Sprouting or green potatoes are toxic to humans.

As a student it always seemed a little cavalier to chop up a sprouted potato and eat it anyway. As a poor university undergraduate consuming foods which were a 'little off' was a respected and expected part of student life. As my knowledge grows however, 'the 5 second rule' and a few other mouldy consumptions now appear rather foolish.

When a potato goes green it is starting to sprout. It is about to grow and turn into a potato plant, given a little time and love. This is a good time to plant the potato or throw it into the compost. But why?

When a potato starts to sprout it produces toxic substances called 'glycoalkaloids' which develop into a highly poisonous chemical called 'solanine'. The potato produces these chemicals to protect it from hungry predators which may want to eat it before it has time to grow up and make babies. This is a rather fabulous natural phenomenon and nature is full of them. However, it seems that humans have lost some or all of their intuitive senses and see no problem with gobbling down sprouted potatoes to save a couple of quid (or I did anyway).

The potato is part of the nightshade family of vegetables including tomatoes, peppers and aubergines which all produce alkaloids which can be harmful to the body in large amounts (this is not to say you should avoid these foods as they are full of wonderful nutrients too, but be aware that in large amounts they may not be good for certain individuals, especially for people with arthritis or inflammatory pain conditions). Consuming 'glycoalkaloids' from sprouted potatoes can cause vomiting, tongue paralysis,cramps and spasms, pupil dilation, diarrhoea or giddiness.

Store potatoes in a cool, dark place to avoid them turning green.  Then you can enjoy a lovely baked potato without fear of being poisoned by it! 

Worth knowing.


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