Yams, sweet potatoes, and carotenoids

[Guest guest]

Yams are orange on the inside, and sweet potatoes are white, right? Which

are the ones that are rich in carotenoids? Both? I would expect it to be the

yams, because they're orange, but the USDA database says that only sweet

potatoes have vitamin A. I'm confused! Why are tubers always conspiring

against me?

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

I always stay away from sweet potatoes because they are high in oxalic acid

and I have to be careful with that since I have osteoporosis

jen

----- Original Message -----

From: " Berg " <bberg@...>

< >

Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2002 11:58 PM

Subject: Yams, sweet potatoes, and carotenoids

> Yams are orange on the inside, and sweet potatoes are white, right? Which

> are the ones that are rich in carotenoids? Both? I would expect it to be

the

> yams, because they're orange, but the USDA database says that only sweet

> potatoes have vitamin A. I'm confused! Why are tubers always conspiring

> against me?

>

> Thanks.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

there are, broadly speaking, two types of sweet potatoes. one has white flesh

the other orange. the orange one is the one with carotenoids, the colour being

the clue.

botanically they are NOT potatoes.

AFAIK yams are white under the skin which tends to be more rough or 'hairy'.

Dedy

----- Original Message -----

From: Berg

Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 7:58 AM

Subject: Yams, sweet potatoes, and carotenoids

Yams are orange on the inside, and sweet potatoes are white, right? Which

are the ones that are rich in carotenoids? Both? I would expect it to be the

yams, because they're orange, but the USDA database says that only sweet

potatoes have vitamin A. I'm confused! Why are tubers always conspiring

against me?

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

Does the database list both sweet potatoes and yams? As far a I know yam is a

southern term for the sweet potato. When sweet potatoes are candied (sugar

syruped) they're called yams. The USDA database has lots of processed foods

without ingredients. If this is the case yams should have a higher carb

content

than sweet potato because of the added sugar. Both are orange fleshed and rich

in carotenoids but the canning of yams may destroy the vitamin A. I found some

smoother red skinned sweet potatoes with the orangest flesh I've seen last

week.. Some grocers label their sweet potatoes in the produce dept. sweet

potato and others yam. Go figure.

Wanita

At 11:58 PM 12/14/02 -0800, you wrote:

>Yams are orange on the inside, and sweet potatoes are white, right? Which

>are the ones that are rich in carotenoids? Both? I would expect it to be the

>yams, because they're orange, but the USDA database says that only sweet

>potatoes have vitamin A. I'm confused! Why are tubers always conspiring

>against me?

>

>Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

Sweet potatoes are loaded with carbs, but eating the skin will ameliorate

this by adding nutrient-density (I imagine the caretenoids are in the starchy

part, but potassium and others are probably concentrated in the skin) and

lots of butter will ameliorate it by slowing the GI.

Chris

____

" What can one say of a soul, of a heart, filled with compassion? It is a

heart which burns with love for every creature: for human beings, birds, and

animals, for serpents and for demons. The thought of them and the sight of

them make the tears of the saint flow. And this immense and intense

compassion, which flows from the heart of the saints, makes them unable to

bear the sight of the smallest, most insignificant wound in any creature.

Thus they pray ceaselessly, with tears, even for animals, for enemies of the

truth, and for those who do them wrong. "

--Saint Isaac the Syrian

[Guest guest]

--- In , Wanita Sears <wanitawa@b...>

wrote:

> Does the database list both sweet potatoes and yams? As far a I

> know yam is a southern term for the sweet potato.

There's some other plant in Africe called a yam. The things labelled

yams in a regular grocery store are just different varieties of sweet

potato.

Martha

[Guest guest]

Wanita-

>Both are orange fleshed and rich

>in carotenoids but the canning of yams may destroy the vitamin A.

Being a plant, I wouldn't imagine that yams/sweet potatoes have any real

vitamin A, just the carotene precursors.

-

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/15/02 6:28:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,

bberg@... writes:

> Perhaps beta-carotene is yellow, and

> the orange carotenoids found in yams cannot be converted to vitamin A?

Another possibility is that there is no law allowing non-beta-carotene

caretenoids to be listed as vitamin A. Any sensible regulation wouldn't

allow _either_ as being listed as A, but my understanding is that all

caretenoids, or most, can be converted to A, but are usually roughly half as

efficient as beta-carotene. Since beta is unique in its conversion

efficiency (low as it is) there may only be a law specifically allowing _it_

as listed as A. Maybe...

Chris

____

" What can one say of a soul, of a heart, filled with compassion? It is a

heart which burns with love for every creature: for human beings, birds, and

animals, for serpents and for demons. The thought of them and the sight of

them make the tears of the saint flow. And this immense and intense

compassion, which flows from the heart of the saints, makes them unable to

bear the sight of the smallest, most insignificant wound in any creature.

Thus they pray ceaselessly, with tears, even for animals, for enemies of the

truth, and for those who do them wrong. "

--Saint Isaac the Syrian

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: " Wanita Sears " <wanitawa@...>

> Does the database list both sweet potatoes and yams? As far a I know yam

is a

> southern term for the sweet potato. When sweet potatoes are candied (sugar

> syruped) they're called yams. The USDA database has lots of processed

foods

> without ingredients. If this is the case yams should have a higher carb

> content than sweet potato because of the added sugar. Both are orange

fleshed and rich

> in carotenoids but the canning of yams may destroy the vitamin A. I found

some

> smoother red skinned sweet potatoes with the orangest flesh I've seen last

> week.. Some grocers label their sweet potatoes in the produce dept. sweet

> potato and others yam. Go figure.

According to the signs, the sweet potatoes and yams were right next to each

other in the produce department. The yams have red skin and orange flesh,

and the sweet potatoes have brown skin and yellow (not white, as I thought

earlier) flesh. Again according to the signs, the sweet potatoes are rich in

" vitamin A, " while the yams have none. Perhaps beta-carotene is yellow, and

the orange carotenoids found in yams cannot be converted to vitamin A?

[Guest guest]

At 02:30 PM 12/15/02 -0800, you wrote:

>----- Original Message -----

>From: " Wanita Sears " <wanitawa@...>

>

>

>> Does the database list both sweet potatoes and yams? As far a I know yam

>is a

>> southern term for the sweet potato. When sweet potatoes are candied (sugar

>> syruped) they're called yams. The USDA database has lots of processed

>foods

>> without ingredients. If this is the case yams should have a higher carb

>> content than sweet potato because of the added sugar. Both are orange

>fleshed and rich

>> in carotenoids but the canning of yams may destroy the vitamin A. I found

>some

>> smoother red skinned sweet potatoes with the orangest flesh I've seen last

>> week.. Some grocers label their sweet potatoes in the produce dept. sweet

>> potato and others yam. Go figure.

>

>According to the signs, the sweet potatoes and yams were right next to each

>other in the produce department. The yams have red skin and orange flesh,

>and the sweet potatoes have brown skin and yellow (not white, as I thought

>earlier) flesh. Again according to the signs, the sweet potatoes are rich in

> " vitamin A, " while the yams have none. Perhaps beta-carotene is yellow, and

>the orange carotenoids found in yams cannot be converted to vitamin A?

Sounds like what they're considering sweet potatoes are the Yukon Gold or

other

gold fleshed varieties of the white potato. My preferred potato because of

their buttery flavor over the white fleshed blander potatoes. White potatoes

and sweet potatoes or yams depending where you come from are two separate

familys. Orange or orangey (varies with variety) fleshed potatoes are much

higher in beta carotene than white, yellow or blue fleshed potatoes (yes, they

have blue potatoes.). If its an elongated tuber and orange fleshed its a sweet

potato. If its a round tuber its in the white potato family unless its whats

fairly new to white potato growing and its a fingerling that is elongated like

a sweet potato but the flesh is not orange and they don't grow as big as a

sweet potato. Their skin and flesh colors are the same as the potato. Red,

brown or blue skin with white, yellow or blue flesh. Other than that the signs

got mixed up or the produce person isn't familiar with fingerlings.

Wanita

[Guest guest]

--- In , " Berg " <bberg@c...>

wrote:

>> According to the signs, the sweet potatoes and yams were right

next

to each> other in the produce department. The yams have red skin and

orange flesh,> and the sweet potatoes have brown skin and yellow (not

white, as I thought> earlier) flesh. Again according to the signs,

the sweet potatoes are rich in> " vitamin A, " while the yams have

none. Perhaps beta-carotene is yellow, and> the orange carotenoids

>>found in yams cannot be converted to vitamin A?

here's my guess. I think the grocery store is using the colloquial

name of yam for the redder sweet potatoes, but using the USDA food

value for the African yam which is a different genus and has very low

vitamin A. I think the grocery store produce manager is using

incorrect information. I can't believe the redder 'yam' sweet

potatoes would have less vitamin A/carotenoids than the more

yellowish-orange ones. (At my store they carry three coilors; the

redder ones are garnet and jewel 'yams')

[Guest guest]

,

Here's a Web site with oxalic acid contents:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Other/oxalic.html

I don't see that sweet potatoes are worse than a lot of other nutritious

vegetables. I don't remember hearing that oxalic acid is a concern in

osteoporosis. Are you sure you have the correct info?

Peace,

Kris , gardening in harmony with nature in northwest Ohio

If you want to hear the good news about butter check out this website:

http://www.westonaprice.org/know_your_fats/know_your_fats.html

----- Original Message -----

From: " Evely " <je@...>

< >

Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 3:34 AM

Subject: Re: Yams, sweet potatoes, and carotenoids

> I always stay away from sweet potatoes because they are high in oxalic

acid

> and I have to be careful with that since I have osteoporosis

>

> jen

[Guest guest]

Kris~

oxalic acid binds to calcium so that is why I brought that up

Oxalic acid is a cause for concern in osteoporosis because if you are not

monitoring your food intakes of high oxalates then you could be pulling more

and more calcium out of your body

jen

----- Original Message -----

From: " Kris " <kris.johnson@...>

< >

Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 8:46 PM

Subject: Re: Yams, sweet potatoes, and carotenoids

> ,

>

> Here's a Web site with oxalic acid contents:

> http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Other/oxalic.html

>

> I don't see that sweet potatoes are worse than a lot of other nutritious

> vegetables. I don't remember hearing that oxalic acid is a concern in

> osteoporosis. Are you sure you have the correct info?

>

> Peace,

> Kris , gardening in harmony with nature in northwest Ohio

>

> If you want to hear the good news about butter check out this website:

> http://www.westonaprice.org/know_your_fats/know_your_fats.html

>

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: " Evely " <je@...>

> < >

> Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 3:34 AM

> Subject: Re: Yams, sweet potatoes, and carotenoids

>

>

> > I always stay away from sweet potatoes because they are high in oxalic

> acid

> > and I have to be careful with that since I have osteoporosis

> >

> > jen

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Found the answer to white yams. Was looking for prices on garnet yams from

Northeast ative's buying club so I could order. There are white yams

listed

<http://northeastcoop.com/A_PRODUCEPL/bratprod0105.txt>http://northeastcoop.

com/A_PRODUCEPL/bratprod0105.txt Fingerlings I thought white yams were are

listed in white potatoes so I learned something new.

BTW anyone northeast of Ohio should see if there is a local buying club near

you. They've just become United Northeast, a subsidiary of United Natural

Foods. Website is still northeastcoop.com and buying clubs will continue.

Wanita