Sweet potatoes are delicious, starchy, and, just like the name suggests, sweet. They’re a root vegetable that’s widely available around the globe.
Sweet potatoes are loaded with important nutrients, plant compounds, vitamins, and minerals, including potassium.
But exactly how much potassium is in sweet potatoes? Can they help you load up on this mineral, or should you avoid them on a low-potassium diet?
Table of Contents
- Are sweet potatoes high in potassium?
- How much potassium is in sweet potatoes?
- Are sweet potatoes good for you?
- Can you take in too much potassium from sweet potatoes?
- Are sweet potato chips high in potassium?
- Are sweet potato fries high in potassium?
- Are sweet potato leaves high in potassium?
- Conclusion
Are sweet potatoes high in potassium?
Sweet potatoes are considered to be high in potassium, as they contain way more than 200 mg of this mineral in a single serving. Because of that, those following a low-potassium diet might need to limit their consumption of this starchy veggie.
If you can consume some sweet potatoes, it’s a good idea to add them to your diet, though, as they’re loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that contribute to good health.
Make sure to check out: Can You Check Your Potassium Level At Home? and The Best Low Potassium Snacks (Eat This, Not That).
How much potassium is in sweet potatoes?
One medium sweet potato that has been baked with skin in the oven provides you with around 541 mg of potassium.
This is way more than the standard recommended serving for a low-potassium food. Because of that, eating too many sweet potatoes on a low-potassium diet is not a good idea.
On the other hand, if your goal is to have more potassium in your diet, sweet potatoes can help you do just that. As always, it all depends on your dietary requirements and needs.
If you want to consume less potassium from sweet potatoes, you can try eating them without skin.
This reduces how much potassium is in the sweet potato you eat. Unfortunately, it also removes many nutrients, as most of them are found underneath the skin.
So, the way you prepare and eat your sweet potatoes depends on your dietary requirements.
Are sweet potatoes good for you?
Most calories in sweet potatoes come from carbohydrates, including fiber. This nutrient helps soak up excess stomach acid, preventing acid reflux symptoms.
Fiber also feeds the ‘good’ gut bacteria in your stomach, which helps keep your digestive tract healthy and working properly.
A diet high in fiber-rich foods may also aid in weight loss since this type of carb keeps you full and satisfied, which prevents overeating.
Sweet potatoes are also loaded with plant compounds and antioxidants that have anti-cancer properties.
Studies show that sweet potatoes contain anthocyanins, which are a group of antioxidants that slow the growth of cancerous cells in your bladder, colon, stomach, and breasts.
As a result, eating a lot of foods high in antioxidants is important for your health and wellbeing.
In addition, one particularly important antioxidant found in sweet potatoes called beta-carotene helps keep your eyes healthy.
In fact, a single serving of mashed sweet potatoes provides you with over seven times the amount of this antioxidant you need per day.
Beta-carotene is turned into vitamin A in your body, which helps keep your eyes healthy. It also prevents eye damage, which lowers your risk of many eye issues, especially those related to age.
Thanks to the powerful plant compounds found in sweet potatoes, eating them can also help boost your immune system.
The antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that they provide you with all strengthen your immune system.
This is especially important during colder months and flu seasons, as your immunity might be compromised.
The same nutrients also help your body fight off inflammation, viruses, and bacteria that cause serious health issues. So, eating even small amounts of sweet potato can help you.
Can you take in too much potassium from sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are a high-potassium veggie. Because of that, it might be best to limit how much of them you consume if you follow a low-potassium diet.
On the bright side, sweet potatoes are more nutritious than regular white potatoes. So, if you want to up your intake of various minerals and vitamins, adding sweet potatoes to your diet is a great idea to do so very easily.
To avoid taking in too much potassium from sweet potatoes, you can try eating smaller portions.
This can work if you really like sweet potatoes and can’t imagine not having some every once in a while.
Also, make sure to use dry heating when preparing them, as frying can add unnecessary harmful compounds that can have negative effects on your health.
Are sweet potato chips high in potassium?
A one-ounce serving of sweet potato chips contains around 259 mg of potassium. Because of that, it’s important to be careful with consuming too many sweet potato chips on a low-potassium diet.
While sweet potato chips are high in fat, they do contain some important nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B6, and manganese.
As a result, they’re much more nutritious than chips made with regular white potatoes.
Are sweet potato fries high in potassium?
Just 10 sweet potato fries contain 119 mg of potassium. While this doesn’t seem like too much, most people eat more than just 10 fries in one sitting.
Because of that, the potassium from sweet potato fries can add up. This type of fries, while healthier than regular French fries, is still high in calories, fat, and often sodium.
So make sure to avoid consuming too many of them too often to stay healthy.
Are sweet potato leaves high in potassium?
A one-cup serving of sweet potato leaves contains around 305 mg of potassium. So, as you can see, they’re also high in potassium.
Sweet potato leaves are delicious and often served as a side dish for various meals. They also contain other nutrients, including magnesium, folate, vitamin K, and riboflavin.
Because of that, they make for a great addition to a healthy, balanced diet.
Conclusion
Sweet potatoes are a high-potassium veggie. So, if you have to follow a low-potassium diet, you may want to avoid consuming too many sweet potatoes.
But, on the bright side, sweet potatoes are nutritious and rich in beneficial plant compounds that help you stay healthy.
So, if your diet allows it, adding some sweet potatoes to your dishes is only good for you.
Don't know which foods are high in potassium? Read our article 15 Best Food Sources Of Potassium. We also have a guide on this important mineral: Potassium 101: All You Need To Know About Potassium.