Sweet Potatoes Market Driven by Increasing Demand for Beta Carotene in Medicines

Sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant with sweet and nutritious tuberous root. Sweet potatoes are high in beta carotene and are a good source of potassium, vitamin A and C, and fiber. Beta carotene acts as oxidants and helps in maintaining healthy blood pressure and protects against cancer. The high fiber content of sweet potatoes also helps in preventing constipation. According to a recent research report from IndustryARC, the sweet potatoes market was worth $42,164 million in 2017 and is estimated to exceed to $45,395 million by 2023, with a steady CAGR of 1.23% during the forecast period 2018-2023. The report is titled “Sweet Potatoes Market: By Application (Food, Beverage, Animal Feed and Others); By Form (Whole Product, Paste, Flour and Others); By Type (Fresh, Frozen, Dried and Others); By End Use (Commercial, Residential and Others); By Geography – Forecast (2018-2023).”

Sweet potatoes are widely used in the food and beverages industry and also as animal feed. The sweet potato flour is used as a substitute for wheat flour in preparing bakery products such as biscuits and cookies and also adds sweetness, color, and flavor to them. The major factor driving the growth of the sweet potatoes market is increasing demand from the food manufacturers who are offering many sweet potato flour products as snacks, meals, and culinary dishes in companies. As it has high nutritional value, the demand for sweet potatoes from health-conscious customers is increasing rapidly, gaining traction from improved awareness owing to social media. According to the USDA’s national nutrient database, a baked sweet potato with skin contains 103 calories with 0 grams of fat and 24 grams of carbohydrate, including four grams of fiber, seven grams of sugar, and 2.3 grams of protein.

Browse 70 Market Tables, 178 Figures and an in-depth TOC on “Sweet Potatoes Market (2018 - 2023)”

Sweet Potatoes as Medicine
Consumption of plant foods such as sweet potatoes decreases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer. Sweet Potato peel contains assays such as Sulforhodamine B, and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) which are used to prevent the development of different types of cancer. The types of cancers prevented using sweet potatoes are breast, colon-1, colon-2, ovary, lung, and neck cancers. The alcoholic extraction of sweet potatoes was divided into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. The n-hexane is widely used for the anticancer activity.

Sweet potatoes are considered low on the glycemic index scale which helps to reduce low blood sugar and insulin resistance in people with diabetes. A sweet potato with peel contains about six grams of fiber which helps as enzymes for diabetes patients. Low sodium intake helps to keep healthy blood pressure. According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, less than 2% of American adults are in need of 4,700 milligrams of potassium daily. A medium sweet potato provides about 542 milligrams of potassium, which helps to decrease the risk of death in all causes.

Sweet potatoes contain high fiber content, which will help to prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive track. During pregnancy and lactation, vitamin A in sweet potatoes is used for hormone synthesis. Sweet potatoes contain vitamin C and beta-carotene which are used for immunity boosting, mainly in children. Vitamin A deficiency can damage vision, the cornea can become dry, leading to clouding of the front of the eye. The antioxidant vitamins C and E in sweet potatoes have been shown to support eye health and prevent degenerative damage.

Some of the major players operating on the sweet potatoes market are McCain Foods Limited, Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., Yantai China Pet Foods Co., Ltd., and Nash Produce.

The sweet potato is a plant with nutritious tuberous root. The high fiber content of sweet potatoes helps in the prevention of constipation and cancer. The usage of sweet potatoes in the food and beverages industry is poised to add new revenue avenues for the market players in the near future.