Sprouted potatoes are often found at the end of winter both in home supplies and on store shelves. The harvest collected in the fall begins to spoil quickly, and doctors advise avoiding its consumption as it may be unsafe. Here’s why.
At the end of winter, it is important to inspect potatoes more carefully when purchasing, choosing firm tubers without rot, eyes on the skin, and sprouts. According to toxicologist Mikhail Kutushov, using sprouted potatoes in cooking can be dangerous. This is due to the presence of a toxic substance — solanine, which is found in small amounts in regular potatoes, but its level increases during sprouting, especially in the sprouts, greenish areas, and under the skin, reports Doctorpiter.
One should not hope that boiling or frying will make such potatoes safe. As the toxicologist emphasizes, solanine does not break down during thermal processing.
“Sprouted potatoes can lead to solanine poisoning, which will cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, as well as headaches and chills. Often, people do not even realize that the cause of their sudden health deterioration was the greenish and sprouted potatoes,” warns Mikhail Kutushov, adding that children are particularly vulnerable to such poisoning.
White sprouts and eyes on the potato skin indicate that the tuber has almost no vitamins left.
If you accidentally consumed sprouted potatoes, Mikhail Kutushov recommends taking activated charcoal, and if symptoms of poisoning appear, immediately consult a doctor.
To keep potatoes longer and slow down sprouting, the specialist advises:
* storing potatoes in a cool dark place,
* not storing them next to apples, onions, and tomatoes. These fruits and vegetables emit ethylene, which accelerates potato sprouting.
Dangerous Potato Gas
Last year in Vladivostok, two men died in a basement while sorting through old potatoes. Many people know how specifically rotten potatoes smell. Investigators suggested that these vapors could have caused their deaths.
As allergist-immunologist Elena Paretskaya explained, when potatoes rot, sulfur analogs of alcohols — thiols — are released into the air, which can cause poisoning. Moreover, it is not necessary to be in the basement all day to be poisoned by potato gases; in some cases, 15–30 minutes is enough.
According to the doctor, potato gas is very heavy and settles on the floor, so a person breathes it in actively. The smaller the room, the higher the risk of poisoning. Therefore, in a basement where vegetables are stored, it is necessary to ventilate the room every time before working or, if possible, install ventilation.
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