All potatoes contain substances known as glycoalkaloids. The most common in potatoes are solanine and chaconine. Light reacts with these substances to turn potato flesh green. The green parts of a potato are a guide to where these substances tend to accumulate which is just below the potato skin. Ingested in large quantities these toxic compounds could lead to coma or even death. In smaller quantities the most likely effects are diarrhoea, headaches and stomach cramps. Fortunately these toxic substances are eliminated by thorough cooking. Solanine is the toxic substance found in deadly nightshade which indicates the potential seriousness of eating uncooked potatoes which are, in any case, hard to digest and unpleasantly flavoured. The only recent cases of solanine poisoning lined to potatoes have been the result of drinking potato leaf tea or green potatoes. When potatoes trun green it is an indication of higher concentrations of solanine and these parts should be cut out or the potato discarded without eating even after it has been cooked.
Raw potatoes are not poisonous. But gemmiparous potatoes are poisonous. Potatoes will produce toxin called solanine when sprouting. In generally, 10 mg solanine is contained in 100 grams good potatoes.Solanine in potatoes changed green, sproutted, rotted will be increased 50 times or more. Eat a very small amount of solanine is not obvious harmful.But if you eat 200 mg solanine once, there will be incidence after 15 minutes to 3 hours. The earliest symptoms is buccal and pharyngeal pruritus, upper abdominal pain and nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and others. People with lesser symptoms will heal through their own detoxification function after 1 to 2 hours.If eat 300 to 400 mg or more solanine, the symptoms will be very heavy.People should be sent to hospital for treatment as soon as possible.
No! When exposed to light biochemical changes occur under the skin of the potato and the are starts turning green in preparation for photosynthesis. This green should be peeled away other wise it contains chemicals which will cause gastro intestinal distress. You will get a tummy ache. It will not however, kill or damage you.
Yes if they have blight. You can see if they are effected by a green colouration on the potato. You can also get yellow vein virus. Better to cook them.
I used to eat raw potatoes frequently with seasoning salt for flavor and after reading about them on Wikipedia, I do recall getting stomach cramps if I ate too much. However I am still alive so munching on one occasionally is ok :). Just be sure to peel and wash it thoroughly, and watch out for shades of yellow or green!
Best way to eat a raw potato is to slice it up and put it in the blender, maybe add some spinach, spices, etc, sort of like making your own V8 juice. Try it that way and it won't taste bad. Are they poisonous? Um no and whoever started this bs is only doing it because they are probably so good for you, more vitamin C than an orange, I've heard.
I just ate some raw potato so decided to research. The nasty chemical in potatoes is called Solanine, and those who said about not eating green or sprouting potatoes agree with the semi-reliable wikipedia. According wiki again, while deep frying is very good at lowering Solanine levels, microwaving isn't that good and boiling doesn't lower the level at all. So maybe they are hard to digest, but it seems raw potatoes are no more poisonous than boiled ones
Ok. This is the most retarded question ever. I'm 40, male and a weight lifter. I'm eating a raw potatoe now and have eaten them all my life with no adverse affects. I was looking up raw potatoes to see if there was more or less starch in an uncooked one and I found all this B.S. Come on people, when was the last time you came out of the house or from under that rock?
I just ate a raw potato and DIED. Well, I didn't die I guess, but it sure was a NIGHTMARE. Ok, I didn't eat a raw potato. Who the hell eats raw potatoes?!!
