Can sprouted potatoes be eaten?

Potatoes, I think there are few children who don’t like to eat them! It is a common vegetable of all seasons that is basically eaten from childhood to adulthood and is loved by the general public and people never get tired of eating it! Whether it’s shredded potatoes, potato chips, mashed potatoes or even braised potatoes, etc.! It can be said that there are countless ways to cook potatoes! It can be said that potatoes are indispensable to us! However, we often find that potatoes will sprout if we don’t eat them for a period of time. As for these sprouted potatoes, can we eat them? Why can’t we eat it?

Potato, also known as sweet potato, potato and yam egg, is one of the main food crops in the world. Potatoes are rich in nutrients. The protein and vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 they contain are much higher than apples. The content of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium is also high. Especially potassium, it ranks first among vegetables. Potatoes contain only 0.1% fat, the least among all hunger-relief foods. Eating more potatoes every day can reduce fat intake. Potatoes contain a large amount of high-quality fiber, which can prevent constipation and prevent cancer.

Potatoes are a common food for people. After harvest, they are mostly stored in cellars. However, during storage, if the storage time is long, the temperature is high, and the sunlight shines directly on the surface of the potatoes, they may cause them to sprout. If people eat sprouted potatoes, they will experience poisoning symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness and diarrhea. In severe cases, it can cause paralysis of the heart and respiratory organs, or even death.

Sprouted potatoes contain a bioalkali called solanine which is harmful to the human body. It irritates the gastrointestinal mucosa, causes hemolysis and paralyzes the respiratory center. The eyes, roots and green parts of sprouted potatoes have higher content. If people eat them, they will have symptoms such as itchy throat, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, death. Therefore, sprouted potatoes cannot be eaten. *Do not eat unripe green-skinned potatoes. *The parts of potatoes that have sprouted, turned green or rotted should be completely removed. If a potato turns green over a large area and has many sprouted parts, you should throw the potato away. *Cut the peeled potatoes into small pieces and soak them in cold water for more than half an hour to dissolve the remaining solanine in the water. *Taking advantage of the weak alkalinity of solanine, add an appropriate amount of rice vinegar when roasting potatoes. The acidity of the vinegar can decompose the solanine and have a detoxifying effect. *When cooking potatoes, make sure they are crispy and cooked thoroughly, using long-term high temperature to partially decompose solanine. If you feel a numbing sensation in your mouth when eating potatoes, it means that the potatoes contain a lot of solanine. You should stop eating them immediately to prevent poisoning. It has been reported that if pregnant women eat too much Solanum nigrum, it may cause fetal malformations, so pregnant women should be particularly careful.

So, don’t eat potatoes that have sprouted! Don’t feel reluctant to spend money on it. If you get sick after eating it, it will be a waste of time!