# Why aren't we advised to avoid sweet potatoes?!?!



## freddie

Evening ladies...

So after eating a mountain of sweet potatoes, hubby looked up the nutritional info on them, as he is on a diet... They are some kind of crazy superfood and have all sorts of good stuff but they also pack up to 7 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in one potato!!!!!!! I know that you have to be careful about amount of vitamin A in pregnancy so I am wondering why these aren't on the avoid list? I am a little worried now as I have eaten lots today and some the other day too....

Thought I'd share the info and see if anyone else has any insight?


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## freddie

I found this on babycenter.com:

"Sweet potatoes get their orange color from carotenoids, plant pigments that are converted to vitamin A in our bodies, says Ward.
Although consuming too much "preformed" vitamin A (found in animal sources, such as liver, milk, and eggs) can be dangerous, carotenoids are a different story. They're converted to vitamin A only as needed, so there's no need to restrict your consumption of vitamin A-rich fruits and veggies."

Maybe that is why??


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## courtney89

My question is why do people worry about food so much? The only thing that I would worry about is raw food. That is my opinion anyways.


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## freddie

I haven't really worried about food too much so far, it's just cos I know that too much vitamin A is a big no no and that a sweet potato can apparently have up to 700% rda of vitamin A - crazy!! But perhaps it is like the babycenter thing said, that it is coming from a natural source so your body converts whatever it needs rather than getting overloaded...


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## Jessi

rachelkt said:


> Evening ladies...
> 
> So after eating a mountain of sweet potatoes, hubby looked up the nutritional info on them, as he is on a diet... They are some kind of crazy superfood and have all sorts of good stuff but they also pack up to 7 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in one potato!!!!!!! I know that you have to be careful about amount of vitamin A in pregnancy so I am wondering why these aren't on the avoid list? I am a little worried now as I have eaten lots today and some the other day too....
> 
> Thought I'd share the info and see if anyone else has any insight?

Really? There goes another of my favorites :cry: Tbh I'm starting to think that if you look up ANY food, you'll find a reason not to eat it in pregnancy, and then where will be.
Every time I google something I find a few answers saying it's fine and then come across one that will say no its unsafe because of x, y, or z and it ruins eating it for me anyway because I'd worry if I did. I'm personally avoiding ANYTHING anyone even suggests is unsafe but before I found out I was pregnant I'd drunk pretty heavily, eaten plenty of soft cheese, even a kebab from a takeaway van.... and it's had no effect on the baby, scans show baby is totally fine.


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## Jessi

rachelkt said:


> I found this on babycenter.com:
> 
> "Sweet potatoes get their orange color from carotenoids, plant pigments that are converted to vitamin A in our bodies, says Ward.
> Although consuming too much "preformed" vitamin A (found in animal sources, such as liver, milk, and eggs) can be dangerous, carotenoids are a different story. They're converted to vitamin A only as needed, so there's no need to restrict your consumption of vitamin A-rich fruits and veggies."
> 
> Maybe that is why??

Ahh that makes sense!


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## dachsundmom

Vit A in the form of beta carotene is fine, which is what gives veggies their color.

If you look at the label on your vitamins, you might see that is says some of the Vit A in them is derived from beta carotene...you can not OD on this form of Vit A. 

Enjoy your sweet potatoes.:flower:


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## campn

They're just too good to be on the "do not eat" list. Eat all you want and send some my way!


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## minties

Bleh, they are revolting anyway!


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## Reidfidleir

This has become one of my favorite pregnancy foods. :) I like them anyway but I feel so good after eating one. They're satisfying filling and I feel "complete" nutritionally after eating one if that makes any sense.


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## Dalila

great. now I want sweet potatoes :(


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## freddie

Well I think baby likes sweet potatoes cos after 2 days of not really feeling much movement and going up to get checked out by midwife he was having a party in there after dinner lol!


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