The nutrients in pumpkin and sweet potato have special benefits for health. See what they will do for you and which one is the nutrition champion.
The first is to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Pumpkin and sweet potato both contain a lot of β-carotene, which is an orange pigment that can make fruits and vegetables show bright colors.
In addition to beautiful colors, this carotenoid is also a rich antioxidant with many benefits.
A diet rich in beta-carotene can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and prevent heart disease. Beta-carotene can prevent other diseases and some degenerative aspects of aging.
Pumpkin contains more beta-carotene than many other foods, and 245 grams of cooked pumpkin contains 5 140 micrograms of carotene.
The content of β -carotene in bright orange sweet potato is also high. 328 grams of cooked sweet potato contains as much as 3 1 1,000 micrograms of carotene!
Let's look at the vitamin content that enhances immunity.
Speaking of vitamin A, both sweet potatoes and pumpkins are rich in vitamins that help to enhance immunity. 245g cooked pumpkin contains 245% RDI (recommended daily intake) of vitamin A and 19% RDI of vitamin C. ..
328 grams of cooked sweet potato can provide 77.4% vitamin A and 53% vitamin C.
Finally, compare dietary fiber and intestinal health.
A good fiber source can promote healthy intestinal flora and promote intestinal health. At present, many people have insufficient dietary fiber intake, and sweet potato can help you move in the right direction.
328 grams of cooked sweet potato contains 8.2 grams of fiber, while 245 grams of cooked pumpkin contains only 3 grams of fiber.
Besides intestines, a high-fiber diet can also reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
What about their other nutrients?
They have the same potassium content, which is an essential mineral to help muscle contraction and support normal blood pressure.
However, sweet potatoes have higher calories because they contain more carbohydrates, protein and fat.
We use the National Nutrition Database of USDA as a standard reference to obtain data of pumpkin and sweet potato.
The final result: it seems that the sweet potato won!
However, the thing is this: both are good choices, so when you choose between two vegetables, no matter which one you choose, it is basically impossible to make a wrong decision.
Every vegetable has its unique nutritional components and functions, and we should not give up any of them.
But if we compare the two together, from vitamin A to fiber to protein, the nutritional content of sweet potato usually exceeds that of pumpkin.
Although pumpkin is a light and low-sugar choice, sweet potato may provide more essential nutrients for your body.