Heart Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

While sweet potato and butternut squash are not the same thing, they are incredibly similar from the nutrient profile perspective.

There are a few reasons why this is the case: 1. They both serve the traditional role of “healthy starch” in the sense they are high in fibre and low in glycemic index 2. They are both sweet in taste and orange in colour, a reflection of their high beta-carotene (Vitamin A) content 3. They are both in in specific nutrients of interest such as soluble fibre ( for blood cholesterol lowering) and potassium ( for blood pressure lowering) 4. They are both absolutely delicious, although this point is perhaps more subjective.

Although clearly distinct botanically, with sweet potato skin offering something unique nutritionally to match the fact that squash does indeed have edible seeds – both of these exceptional selections are also high in magnesium, a nutrient that many people in Canada do not consume enough of.

Presenter: Dr. Graham Wong, Cardiologist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Cardiologist