Are Green Potatoes Bad for You? Healthy Eating Tips & How to Store Potatoes
Many people should avoid eating green potatoes mainly because they can have harmful effects on a person’s health. Organic gardening ensures that potato tubers have enough nutrients to guarantee the next healthy crop. The green color that forms on them is due to excess exposure to the sun, and abnormally high temperatures. While this green color will more than likely not cause cancer, it make cause sickness when eaten.
Reasons to Avoid Eating Green Potatoes
In children, these potatoes can cause fatal neurological or stomach disorders. Scientists claim that adults who suffer from gastroenteritis could have obtained the disease from eating green potatoes. They contain toxins known as glycoalkaloids, which are highly toxic and can result in death of a person or livestock.
Organic gardening prevents the growth of these harmful potatoes and this is why many gardeners use it. Within twelve hours of consuming the green potatoes, one is likely to experience symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pains and vomiting. Others symptoms include drowsiness, trembling, restlessness, mental confusion and hallucination. When such symptoms persist, one should access the services of a medical doctor to reduce their chances of suffering from gastroenteritis.
Chemicals that Cause the Green Coloring
Glycoalkaloids, which people refer to by its anonym ‘GA’, is a natural toxin that forms in the tubers, as part of its defense mechanism. They contain fungicidal and insecticidal characteristics, which are harmful to any living thing. GA or glycoalkaloids are toxins that cause people to experience severe stomach disorders, after consuming green potatoes over a long period of time.
To prevent the green coloring from occurring on healthy tubers, people should avoid purchasing young potatoes as they could absorb a lot of light and acquire the green coloring. Alternatively, gardeners may use their organic gardening skills to rear a healthy crop of potatoes. However, one should note that different potatoes have different levels of glycoalkaloids. When a potato has a higher amount of glycoalkaloids, it tends to have a dark green color. This means that the potatoes that have a lighter shade of green, have a smaller amount of glycoalkaloids.
Storing the Potatoes
After purchasing young potatoes, store them in a dark place, where there is no light. Keeping them in plastic bags may cause them to become moist and they may begin to rot quite fast. Instead, use brown paper bags to wrap them because they are darker and have small openings that allow the potatoes to breath. People may also place them in cool areas within a cellar.
Reference Materials
https://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=189&p_type=all&p_sci=sci
