Is it possible to eat green potatoes, is it dangerous for the human body and why
In addition to vitamins, micro- and macroelements useful for the human body, potatoes contain solanine. It is an organic compound, a poisonous glycoside, which is present in any part of the plant - in leaves, fruits, tubers, stems. For potatoes, it serves as a natural defense against damage by bacteria and some types of insects, and for humans it is toxic. The highest concentration of solanine is found in unripe green fruits.
What is solanine, what is its toxicity and harm to the body, what are the symptoms of poisoning and first aid, why the potatoes turned green in the light, can they be eaten, what is the danger of green potatoes - read the article.
The content of the article
Why potatoes turn green when stored in the light
There is little solanine in mature potatoes - 0.005%, but during long-term storage, it accumulates. Temperature and sunlight are decisive factors.
So why do potatoes turn green in the light? The fact is that chlorophyll is present in all parts of the plant, including the tubers. It is a green pigment responsible for green color and the process of photosynthesis, during which organic matter is formed from carbon dioxide and water under the influence of sunlight in the body of a plant.
In the course of evolution, the terrestrial part of the plant became green in order to better capture the necessary sunlight. The tubers located underground are not initially green, since the sun's rays do not penetrate into the soil. Also, tubers do not turn green under artificial light, because the process of photosynthesis is possible only under the sun.
What does the green tint mean
The green color of potato tubers indicates that they did not have time to ripen or during storage the fruits were not protected from the sun.
In addition, green tubersmean a high concentration of toxic solanine.
Is it possible to eat green potatoes
For those who are interested in the question, is it possible to eat green potatoes, we answer that green potato tubers are inedible... Heat treatment (boiling, stewing, frying) does not destroy the solanine. If ordinary fruits of green potatoes contain 0.005% solanine, then green ones - already 0.1%, and tops in general 0.25%. In addition, such potatoes have an unpleasant bitter aftertaste and are slightly knitting in the mouth.
And if you cut off the green part
Experts strongly discourage eating green potatoes, but at the same time, it is said that after removing the surface of the peel to a depth of 1 cm and prolonged heat treatment, the fruits remain edible. However, when gardening a quarter of a tuber, it is categorically contraindicated to eat it, as well as feeding it to animals. Root crops must be destroyed or used as planting material.
Solanin successfully resists fungal microorganisms and harmful insects... Therefore, green tubers are a quality planting material. Such root crops give a higher yield, 20% higher compared to conventional fruits. Agronomists even recommend keeping the planting tubers in the sun for several days before greening and regrowth of underground shoots.
Interesting about potatoes:
What is the danger of potatoes and can they be poisoned
What happens if you eat green potatoes
Why are green potatoes dangerous? A small portion of unripe potato tubers does not threaten human health and life, especially if the root crops have been cooked before cooking. Solanine poisoning is possible after eating several kilograms of unpeeled green potatoes without heat treatment. Potatoes are considered life-threatening, 100 g of which contains 40 g of solanine.
What is solanine and how is it harmful
Solanine is a poisonous glycoside that is produced in plants of the nightshade family. and is found in any part of the plant. As for potatoes, there is especially a lot of solanine in the skins and sprouts.
In ordinary potato roots, the level of solanine is 0.005%, in green tubers it is much higher. Upon reaching maturity, the vegetable becomes whitish, yellowish or reddish, depending on the variety, and the solanine content decreases. And the fruits can be eaten after heat treatment.
Attention! Solanine is toxic to humans even in small doses. It causes excitement and depression of the nervous system, then depression, destruction of erythrocytes. High doses of alkaloid can provoke fever, seizures, dehydration, which can be fatal for a weakened body.
Signs of solanine poisoning
Due to the accumulation of a toxic substance in the body in excess of the norm, intoxication occurs. With a small dose, there is a latent period, during which the person feels satisfactory.
The asymptomatic period lasts an average of 2-6 hours, sometimes shortened to 30-60 minutes or lasts about 24 hours. A mild form of poisoning is manifested by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache and dizziness, diarrhea. Stool frequency can be up to 10 times a day.
In case of moderate poisoning, the symptoms are similar, only brighter... The victim complains of lethargy, muscle pain, general malaise, reduced endurance and performance. The loss of fluid with vomiting and stool adversely affects the condition of the skin: it becomes dry, flabby, facial features sharpen.
In severe cases, the typical signs of poisoning are pronounced... Often the central nervous system is affected, which is manifested by hallucinations, speech and vision disorders, euphoria, convulsions, coma. When exposed to the cardiovascular system, arrhythmia, tachycardia are observed, blood pressure drops. Coma or death can result from heart failure.
First aid for solanine poisoning
The complex of emergency medical measures begins with gastric lavage to clean waters and setting an enema to remove toxic substances. For the same purpose, enterosorbents are prescribed, which have an antidiarrheal effect, absorb and remove glycosides and other compounds from the body.
If treatment and prophylactic measures did not help, the symptoms worsen, and the general state of health worsens, call an ambulance or take the victim to the hospital.
Replenish fluid loss to prevent dehydration... They drink sweet tea, saline solution, still mineral water. With moderate forms of poisoning, parenteral rehydration therapy is performed - the necessary solutions are injected into a vein through a dropper.
Take a note:
Precautions
The best way to prevent: grow potatoes in guaranteed safe conditions, without nitrates and other toxic substances. If you buy potatoes, pay attention to the appearance of the fruit, storage conditions. Don't buy the first young potatoes = chances are they will be oversaturated with nitrates.
Pay attention to the skin and integrity of the tubers... High-quality potatoes have a dense skin that is difficult to damage with a fingernail, they do not have black dots, traces of damage by insects.
Eating green potatoes is undesirable, but it is possible after removing a thick layer of peel and prolonged heat treatment. In everything, you need to know when to stop: even in a healthy person, large portions of a quality product can provoke negative manifestations - constipation, allergies, exacerbation of type 2 and 3 diabetes mellitus.
Council. Experts recommend choosing medium-sized fruits whenever possible, since large fruits contain salts and esters of nitric acid that are toxic to humans, and small fruits have not yet had time to grow and ripen.
Potato storage rules
The accumulation of solanine and sugar - glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose - in potato tubers can be controlled by changing the temperature and humidity of the air, avoiding direct sunlight. Optimal conditions for storing potatoes: temperature from +2 to + 5 ° С, air humidity - 85-90%. In such conditions, more sugar is consumed than formed. At temperatures above + 5 ° C, tubers begin to develop, axillary buds germinate on them. When the temperature drops to 0 ° C, starch is converted into sugar, and maltose accumulates in the fruits.
For storing crops at home, it is ideal to use a cellar or vegetable store. The room must comply with constant conditions - darkening, low temperature, fresh air.
Preparation for storing potatoes begins immediately after harvest... The tubers ripen in August-September, during this period it is necessary to remove the roots. If potatoes are in the ground for a long time, they begin to absorb excess moisture, which adversely affects the taste and shortens its shelf life.
You cannot wash potato tubers before laying in the cellar.... Initially, they must be cleaned of dirt with your hands, laid out in a well-ventilated room or under a canopy so that the roots dry well.
Attention! Avoid direct sunlight.
Further you need to sort the potatoes according to the size of the tubers, remove the damaged fruits... If you are growing your own potatoes, cut off a portion of the crop for planting right away. Carefully pour the potatoes into bags so as not to damage the tubers, lower them into the cellar. In the cellar, it is better to store vegetables in wooden boxes or pallets. If you sprinkle potatoes on the floor, there is a great risk of losing some of the crop.
Containers must have openings for free air circulationdo not place them on the floor or close to walls. Before laying the crop, it is advisable to treat the boxes with an antiseptic and dry well. To protect the crop from damage by insects, vegetable growers recommend sprinkling the crop with ash, chalk, spreading out bags with wormwood, elderberry or mountain ash leaves.
Periodically it is recommended to check the condition of the potatoes, remove damaged or rotten tubers.
Council. For additional protection of potatoes from the cold, you can cover it with felt, sprinkle it with sawdust or straw on top. Ideally store beets on top of potatoes. It not only helps to keep warm, but also absorbs moisture well.
How to prevent greening of potatoes
It is possible to prevent greening of potato tubers, protecting them from sunlight, creating favorable conditions for storage - dry air with a humidity of 85-90%, temperature - + 2-5⁰С.
In the absence of a cellar, crops cannot be stored on the balcony, as it is poorly protected from sunlight. In this case, it is better to buy the product in small portions and store it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, but not sealed to allow air access.
Conclusion
Green potatoes are not edible. It contains solanine, a toxic substance that can cause poisoning, vomiting and seizures. You cannot eat such potatoes.To prevent greening of tubers, observe storage rules and precautions.