sweet-potato
A beta-carotene powerhouse with clinically demonstrated glycemic and vitamin A benefits.
Strong evidence
🥦Vegetables
Evidence tier
Strong
Research weight
Citations
9 verified / 9
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Multiple high-quality RCTs / meta-analyses with consistent effects.
Nutrition per serving 1 medium, baked in skin (114 g)
- Sugars 7.1 g6%
- Fibre 3.2 g3%
- Other carbs 13.3 g12%
- Protein 1.8 g2%
- Other 88.6 g78%
80 kcal1.8 g protein3.2 g fiber7.1 g sugar
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 14 mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 3.2 g | 11% |
| Potassium | 270 mg | 6% |
| Folate | 35 µg | 9% |
| Vitamin A | 660 µg | 73% |
| Vitamin K | 2.6 µg | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.17 mg | 10% |
| Manganese | 0.54 mg | 23% |
| Copper | 0.11 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin E | 0.8 mg | 5% |
| Magnesium | 19 mg | 5% |
| Calcium | 32 mg | 2% |
Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗
What is sweet-potato?
sweet-potato is a vegetable used for exceptional provitamin a (beta-carotene) source. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Strong. A single medium baked sweet potato delivers roughly 660 ug RAE of vitamin A (well over a full day's requirement) almost entirely from beta-carotene, plus fiber, potassium and vitamin C. Randomized controlled trials of a standardized white sweet potato extract (Caiapo) show meaningful HbA1c and cholesterol reductions in type 2 diabetes, and effectiveness trials confirm that orange-fleshed sweet potato raises serum retinol and corrects vitamin A deficiency in children. Higher dietary beta-carotene intake is associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in prospective cohort meta-analyses, though beta-carotene supplements do not reproduce these benefits.
Purported Benefits
✓Exceptional provitamin A (beta-carotene) source
✓Improves glycemic control and HbA1c (Caiapo RCTs)
✓Corrects vitamin A deficiency in children
✓Supplies fiber, potassium and vitamin C
✓Anthocyanins (purple varieties) add antioxidant capacity
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 medium, baked in skin (114 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
Very high in oxalates relative to other vegetables, so people prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones should moderate intake. Carotenemia (harmless yellow-orange skin tinge) can occur with very large habitual intakes. Glycemic response is gentler than white potato but it remains carbohydrate-dense, relevant for diabetes meal planning. Note: glycemic/cholesterol RCT evidence is for the standardized Caiapo white-skin extract, not whole baked roots. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining sweet-potato with any medicine.
Key Studies
Cochrane review
Pheng 2023 (Cochrane-linked update)
✓ Full text
Cochrane review of 3 RCTs (n=140) found 4 g/day sweet potato (Caiapo) tablets moderately lowered HbA1c by ~0.3% versus placebo in type 2 diabetes, but rated all trials very low quality.
Meta-analysis
Lou 2025 (PLOS ONE)
✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 29 RCTs (n=2006) found dietary anthocyanins (the class enriched in purple sweet potato) significantly improved lipid and glycemic metabolic-syndrome markers, e.g. HDL-C +0.05 mmol/L (95% CI 0.01 to 0.10).
Systematic review & meta-analysis of RCTs
Jiang 2022
✓ Full text
Beta-carotene supplementation did not reduce, and in smokers slightly increased, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, underscoring that whole-food carotenoids (not supplements) drive observed benefits.
Meta-analysis
Zhao 2016
✓ Full text
Pooled prospective cohorts found higher dietary beta-carotene intake associated with 17% lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.78-0.88) and high circulating beta-carotene with 31% lower mortality (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.59-0.80).
Cluster-randomized effectiveness trial
Hotz 2012
✓ PubMed
A 2-year intervention introducing orange-fleshed sweet potato in rural Uganda increased vitamin A intakes among children and women and improved serum retinol in children 6-35 months.
RCT
Ludvik 2004
✓ Source
In 61 diet-treated type 2 diabetics, 4 g/day Caiapo (white sweet potato extract) for 12 weeks lowered HbA1c from 7.21% to 6.68% and reduced fasting glucose and total/LDL cholesterol vs no change on placebo (P<0.001).
RCT
Ludvik 2002
✓ PubMed
Randomized double-blind trial showed Caiapo significantly lowered 2-hour glucose and total cholesterol in type 2 diabetes patients versus placebo, establishing improved glucose metabolism.
RCT
Ludvik 2008
✓ PubMed
Improved metabolic control with Caiapo in type 2 diabetic subjects was associated with significantly increased adiponectin and decreased fibrinogen levels, suggesting anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefit.
Controlled intervention trial
Low 2007
✓ PubMed
A food-based program introducing orange-fleshed sweet potato in rural Mozambique raised vitamin A intake and increased mean serum retinol by ~0.10 umol/L in young children.