Nutrition Diet Guide: How to reduce acidity in potatoes?

October 21, 2025 •

5 min read

While many people believe potatoes are highly acidic, they actually have an alkalizing effect on the body once digested. The perception of acidity is often due to improper storage, cooking methods, or specific sensitivities. This guide will teach you how to reduce acidity in potatoes and prepare them in ways that promote digestive health.

Quick Summary

Potatoes are an alkalizing food despite their slightly acidic pH. This article explores the causes of perceived acidity, such as improper storage (solanine) or cooking with acidic ingredients, and offers practical solutions for preparation.

Key Points

Alkalizing Effect: Despite being slightly acidic on the pH scale, potatoes are alkaline-forming in the body, which is beneficial for digestion.
Prevent Solanine: Store potatoes in a cool, dark, and dry place to prevent the buildup of solanine, which causes bitterness and is toxic in high doses.
Add Baking Soda: Boiling potatoes with a small amount of baking soda can increase the water's alkalinity, which helps break down the surface for crispier roasted potatoes.
Choose Gentle Cooking: Avoid frying and opt for baking, steaming, or boiling to reduce fat intake and make them easier on sensitive digestive systems.
Boost Resistant Starch: Cooking and then cooling potatoes increases their resistant starch content, which acts as a prebiotic to support a healthy gut microbiome.
Address Bitterness: If potatoes taste bitter, they likely contain high levels of solanine and should be discarded. Peeling green potatoes can reduce the toxin, but extreme cases should be avoided entirely.

Understanding Potato Acidity: pH vs. PRAL

For those concerned about digestive health, understanding the difference between a food's pH and its potential renal acid load (PRAL) is crucial. A food's pH measures its intrinsic acidity or alkalinity. Raw potatoes typically have a mildly acidic pH, ranging from 5.4 to 5.9. However, the PRAL value indicates the net effect a food has on the body's acid-base balance after digestion. Because they are rich in minerals like potassium, potatoes have a negative PRAL value, meaning they are alkaline-forming in the body. This makes them a beneficial food for individuals managing conditions like acid reflux or gastritis. Problems arise not from the potato's inherent nature but from improper handling and preparation.

Managing Solanine to Prevent Bitterness

One of the most common reasons for a potato to taste unpleasant, often described as bitter or metallic, is the presence of solanine. Solanine is a naturally occurring glycoalkaloid that develops in potatoes when they are exposed to light, physical damage, or allowed to sprout. High levels of solanine are toxic and can cause digestive distress.

What Causes Solanine Buildup?

Exposure to light, especially sunlight, causes the potato to produce chlorophyll, which gives it a green tint. While chlorophyll itself is harmless, its presence is a strong indicator of increased solanine production. The same conditions that cause greening also promote solanine synthesis. High or low storage temperatures can also accelerate this process.

Simple Solanine Reduction Steps

Proper handling is key to avoiding solanine accumulation:

Store Properly: Always store potatoes in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as a pantry or cabinet, away from direct sunlight.
Inspect and Discard: Before cooking, inspect potatoes for any green spots, soft patches, or sprouts. If the potato is very green or tastes noticeably bitter, it's best to discard it entirely.
Trim and Peel: For potatoes with minor greening, peeling them and removing any sprouts can significantly reduce the solanine content, as it is most concentrated in the skin.

Cooking Methods to Control Acidity

Your cooking technique can significantly influence how potatoes affect your digestion, especially if you have acid sensitivity. Avoiding high-fat cooking methods and controlling the pH of the cooking environment are effective strategies.

Boil in Alkaline Water

To create an extra-crispy exterior for roasted potatoes, many chefs add a small amount of baking soda to the boiling water. This raises the water's pH, breaking down the potato's surface starches and creating a starchy slurry that crisps beautifully in the oven. This technique intentionally makes the cooking water more alkaline, further contributing to the potato's digestion-friendly nature.

Avoid Cooking with Acidic Ingredients

If you are making a dish that includes acidic ingredients, such as tomato sauce or a lemon-based marinade, cook the potatoes separately first. Boiling potatoes directly in an acidic liquid can prevent them from softening properly. After par-boiling them in neutral, salted water, you can add them to the acidic sauce to finish cooking.

Opt for Gentle Cooking

For those with sensitive stomachs, the method of cooking can be as important as the food itself. Frying potatoes in oil adds a significant amount of fat, which can be a trigger for acid reflux. Healthier alternatives like baking, steaming, and microwaving retain more nutrients and are easier on the digestive system.

Maximizing Gut Health with Potatoes

Far from being an empty carbohydrate, potatoes contain resistant starch, a type of prebiotic fiber that promotes gut health.

The Power of Resistant Starch

When potatoes are cooked and then cooled, some of the digestible starch is converted into resistant starch. This type of fiber resists digestion in the small intestine and instead ferments in the large intestine, feeding beneficial gut bacteria.

Resistant Starch and Gut Bacteria

This fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which have anti-inflammatory effects and are crucial for the health of your colon cells. Incorporating cooked-and-cooled potatoes into your diet, for example in a potato salad, is a great way to boost your resistant starch intake.

Potato Preparation for Sensitive Stomachs (Gastritis/GERD)

For individuals dealing with conditions exacerbated by high acidity, the right potato preparation can offer soothing relief. The key is to keep it simple and low-fat.

Frying vs. Baking

As mentioned, fried potatoes and greasy toppings can worsen acid reflux. Instead, opt for a simple baked potato. A light spray of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt can add flavor without excess fat, and the starchy interior can help absorb stomach acid.

Raw Potato Juice

In some natural remedy circles, raw potato juice is used to alleviate gastritis and acid reflux symptoms. It is highly alkaline and can provide a temporary neutralizing effect on stomach acid. However, raw potatoes are difficult to digest and should be consumed with caution and only after consulting a healthcare professional.

Table: Impact of Preparation on Potato Acidity/Digestibility


Preparation Method	Impact on Acidity	Effect on Digestion	Notes
Baking	Low acid impact, often alkalizing.	Easy to digest, especially with minimal fat.	Great for acid reflux. Using Russets helps absorb stomach acid.
Boiling with Baking Soda	Alkalizing due to added baking soda.	Creates a very soft, starchy surface that is easy to digest.	Can be used for extra-crispy roast potatoes.
Frying	High-fat, which can increase acid reflux symptoms.	More difficult to digest due to high fat content.	Avoid for sensitive stomachs.
Cooking in Acidic Sauce	Absorbs acidity from the sauce.	Can become firm and fail to soften properly.	Boil separately first for best results.
Cooking and Cooling	Remains alkalizing.	Increases resistant starch, which benefits gut health.	Ideal for potato salads and dishes served cold.

Conclusion: Making Potatoes Work for You

Potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse and, contrary to popular belief, are alkaline-forming in the body. The perception of them causing acidity often stems from other factors. By properly storing your potatoes to prevent solanine buildup, choosing gentle cooking methods like baking or steaming over frying, and being mindful of how they interact with other acidic ingredients, you can enjoy these versatile vegetables as a healthy, digestion-friendly part of your diet. Whether you're aiming to manage acid reflux or boost your gut microbiome, simple adjustments to your preparation can make all the difference.

For more information on the health implications of green potatoes, you can consult this resource: Healthline's "Green Potatoes: Harmless or Poisonous?".

Frequently Asked Questions

No, while the potato itself has a slightly acidic pH, its net effect on the body, known as the potential renal acid load (PRAL), is alkalizing, making it beneficial for those with acid reflux.

A bitter or metallic taste is typically caused by solanine, a natural toxin that develops when potatoes are improperly stored and exposed to light. Always check for green spots and sprouts, and store potatoes in a cool, dark place.

Yes, cooking methods can affect how potatoes impact your digestive system. Boiling with a small amount of baking soda can increase alkalinity, while avoiding deep frying reduces the fat content that can trigger acid reflux.

Adding a small amount of baking soda to the boiling water increases its alkalinity. For roasted potatoes, this technique helps break down the surface to create a starchy exterior that crisps up perfectly.

Store potatoes in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as a pantry or cabinet, to prevent light exposure that leads to solanine buildup. Avoid storing them in the refrigerator, as it can convert starches to sugar.

Some traditional remedies use raw potato juice as a highly alkaline treatment to neutralize stomach acid and soothe gastritis symptoms. However, this should only be done with caution and after consulting a healthcare professional.

For potatoes with minor greening, peeling and removing the green areas can reduce the solanine content significantly. However, if the potato is very green or tastes bitter, it is best to throw it away.