Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?

Nope. Yams grow above ground and sweet potatoes grow below ground.

I had to learn about this because my dad is on a low osolate diet. Sweet potatoes are loaded with osolates while yams have some but its a little ammount.

Because his body doesnt get ride of them they form stones in his kidney(yes just one kidney, his other had cancer so it was removed before it spread outside of the kidney and into the lymphnodes).

He is also unable to have most leafy vegetables, peanuts(nuts in general), chocolate, certain fruits are a no go too.

Done rambling . Difference yams above sweet below.

That sweet, orange-colored root vegetable that you love so dearly is actually a sweet potato. Yes, all so-called “yams” are in fact sweet potatoes. Most people think that long, red-skinned sweet potatoes are yams, but they really are just one of many varieties of sweet potatoes.

who cares