What Are Micronutrients?
Micronutrients are vitamins and nutrients that our bodies need in varying amounts. The amounts are usually small, as compared to macronutrients, like carbohydrates, fat and protein.
While micronutrients don’t get the credit that macronutrients get, they are absolutely important and essential. Micronutrients enable the body to function optimally and play a role in immunity, energy production, cardiovascular health, managing inflammation, cell proliferation and development and more.
Our favorite orange-hued vegetable, sweetpotatoes, offer an array of these essential micronutrients. Let’s also not forget about fiber, a nutrient that the majority of Americans don’t get enough of. One medium sweetpotato offers 4 grams of fiber, which plays a consistent role in so many parts of health, from blood sugar regulation, to reducing cholesterol, to improving gut health to promoting satiety.
MIcronutrients in Sweetpotatoes:
- Potassium – Potassium is a major electrolyte that plays a role in everything from heart health and blood pressure regulation to fluid balance to muscle function. One mashed cup of sweetpotatoes offers close to 475mg of potassium, between 10-20% of your daily recommendation for potassium.Â
- Magnesium– Magnesium is known for its role in nearly every process in the body. Magnesium plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions. Magnesium is also important in attending to stress, whether physical or psychological, which is a major concern in our current lifestyles. Research indicates that stress could increase magnesium losses, and in turn, magnesium deficiency could exacerbate the body’s susteptibility to stress, resulting in a vicous deficiency cycle. Adults need between 310-420 mg of magnesium per day.Â
- Vitamin C- Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that helps slow and prevent cell damage caused from oxidants, or stressors in the environment. Vitamin C is also important for skin and joint health, immunity, and aids in the absorption of iron. One medium sweetpotato offers nearly 30% of your daily Vitamin C needs.
- Vitamin A-Â Sweetpotatoes are rich in the carotenoid beta-carotene, a pigment that gives sweetpotatoes their bright orange color. The body can convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for immunity, cell division, vision, skin health, reproductive health and more. Just 3.5 ounces of sweetpotato provides your recommended daily amount of Vitamin A.
- Trace micronutrients –Â Sweetpotatoes also offer very small amounts of other micronutrients, like manganese, copper and B-vitamins, which can add up over the course of the day.Â
In short, you can feel good enjoying sweetpotatoes in a variety of recipes, knowing that they are providing essential nutrients for health. If you’re focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet, sweetpotatoes are a wonderful food to include. If you’re trying to improve heart health, sweetpotatoes are very low in sodium but a good source of potassium, which is great for blood pressure and cardiovascular health.
Some of our favorite spring recipes featuring sweetpotatoes are a sweetpotato lentil salad, sweetpotato cheesecake brownies, sweetpotato quiche and white pizza with sweetpotatoes, peaches and arugula. There is something delicious for every season, for every occasion and for everyone!
What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy sweetpotatoes?
References:
- Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, Bienkowski P, Yaltsewa N, Amessou M, Noah L, Pouteau E. Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 28;12(12):3672. doi: 10.3390/nu12123672. PMID: 33260549; PMCID: PMC7761127.