Orange Shakarkandi Beta Carotene: Which Root Has More?
Orange fleshed shakarkandi had detectable beta carotene in a 2020 Tanzanian study, while white fleshed roots had none that could be measured. So the flesh colour, not the skin, is your first clue at the market.
At a glance
- Orange flesh: carries beta carotene, the plant form the body can turn into vitamin A
- White flesh: beta carotene was below detection levels in the 2020 study
- Cut test: ask the seller to cut one root across the middle and look at the flesh in daylight
- Cooking: boiling kept more beta carotene than frying in that study, and the abstract reports no roasting result
- Rule to repeat: look at the flesh, not the skin, when beta carotene is the goal
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Does orange shakarkandi really have more beta carotene?
The comparison comes from a 2020 paper by Badi Bao and Leonard Fweja in the Tanzania Journal of Science, a journal hosted by the University of Dar es Salaam. Their team reported that beta carotene was below detection levels in white fleshed varieties, but detectable in orange fleshed ones, whatever the processing. For a shopper, that makes flesh colour the marker to check.
Beta carotene is the most common provitamin A, according to MedlinePlus, and the body can convert it into vitamin A. Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, sweet potatoes among them, are the everyday plant sources that encyclopedia lists.
How do you check the flesh before you buy?
A sack of shakarkandi can look the same from the outside, so use this order at the market. The picking guide covers the rest of the selection.
- Pick firm roots without soft spots, then move on to the flesh check.
- Ask the seller to cut one root across the middle, and look at the flesh in daylight, not under a shop light.
- Choose orange flesh if beta carotene is the reason you are buying. Cream or white flesh is the type that had no measurable beta carotene in that study.
- If the seller will not cut one, buy from a different shop, because you are paying for a root you cannot see inside.
Does cooking keep the beta carotene?
Some of it stays, and the cooking method changes how much. In the study, boiled orange fleshed roots kept a higher share of their beta carotene than fried ones. The abstract reports no roasting result, so this article cannot give a roasting figure. For how to roast the root well, the shakarkandi picking, roasting and storing guide covers the method without repeating it here.
Fat with the meal is a separate question, covered in the saag and makhan post, so this piece does not repeat it.
Is white shakarkandi still useful in the kitchen?
White shakarkandi is still a root you can cook, so the question is what you are buying it for. For beta carotene specifically, the 2020 study detected none in white varieties. If the recipe calls for a pale mash or a particular texture, choose by the dish, and reach for the orange root when the carotene is the goal.
How much makes a simple everyday plate?
Think in household portions rather than weights. One medium root, or a katori of mashed or cubed shakarkandi with dal and a green vegetable, is a simple everyday plate. If you manage blood sugar, the blood sugar question has its own post, the GI and diabetes guide, and your doctor or dietitian is the person to set your plan.
Try this on your next market run
Ask the seller to cut one root, look at the flesh in daylight, then take a photo on your phone. You now have a reference picture from that shop, and you can match the flesh colour on the next visit without a knife.
If you manage blood sugar, check your plan with your doctor or dietitian rather than changing it because of this article. MedlinePlus notes that large amounts of beta carotene can turn the skin yellow or orange, and that the colour returns to normal once you cut back. If it does not fade after you cut back, see a doctor.
Bottom line: If beta carotene is the reason for buying, choose the root with orange flesh, check it with a cut, and boil it rather than fry it when you can, since boiling kept more in that study.
Browse more in Vitamins and Minerals.
Orange shakarkandi and beta carotene: the questions people ask
Which shakarkandi has more vitamin A?
Orange fleshed shakarkandi has more beta carotene, the plant form the body can turn into vitamin A. In the 2020 Tanzanian study, beta carotene was detectable in orange varieties and below detection levels in white ones.
Orange shakarkandi vs white shakarkandi: which should I buy?
For beta carotene, buy the orange fleshed root. White shakarkandi is still a usable root for cooking, but it was the group with no measurable beta carotene in that study. Let the recipe decide the rest.
Is orange sweet potato good for the eyes?
This article makes no eye claim, because the sources here cover beta carotene and cooking, not eye health. If your eyesight changes or your eyes feel different, see an eye doctor rather than relying on food.
Does roasting shakarkandi destroy beta carotene?
The 2020 study abstract reports no roasting result, so this article cannot say how much roasting keeps. The study did find that boiling kept more beta carotene than frying, which is the one cooking comparison available here.
How do I know shakarkandi is orange inside?
Ask the seller to cut one root across the middle and look at it in daylight. Look at the flesh rather than the skin, because the flesh is what the 2020 study measured.
Is white shakarkandi healthy?
White shakarkandi is a normal root vegetable for cooking. Whether any food suits your health depends on your whole diet, so this article gives no health verdict on the white root. For beta carotene specifically, white varieties had none that could be measured in that study.
Is shakarkandi a source of vitamin A?
Orange shakarkandi is a source of beta carotene, which the body can turn into vitamin A. MedlinePlus lists sweet potatoes among the orange and yellow vegetables and fruits that supply this plant form.
Can eating a lot of orange sweet potato turn skin orange?
Yes, large amounts can. MedlinePlus says high amounts of beta carotene can turn the skin yellow or orange, and that the colour returns to normal once you cut back. Normal portions are the sensible default. If the colour does not fade after you cut back, see a doctor.
Is shakarkandi good for diabetes?
That question has its own post, so this article does not answer it. Read the GI and diabetes guide, and check your plan with your doctor or dietitian before changing what you eat.
Does cooking shakarkandi remove the beta carotene?
Not all of it. Cooking changes how much stays, and in the 2020 study boiling kept more than frying. The abstract reports no roasting result, so the method you choose matters, but the study gives no figure for roasting.