins than the average blueberry.
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