24 The Sweet Potato 



tato; pound for pound the sweet potato contains about 

 one^-half more available food than does the more com- 

 monly used Irish potato. 



Aside from the purely chemical food value of the 

 sweet potato, it supplies valuable mineral salts which 

 are not obtained in cereal carbohydrates. These min- 

 eral salts, which are composed largely of potassium 

 compounds, are very valuable in offsetting the acid 

 effect brought about by meats and other common pro- 

 tein foods in the body. To maintain the system in a 

 state of vigor and efficiency, the general diet should be 

 neutral or slightly alkaline rather than overly acid. 

 ISTothing is so valuable as an alkaline medicine as fresh 

 vegetables and in supplying these mineral salts the sweet 

 potato, because of its many ways of preparation and 

 palatability, will be found to rank well in the list of 

 cheaply available vegetables. The sweet potato is easily 

 prepared and has the goods points of a cereal plus the 

 advantages of a vegetable. Although containing less 

 fat and protein than most cereals, it furnishes the body 

 a large proportion of mineral substances. A cupful of 

 boiled potatoes would furnish the body with about as 

 much energy as a cupful of boiled rice. Although the 

 available protein in the sweet potato may be a little 

 more easily digested than that of the Irish potato, yet 

 the difference is so small as to be negligible. All experi- 

 mental data available indicates a degree of digestibility ' 

 equal to that of white potatoes.^ 0. F. Langworthy 

 says, " It is a matter of common experience that sweet 

 potatoes are wholesome, and they are ordinarily di- 

 gested without distress. Many persons find the starchy 



iBuU. 468, U. S. Dept. Agi., page' 21. 



