The flesh and skin of a sweet potato contain various nutrients with known health benefits.
However, some people may need to limit their intake.
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Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin?
Ana Rocio Garcia Franco / Getty Images
Most people can eat sweet potato skin because it is safe and highly nutritious.
Some may have concerns aboutsweet potatoskin’s safety, mainly regarding cleanliness and skin components.
Sweet potatoes are root tubers, which means they grow in the ground and can become dirty.
However, washing the skin of sweet potatoes can help remove dirt and make the potato more edible.
Some concerns also pertain tooxalatesfound in sweet potatoes and their skin.
Overall, it’s generally recommended that you include the skin when eating sweet potatoes.
This is because sweet potato skin is nutrient-dense and may increase the health benefits of eating sweet potatoes.
Typically, about one-half to one whole sweet potato is the recommended serving size, depending on its size.
As you’re able to see, sweet potatoes are a good source of many essential nutrients.
What Are Other Benefits of Eating Sweet Potato?
In recent years, research on the potential health benefits of sweet potatoes has increased.
Though the findings outlined above are promising, more human trials are necessary to validate them further.
Safety and Precautions
For most people, eating sweet potato skin is safe and healthy.
However, some people may need to limit their intake of sweet potato skin or avoid it altogether.
People on a low-fiber diet may need to limit or avoid sweet potato skin.
Eating sweet potato skin while on a low-fiber diet may cause an upset stomach or other gastrointestinal issues.
People who have trouble with swallowing may consider pureeing the skin.
Like many other vegetables, sweet potatoes can be a source of contaminants like pesticides and dirt.
The skin is especially prone to pesticides and dirt because it’s the outermost layer.
you might remove dirt and pesticides from sweet potato skin with water and a scrub brush.
This may go without saying, but you should avoid rotten or moldy sweet potato skin.
Your sweet potato may have gone bad if it smells, is soft, discolored, or shriveled.
Though many recipes use the whole sweet potato, some call for just the skin.
you could try using sweet potato skins to make homemade chips or fries.
Otherwise, you could incorporate whole sweet potatoes into many recipes, from savory dishes to sweet treats.
They typically last at room temperature for a few weeks.
Cooked or prepared sweet potatoes should be refrigerated or frozen.
Summary
Sweet potatoes are a highly nutritious, versatile root vegetable with potential health benefits.
Eating sweet potato skin is not only safe but also recommended.
Few precautions are required when eating sweet potatoes or their skin.
Talk with a healthcare provider if you’re still unsure whether sweet potato skin is safe for you.
U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt.
peels by different extraction methods on human fecal microbiotain vitrofermentation.Front Nutr.
2019;11(9):2066.
Published 2019 Sep 3. doi:10.3390/nu11092066
