Batata

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By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Updated 4 November 2026

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a starchy root from the gloria de la mañana family, not a close relative of the ordinary potato. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are one of the richest food sources of beta-carotene: 100 g baked gives 11,500 µg of it, equal to 961 µg of vitamina A (RAE), plus 3.3 g of fibre and 475 mg of potassium for 90 kcal. Boiled sweet potato has a lower glycemic index than boiled white potato, though it is still a starchy food. People with calcium oxalate kidney stones may be told to limit it.

Sweet potato nutrition per 100 g and per portion

Nutritivo	Baked in skin, flesh, 100 g	Portion: 1 medium, baked (114 g)	Raw, 100 g
Energía	90 kcal	103 kcal	86 kcal
Proteína	2.0 g	2.3 g	1.6 g
Fat	0.2 g	0.2 g	0.1 g
Carbohydrate	20.7 g	23.6 g	20.1 g
of which sugars	6.5 g	7.4 g	4.2 g
Fibre	3.3 g	3.8 g	3.0 g
Vitamin A (RAE)	961 µg	1,096 µg	709 µg
Beta-carotene	11,500 µg	13,110 µg	8,510 µg
Vitamina C	19.6 mg	22 mg	2.4 mg
Potasio	475 mg	542 mg	337 mg
Vitamina B6	0.29 mg	0.33 mg	0.21 mg
Manganese	0.50 mg	0.57 mg	0.26 mg
Magnesio	27 mg	31 mg	25 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt” (FDC 168483) and “Sweet potato, raw, unprepared” (FDC 168482), checked 4 November 2026. The portion column is calculated from the baked record’s measure “medium” = 114 g. Values rounded.

A note on reading the table: baked sweet potato loses some water, so most values per 100 g rise a little. The two USDA records come from different samples, so not every difference (for example in vitamin C) should be read as an effect of cooking.

Glycemic index

In the international GI tables, boiled sweet potato has a GI of 63 ± 6 (glucose = 100). Boiled white potato in the same tables is 78 ± 4 (Atkinson 2008). That makes sweet potato a medium-GI food rather than a low-GI one. A medium baked sweet potato carries about 24 g of carbohydrate, so the portion and what you eat it with still matter: protein, vegetables and a little fat make a more balanced plate. More in What is the glycemic index.

Health benefits: what the evidence says

• Vitamin A from beta-carotene. NIH sets the adult RDA for vitamin A at 900 µg RAE a day for men and 700 µg for women, and lists one whole sweet potato baked in its skin at 1,403 µg RAE, one of the highest values in its food table. Vitamin A supports vision, the immune system and normal growth. NIH also notes that cooking and heat treatment can increase how much beta-carotene is available from foods.
• No toxicity from food carotene. Unlike preformed vitamin A from supplements or liver, beta-carotene has no upper intake level. According to NIH, a large long-term intake can cause carotenodermia, a harmless yellow-orange tint of the skin that goes away when intake drops. The lung cancer risk seen in trials concerns high-dose beta-carotene supplements in smokers, not foods.
• Potassium. A medium baked sweet potato gives about 540 mg. NIH sets the adequate intake at 3,400 mg a day for men and 2,600 mg for women.
• Fibre. 3.8 g per medium sweet potato, towards the 25 g a day EFSA considers adequate for normal bowel function in adults. Eating the skin adds a little more.
• Vitamin B6 and manganese. Sweet potato is a useful source of both, as the table shows.

Ayurveda: sweet potato in the traditional system

In Usha and Vasant Lad’s food guidelines sweet potato is favourable for Vata and Pitta and on the list to avoid for Kapha. It is the reverse of the white potato, which the same guidelines list as favourable for Pitta and Kapha but to avoid for Vata. This is a traditional view, not a clinical finding. More in Ayurvedic diet for beginners.

How to eat sweet potato

• Baked whole: scrub, prick a few times with a fork and bake at about 200 °C for 45-60 minutes, until soft and the juices start to caramelise. Split and top with Greek yogurt, herbs or a spoon of beans.
• Roasted wedges: toss with aceite de oliva, paprika and a little salt, roast until the edges brown. Lightly brown rather than dark: like other starchy foods, sweet potatoes form acrylamide when roasted or fried at high heat (see our potatoes entry).
• Mash and soup: boil or steam cubes and mash with a little ghee y cinnamon, or blend with zanahoria, jengibre y red lentils into a soup.
• Bowls: roasted cubes with chickpeas, col rizada and a tahini dressing.
• Storage: keep raw sweet potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place, not in the fridge, and use within a couple of weeks. Cooked leftovers go in the fridge.

Who should be careful

• Calcium oxalate kidney stones. MedlinePlus lists sweet potatoes, together with remolacha, espinaca y puerros, among vegetables that people with calcium oxalate stones may need to limit. This applies only if your doctor has confirmed this stone type.
• Kidney disease and potassium. NIH notes that people with chronic kidney disease, or who take drugs that reduce potassium excretion, such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs or potassium-sparing diuretics, can develop high blood potassium even from food. If you are on a potassium-restricted diet, ask how sweet potatoes fit.
• Diabetes. Sweet potato is a starchy food with a medium GI. Treat it as the starch on your plate, not as an extra vegetable, and check your own glucose response if you measure it.

Related entries and articles

• Patatas – how the ordinary potato compares
• Zanahoria y calabaza – other orange, beta-carotene-rich vegetables
• remolacha
• garbanzos – protein partner for sweet potato bowls
• Plant-based meals for weight loss
• What is the glycemic index? (with food table)

FAQ

Is sweet potato healthier than regular potato?

They are different rather than better or worse. Orange sweet potato is far richer in beta-carotene and has a lower GI when boiled (63 versus 78 in the international tables), while ordinary potato has more potassium per 100 g baked in the USDA records. Both are starchy foods; how you cook them and the portion matter more than the choice between them.

Can you eat sweet potato skin?

Yes. The skin is edible once the sweet potato is scrubbed well, and it adds a little extra fibre. Remove any damaged or mouldy parts, and peel it if you prefer a smoother mash.

Can sweet potatoes turn your skin orange?

Very large amounts of beta-carotene over a long time can cause carotenodermia, a yellow-orange tint of the skin. NIH describes it as harmless and reversible when intake goes down. At normal portions it is not something you need to worry about.

Sources

1. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt (FDC 168483). fdc.nal.usda.gov
2. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Sweet potato, raw, unprepared (FDC 168482). fdc.nal.usda.gov
3. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids, Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
4. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Potassium, Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
5. MedlinePlus: Kidney stones – self-care. medlineplus.gov
6. EFSA: Acrylamide (topic page). efsa.europa.eu
7. EFSA NDA Panel (2010). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for carbohydrates and dietary fibre. EFSA Journal 8(3):1462. efsa.europa.eu
8. Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008. Diabetes Care 2008;31(12):2281-2283. PMC
9. Lad U, Lad V. Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types, from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, 2nd ed. The Ayurvedic Institute. ayurveda.com

This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.