Sweet potatoes are a member of the Morning Glory family that have traditionally graced our holiday tables, either candied or baked into pies. As Americans have become more health-conscious, though, they have recognized sweet potatoes as a more flavorful and nutritious alternative to other starches. Our question today is, do sweet potatoes have quercetin?
Quick Answer: Yes – sweet potatoes do contain some quercetin. Compared to other similar foods, its quercetin content is low.
Quercetin Content of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes only contain 0.01mg/100g of quercetin but are rich in:
- Beta-carotene
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Fiber
Are Sweet Potatoes High in Quercetin?
Compared to other foods, Sweet Potatoes are not very high in quercetin.
Let’s take a look at how they compare to 5 similar foods.
- White potatoes contain 0.49mg/100g of quercetin, many times higher than sweet potatoes.
- Raw pumpkin offers even less quercetin than sweet potatoes being void of the flavonol.
- You would need to eat over 63 pounds of sweet potatoes to receive the same quercetin provided by 3.5 ounces of taro.
- Carrots provide 0.21mg of quercetin in a 100-gram serving far exceeding sweet potatoes.
- Cassava contains no quercetin at all, making its content lower than sweet potatoes.
Sources:
EU Phenol-Explorer: http://phenol-explorer.eu/contents/show/1/291/269
USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods: https://www.ars.usda.gov/arsuserfiles/80400525/data/flav/flav_r03.pdf
Harvard School of Public Health “Sweet Potatoes”: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/sweet-potatoes/
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
