Yams Nutrition facts
Yams
Yams are carbohydrate rich, staple tuber vegetables of West African origin. Botanically the tuber belongs to the Dioscoreaceae family, in the genus, Dioscorea.
There exist several hundred cultivars of Dioscorea; however, only a few of them worth of commercial importance. Traditional yam tuber types grown are Dioscorea rotundata (white guinea), D. alata (yellow), D. bulbifera (aerial potato), D. opposita (Chinese), D. esculenta (Southeast Asian) and D. dumenterum (trifoliate).
Besides their use as food, yams have long been symbolically associated with the culture and ritualism in some parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin Americas.
| Nutrition Principle | Nutrition Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | ||
| Energy | 108 Kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 27.88 g | 21% |
| Protein | 1.53 g | 3% |
| Total Fat | 0.17 g | 0.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 4.1 g | 11% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 23 µg | 6% |
| Niacin | 0.552 mg | 3.5% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.314 mg | 7% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.293 mg | 23% |
| Riboflavin | 0.032 mg | 2.5% |
| Thiamin | 0.112 mg | 9.5% |
| Vitamin C | 17.1 mg | 28.5% |
| Vitamin A | 138 IU | 5% |
| Vitamin E | 0.35 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin K | 2.3 µg | 2% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 9 mg | 0.5% |
| Potassium | 816 mg | 17% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 17 mg | 2% |
| Copper | 0.178 mg | 20% |
| Iron | 0.54 mg | 7% |
| Magnesium | 21 mg | 5% |
| Manganese | 0.397 mg | 17% |
| Phosphorus | 55 mg | 8% |
| Selenium | 0.7 µg | 0.5% |
| Zinc | 0.24 mg | 2% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-β | 83 µg | -- |
| Crypto-xanthin | 0 µg | -- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 0 µg | -- |