7 Reasons Your Sweet Potato Obsession Is Amazing For Your Health

In the center of the Venn diagram of "incredibly tasty foods" and "incredibly nutritious foods" sit a select few of nature's treats. Among them is the sweet potato—in part for its versatility and in part for its satisfying texture and taste. After all, what other veggie can you roast, mash, spiralize, slice and bake into fries, and transform into grain-free brownies? Seriously, take a minute to think about that.

Sweet potatoes are starchy root vegetables1. Specifically, they're what's known as underground tubers, and they actually grow on the roots of a plant known as Ipomoea batatas. Today, sweet potatoes are grown worldwide, but where did they first appear, courtesy of Mother Nature? 

For years, scientists have been debating this very question. Some argued that the Thanksgiving staple originated in North America, while others weren't so convinced. In 2018, research by a paleobotanist at Indiana University suggested that the sweet potato's actual continent of origin is Asia—and that this root veggie has been growing for way longer than we thought.

When you think of sweet potatoes, you probably think exclusively of bright-orange spuds, but there are actually several varieties of sweet potatoes. First, sweet potatoes are divided into two main categories: dry-fleshed and moist-fleshed.

Dry-fleshed sweet potatoes are starchier and have tan skin and light-colored flesh that can range from white to light yellow in color. These dry-fleshed sweet potatoes are more similar to "regular" potatoes than their moist-fleshed cousins.

In some parts of the United States (and in Canada), sweet potatoes are often called and even labeled as yams. This is very misleading, however, since sweet potatoes and yams are two totally different things. For starters, yams can get much, much bigger than sweet potatoes. While some yams are potato-size, they can also grow up to 5 feet long and 132 pounds2.

Even though yams and sweet potatoes are both starchy tubers, they're only distantly related. In fact, they don't even look that much alike. While sweet potatoes are, you know, potato-shaped and come in, primarily, white, orange, and purple varieties, yams are longer and more cylindrical in shape with brown, bark-like skin and flesh that can be white, yellow, pink, or purple. You'll also notice a clear difference if you ever try to prepare both sweet potatoes and yams—yams are much harder to peel than potatoes. The difference is also clear in a taste test, with yams being less sweet, drier, and more starchy than sweet potatoes.

It's best to start with the basics, and the most basic fact about sweet potatoes is that they are thoroughly packed with nutrients. When it comes to their basic makeup, sweet potatoes3 are about 77 percent water, 20 percent carbohydrates, 1.6 percent protein, and 3 percent fiber. What's more, a medium sweet potato contains about 180 calories, while being a good source of a range of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium.

Purple sweet potatoes, in particular, have been linked to better brain function. In animal studies4, purple sweet potatoes have been shown to protect the brain5 and improve learning6 and memory7. We can thank purple sweet potatoes' high levels of anthocyanins, antioxidants that help reduce inflammation8 and protect neurons against free radical damage, for this brain-boosting magic.

Because sweet potatoes are excellent sources of not one but two kinds of fiber10, they're amazing for your digestion. Sweet potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The human body can't digest either type—so instead of breaking down as they pass through the digestive tract, these fibers travel along intact, doing great things for your gut in the process.

Both types of fiber play an important role in keeping bowel movements11 regular. Soluble fiber (also known as viscous fiber) absorbs water, which softens stool, while insoluble (aka non-viscous) fiber doesn't absorb water and therefore adds bulk that makes stool solid.

Not only is eating a fiber-rich diet good for alleviating constipation, diarrhea, and bloating, it's also great for your colon and overall gut health. Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut and has been shown to promote the health12 of the cells13 lining the digestive tract, potentially helping to prevent leaky gut. Eating a high-fiber diet14 has also been shown to lower the risk of colon cancer15.

In addition to vitamins and minerals, sweet potatoes are also home to a wealth of antioxidants20. This is especially true of orange and purple sweet potatoes21. Antioxidants22 are important because they help protect your body from free radicals23—unstable molecules that damage DNA, cause inflammation, and have been linked to chronic and serious health conditions, like cancer and heart disease. In basic terms, free radicals accelerate the overall aging process. This means that just about any source of antioxidants24 is a good addition to your diet.

The next time you're looking to boost your immune system, don't simply reach for orange juice or vitamin C—add an orange sweet potato to the mix, too (they make a great addition to smoothies). As one of the best natural sources of beta-carotene, orange sweet potatoes28 are a great source of vitamin A (beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body), which is vital to healthy immune system29 functioning.