What is the danger of potatoes and can they be poisoned

People are suspicious of exotic fruits and vegetables, but there are foods that no one suspects. One of them is potatoes. This vegetable grows in almost 100 countries and in a wide variety of latitudes. In Russia (and not only), potatoes have become a staple food, which is why they received the name "second bread" among the people.

Everyone has known potatoes since childhood; hundreds of delicious and healthy dishes can be prepared from it. This vegetable is so firmly included in the daily diet that there is not even a thought that it can be poisoned. But potato tubers are by no means so harmless and can lead to severe poisoning. Read on how not to fall prey to poisonous potatoes and what to do in case of poisoning.

Potato poison

Potatoes belong to the nightshade family, which includes many plants with a very bad reputation. It's a dope tobacco, bittersweet nightshade and henbane, from which poisons have been made from time immemorial. All these plants contain toxins, some of them, even in small quantities, are deadly to humans.

It may seem that potatoes stand apart from their dangerous relatives, but they are not. It also synthesizes and accumulates toxic substances: solanine and hakonin. These are glycoalkaloids that are produced in the tubers, stems, leaves and flowers of potatoes to protect against insects and various diseases... The concentration of hakonin in tubers is low, so the main danger for potato lovers is solanine.

It is interesting! Solanine is a toxin specific to nightshades. Therefore, it is named in accordance with the Latin name of this family (Solanaceae).

Most of the solanine is found in the peel, the tuber layer just below it, and in the so-called eyes - potato buds. Therefore, despite the fact that it is in the peel that most of the beneficial substances of potatoes are concentrated, you should not eat it.

Almost everyone knows from childhood that you can't eat green potatoes. Therefore, many people believe that the greens on the potato skins are solanine, but this is not the case. The discoloration of the tubers is caused by the absolutely harmless chlorophyll, which is produced there under the influence of the sun. Greens are considered an unambiguous sign of poisoning, but sometimes poisonous potatoes do not differ at all in color from safe ones.

The greatest harm is carried by potatoes located in open display cases in direct sunlight. After all, it is sunlight that contributes to the production of solanine. Sometimes the buyer gets old tubers that have exceeded their shelf life. Such potatoes can also contain a dangerous concentration of toxin.

It is interesting! In order to prevent the appearance of solanine in potatoes, in America and Europe, manufacturers pack it in opaque linen bags and set a shelf life of 3 months.

How does intoxication occur?

From the digestive system, solanine is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried throughout the body. On average, this takes about 2 hours. The nervous, cardiovascular and urinary systems, as well as the respiratory system, are at the highest risk.

Can I get poisoned by potatoes? The concentration of 2–5 mg per 1 kg of body weight is dangerous for the body. If it reaches 6 mg / kg, death is possible. For a person weighing 70 kg, the lethal dose will be 420 mg.

Based on these figures, poisoning occurs if you eat about 2 kg of green potatoes at a time. Few people are able to cope with such a portion, and it may seem that there is no danger. But here one extremely dangerous property of this substance comes into force.

Solanin is completely excreted from the body only after a day. If you consume poisonous potatoes several times a day for several days, the toxin accumulates in the body and can reach a concentration that is dangerous to health. It is this factor that brings trouble to those who believe that small portions of green potatoes do not harm the body.

It is interesting! One of the most widespread potato poisonings occurred in 1979 at a London boys' school. Then 78 children and several teachers suddenly developed abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions. Some even fell into a coma. Investigating doctors found the outbreak was caused by a sack of potatoes that had been stored in the basement for a year.

Poisoning symptoms

Potato poisoning in its symptoms is not too different from ordinary food poisoning. The first signs can be observed after 8-12 hours after consumption:

• bitterness and burning sensation in the mouth;
• temperature increase;
• rapid breathing, shortness of breath;
• dilated pupils;
• cardiopalmus;
• prostration;
• strong salivation;
• stomach cramps;
• nausea and vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• headache and dizziness;
• drowsiness;
• fainting, convulsions.

In some cases, the poisoned person has impaired speech coherence and confusion is observed. Even less often, the patient falls into a coma. As a rule, this happens with extremely severe poisoning and depression of the nervous system.

According to the severity of the symptoms of solanine poisoning, 3 degrees of severity are distinguished:

1. For mild poisoning digestive upset occurs, which is accompanied by a feeling of nausea. There may be vomiting 3–6 times a day. Often there is a headache and not very severe abdominal pain.
2. For moderate poisoning there are much more pronounced symptoms. The patient experiences severe and painful abdominal cramps, diarrhea and severe, frequent vomiting. Also, this degree of severity is characterized by dizziness, high blood pressure and an abnormal heart rhythm (tachycardia).
3. In case of severe poisoning the patient has convulsions, he periodically loses consciousness, the function of the heart and kidneys is impaired. Because solanine depresses the nervous system, some of those affected fall into a coma.

First aid

First aid should be given to a victim of solanine as soon as symptoms appear. But before that, you should determine the severity of the poisoning.

In case of mild poisoning, it is enough to limit the intake of sorbents (for example, activated carbon) and a large amount of liquid. After 1-2 days, all signs of intoxication should disappear.

If a poisoned person has confusion, coordination and speech are impaired, or convulsions begin, urgent medical attention is needed. To cope with such a severe poisoning with improvised means will not work.

Important! In case of poisoning of small children, pregnant women, diabetics or people with cardiovascular diseases, it is imperative to call an ambulance, regardless of the expected severity of the poisoning.

Before the arrival of the doctor, you can:

1. Induce vomiting and wash out the stomach with plenty of water. These actions are repeated several times until the stomach is completely cleansed, that is, until the outgoing water becomes clear.
2. Reduce intoxication by giving the poisoned activated carbon, Enterosgel or Smecta.
3. Make sure that the body does not become dehydrated. The patient needs plenty of drink. You can give him water, compote or warm tea without sugar.

Poisoning treatment

Now the risk of death from solanine poisoning is extremely small.Before being sold, potatoes entering the store are carefully checked for the content of toxins that are dangerous to humans. But this does not provide a 100% security guarantee. Sometimes solanine is produced in tubers directly in stores if careless sellers violate storage conditions.

The duration of home treatment is no more than 10 days. The patient must be provided with peace. He should drink as much liquid as possible, take sorbents and follow a gentle diet. It is the diet that plays a key role at this time. Its violation can lead to unpleasant complications and slow down the treatment.

If the patient requires hospitalization, doctors carry out infusion and enzyme therapy, as well as symptomatic treatment.

Eating potatoes in case of poisoning

In case of poisoning, it is necessary to carefully select food products so as not to aggravate the situation. Often people wonder if potatoes can be eaten in case of poisoning. After all, this vegetable is one of the main ones in the daily diet.

The use of potatoes in case of poisoning is not prohibited. It does not aggravate the violation of peristalsis and does not irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. But not all potato dishes can be consumed.

On the first day of poisoning, nutritionists recommend giving up food altogether. From the second, you can switch to a sparing diet. The following dishes are suitable for her:

1. Mashed potatoes in water. It saturates well and does not overload the stomach. The consistency must be liquid, it is forbidden to add butter or milk to it.
2. Boiled potatoes... You can also eat boiled potatoes in case of poisoning. The solanine contained in it will be released into the water, so there is no risk of worsening the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Soups with potatoes. They should not contain a lot of dressing and fat, and spices should not be added.

In addition to cooking, steaming potatoes is permissible. But this method is less safe, since the steam treatment does not destroy the solanine.

Important! Each person has their own recovery period after poisoning, so you need to listen to your body. If discomfort occurs, it is better to reduce portions or discard the product that caused it.

The consequences of poisoning

The consequences of potato poisoning largely depend on the dose of solanine that has entered the body. Most often, a slight poisoning occurs, which passes after 1-3 days, and the person fully recovers.

In severe forms of poisoning, the consequences are more serious. Solanine can damage the nervous system, adversely affect the functions of the digestive system and kidney function.The result will be gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis, colitis or pancreatitis), chronic renal failure, and asthenic syndrome (wasting).

Sometimes acute renal failure develops from poisoning with solanine, which can be fatal. Such cases are extremely rare, and with timely assistance, their probability is reduced to zero.

Prevention measures

Despite the fact that sometimes a high concentration of solanine in potatoes cannot be determined with the naked eye, there are a number of techniques and rules that will help protect against poisoning:

1. The safest way is to buy prepackaged potatoes that have the packaging date on the packs. In this case, there is no risk of purchasing stale goods.
2. The best way to prevent solanine build-up is to store potatoes in a dark, cool place. Preferably in opaque linen bags.
3. The tubers should be inspected periodically. If any potatoes have turned green or sprouted, it is best to throw them away.
4. You should pay attention to seasonality. In summer, autumn and early winter, you can safely eat potatoes, since the harvest is still fresh and has not had time to accumulate dangerous toxins. After the New Year, it is better to limit yourself to the use of potatoes.
5. For self-cultivation, potatoes must be planted deep enough.Tubers that are too close to the surface or sticking out of the ground become bitter as their solanine content increases dramatically. It is also necessary to spud the potatoes.
6. As the potato ages, its rind gets thicker and the amount of corned beef increases. Therefore, both the peel and the top layer must be cut off from the stale root crop.
7. Solanine is not always excreted during cooking. Frying potatoes, on the other hand, increases (albeit slightly) its concentration, since some of the water comes out of the tubers. But during cooking, this toxin is removed from the potatoes into the water.

Read also:

What to do to prevent the eggplant from being bitter and is it possible to eat bitter fruits.

How to tell if a watermelon is a girl or a boy and choose a sweet, ripe fruit.

Conclusion

Potatoes are an inexpensive, tasty and nutritious product that can be used in an incredible variety of dishes. But even with it, certain precautions must be taken to avoid solanine poisoning.

Do not eat green or sprouted potatoes. Store it in a cool, dark place. Refrain from buying from street vendors or stores that cannot provide adequate storage conditions. Compliance with these simple rules will allow you to feast on any dishes from this vegetable without any risk to health.