Orange-fleshed sweet potato nutrition and vitamin A deficiency
What it found
Orange-fleshed sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids that the body turns into vitamin A.
Studies in countries such as Uganda and Mozambique found that adding it to the diet raised vitamin A intakes in children and women.
What they found
Studies in people
Vitamin A in people
Studies in sub-Saharan African countries found that introducing orange-fleshed sweet potato raised vitamin A intakes among children and women. In Mozambique, one study linked it to better child health and less diarrhoea in children under 5.
Animal and lab studies
Phenolic acids
Phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and certain dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers are reported in good concentrations in orange-fleshed sweet potato. These compounds showed antioxidant activity in lab tests.
Other findings
Carotenoid content
Orange-fleshed sweet potato is a good source of carotenoids, especially beta-carotene. One study of varieties grown in Uganda found beta-carotene at 20 to 364 micrograms per gram on a dry basis.
Vitamin A conversion
The body turns beta-carotene from orange-fleshed sweet potato into retinol, the active form of vitamin A. The paper reports that 100 to 150 grams a day in the diet can prevent vitamin A deficiency in young children.
Minerals
Orange-fleshed sweet potato contains moderate amounts of phosphorus and potassium, and good amounts of iron. Calcium, magnesium, zinc and sodium are present in very low concentrations.
Vitamins C and E
Very low concentrations of vitamin E and vitamin C were reported in orange-fleshed sweet potato. The authors say it is not the best source of these vitamins.
What the authors conclude
“Finally, it is concluded that OFSP is a good secondary staple food for the developed countries.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that orange-fleshed sweet potato is a good secondary staple food for developing countries.
- They say its pleasant colour and good flavour make it acceptable to different age groups in many processed forms.
- They report that its role in managing vitamin A deficiency in developing countries has been successfully shown.
How it was done
The authors say scientific reviews on the nutritional make-up of orange-fleshed sweet potato and its role in managing vitamin A deficiency are hardly available. They wanted to pull together the detailed nutrition, the vitamin A role, and the foods that can be made from it.
They gathered and compared published studies on the nutritional composition of orange-fleshed sweet potato from different countries and varieties. They also reviewed studies on its use in vitamin A deficiency programmes and the food products made from it.
What it can’t tell you
- This is a review of published studies, not a new experiment. It cannot prove that eating orange-fleshed sweet potato directly causes better health.
- Many of the nutrient values come from single studies of particular varieties grown in particular places, so the amounts can differ between varieties and growing conditions.
- The paper does not report long-term trials in people testing whether orange-fleshed sweet potato prevents specific diseases.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The paper
- Title
- Review on nutritional composition of orange-fleshed sweet potato and its role in management of vitamin A deficiency
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Neela S, Fanta SW (2019). Review on nutritional composition of orange-fleshed sweet potato and its role in management of vitamin A deficiency. Food science & nutrition. doi:10.1002/fsn3.1063Free full textPubMed 31289641DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error