If potatoes are high on your list of favorite vegetables, you're not alone. According to the Department of Agriculture, potatoes are the number one vegetable consumed by Americans, followed closely by tomatoes. Part of the potato's appeal is its versatility in the kitchen. From mashed potatoes to crispy fries, there are no limits to the creative ways to cook and enjoy potatoes.
Potatoes also provide a variety of important dietary nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. Since many vegetables can be eaten raw, you may be wondering if you can also add some raw potatoes to your plate.
Is it safe to eat raw potatoes?
It's safe to eat a small portion of raw potatoes occasionally, but the starch and bitter taste may be enough to keep you away. If you're adventurous enough to try eating raw potatoes, eating too many at once may cause gastrointestinal upsets like vomiting, bloating, and diarrhea due to difficult-to-digest resistant starch and other compounds like lectins and solanine. .
What happens if you eat raw potatoes?
According to a 2022 review in the Journal of Functional Foods, raw potatoes are particularly high in resistant starch, a starch that is "resistant" to digestion but can provide many other health benefits, such as supporting gut health and improving blood sugar control and weight. manage. When bacteria break down and ferment the resistant starch in raw potatoes, they form gas and short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. Butyrate helps provide energy to the cells lining the colon. However, the fermentation of resistant starch in the intestines can cause uncomfortable bloating and gas, especially if you consume large amounts of starch at one time.
Lectins are naturally occurring proteins found in a variety of plant and animal foods. Foods with the highest lectin concentrations include legumes, grains, and nightshade vegetables (such as potatoes). Lectins are called "antinutrients" because they may inhibit the absorption of essential nutrients such as calcium and iron. Ingesting too many lectins at one time from foods such as raw potatoes or uncooked grains may cause nausea, stomach upset, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fortunately, lectins are easily destroyed by cooking, sprouting, and fermentation. As a 2020 review in Nutrients states, the health benefits of consuming whole grains and lectin-rich foods like potatoes far outweigh any potential negative antinutritional effects. That being said, people with autoimmune diseases or digestive issues should talk to their healthcare provider to find out if they should avoid lectins.
Potatoes contain bitter-tasting compounds called glycoalkaloids, which are commonly found in plants in the nightshade family and can be toxic if eaten in large amounts. Potatoes contain two glycoalkaloids: solanine and chaconine. Potatoes sold in grocery stores are closely monitored for their glycoalkaloid content. However, when potatoes are stored improperly and exposed to sunlight, glycoalkaloid concentrations can reach potentially toxic amounts.
Acute solanine poisoning may occur, especially in children, when too much of this compound is consumed from green or raw potatoes. Generally, symptoms are mild, such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, but may also include headache, flushing, confusion and fever, according to the Nation's Capital Poison Center. Excessive ingestion of solanine has been linked to death, although this is very rare. Unfortunately, cooking does not reduce the solanine content in potatoes, but peeling potatoes that have started to turn green or sprout can help reduce the solanine content.
3 Tips to Make sure Your Potatoes Are Cooked
Puncture test: Pierce a cooked potato with a fork or sharp knife. The potatoes are thoroughly cooked when there is little resistance when pierced and your vessel is dry.
Thermometer: A potato is hot enough when the internal temperature in the thickest part reaches 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
Appearance: If you bake potatoes in the oven, the skins will become dry and crispy when the potatoes are fully cooked.
Are raw potatoes healthier than cooked potatoes?
According to a 2018 review published in the Journal of American Potato Research, raw potatoes contain nearly twice as much vitamin C as cooked potatoes because cooking destroys some of the vitamin C. They are also much higher in resistant starch, which is why raw potatoes have much higher levels of vitamin C. Potatoes may appeal to people who want to lose weight or improve their gut health. Cooking, on the other hand, increases the potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6 content in potatoes while destroying lectins, an antinutrient that reduces the absorption of essential nutrients.
How toxic are raw potatoes?
The toxin in potatoes that makes you sick is solanine, but the concentration of this naturally occurring compound varies widely depending on potato variety, growing conditions, and storage conditions. Additionally, the amount of solanine that can be taken before negative side effects occur varies from person to person, depending on body weight.
The European Food Safety Authority agrees that toxic doses of solanine are approximately 1 mg or more of solanine per kilogram of body weight. To put this into perspective, 1 potato contains approximately 0.18 mg/kg of solanine. Therefore, the risk of exposure to this level of solanine is low.
Which vegetables can be eaten raw?
Cooking vegetables, such as potatoes, can significantly improve the taste and texture and reduce the risk of foodborne infections when eaten raw. Basically any vegetable can be eaten raw, even those you may have been enjoying after cooking, such as parsnips, beets, bok choy and kohlrabi. Be aware that a sudden increase in your intake of raw vegetables may cause some uncomfortable gas and bloating as your intestines work harder to digest them.
generalize
If you're feeling adventurous, you can eat a small portion of raw potatoes once in a while, as it's a good source of gut-friendly resistant starch. However, the bitter and starchy taste and potential stomach upset or diarrhea may keep you away from it. Cooked potatoes provide as many nutritional and health benefits as raw potatoes without the risk of unpleasant side effects.
