What Happens if You Accidentally Eat Raw Potatoes? Risks and Remedies

While roughly a quarter of people have nibbled on a raw potato at some point during meal prep, the question remains: what happens if you accidentally eat raw potatoes?. A small, unblemished piece is likely harmless, but consuming large quantities or pieces from green or sprouted potatoes can lead to significant gastrointestinal and potential neurological issues.

Quick Summary

Eating uncooked potato can lead to digestive discomfort from resistant starches and lectins, or more serious toxicity from high concentrations of glycoalkaloids like solanine. The risks vary depending on the amount and condition of the potato.

Key Points

• Toxic Compounds: Raw potatoes naturally contain glycoalkaloids like solanine, particularly in green skin or sprouts, which are toxic in high amounts.

• Digestive Upset: The high concentration of resistant starch and lectins in uncooked potatoes can cause gas, bloating, and other gastric distress.

• Small Bites are Usually Fine: A tiny, accidental bite of a healthy, fresh potato is unlikely to cause serious harm, but it's still not recommended.

• Severe Symptoms Are Rare: Serious solanine poisoning is uncommon but can cause neurological effects like headaches, fever, and confusion, requiring medical attention.

• Cooking is the Key: Heat significantly reduces the levels of harmful compounds like lectins and makes resistant starches digestible, eliminating most risks.

• Proper Storage is Crucial: Store potatoes in a cool, dark place to prevent greening and the buildup of solanine.

• Wash and Peel Thoroughly: Always wash potatoes well and remove any green patches or sprouts before cooking to minimize toxin exposure and bacteria.

The Unappealing Reality of Uncooked Potatoes

Potatoes are a staple food worldwide, cherished for their versatility and nutritional value once cooked. However, their raw state is not just unpalatable due to a starchy, bitter taste and hard texture, but also poses several health risks. Most of the concerns stem from naturally occurring compounds that are either deactivated or significantly reduced during the cooking process. Understanding these compounds and their effects is key to recognizing why potatoes are one of the few vegetables we universally cook before consumption.

The Toxic Trio: Solanine, Lectins, and Resistant Starch

Raw potatoes contain three primary compounds that can cause health problems, ranging from mild digestive upset to more severe poisoning:

• Solanine: This is a glycoalkaloid, a naturally occurring toxin in members of the nightshade family, including potatoes. Solanine acts as the plant's natural defense against pests and is concentrated in the skin, sprouts, and any green areas of the potato. While fresh, healthy potatoes have safe, low levels, these can spike dramatically with exposure to sunlight, heat, or bruising. A tell-tale sign of high solanine content is a bitter taste. Severe solanine poisoning is rare but can be serious, affecting both the gastrointestinal and neurological systems.
• Lectins: These are a type of protein that bind to carbohydrates and can interfere with nutrient absorption. Present in many plant foods, including potatoes, lectins are found in higher concentrations when raw. For most people, a small amount of lectins is not a problem, but large quantities can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The good news is that cooking effectively reduces lectin content by 50–60%, optimizing nutrient absorption.
• Resistant Starch: Uncooked potatoes are high in resistant starch, a type of fiber that our bodies cannot fully digest or absorb. While resistant starch can have some prebiotic benefits for gut bacteria in small amounts, large quantities can lead to significant digestive issues. The fermentation of this starch by gut microbes produces gas, which results in bloating, abdominal discomfort, and flatulence. Cooking converts this resistant starch into easily digestible sugars, which is why cooked potatoes are much easier on the digestive system.

Potential for Foodborne Illness

Beyond the natural compounds, raw potatoes carry another risk: harmful bacteria from the soil. As root vegetables, potatoes grow underground and can harbor contaminants like Salmonella or E. coli on their skins. Proper washing and peeling can help, but cooking is the only sure way to kill any potential pathogens and eliminate this risk.

What to Do if You Ate Raw Potato

Your reaction should depend on the amount and condition of the potato you consumed. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Assess the Situation: Consider how much you ate. If it was a small, accidental bite of a healthy-looking potato, you likely have nothing to worry about. If you ate a larger amount, or a green/sprouted potato, proceed with more caution.
2. Monitor Your Symptoms: Pay attention to any signs of gastrointestinal distress like nausea, stomach cramps, or bloating. Symptoms of solanine poisoning can appear within a few hours.
3. Drink Fluids: If you experience vomiting or diarrhea, staying hydrated is crucial. Drink plenty of water or electrolyte-rich fluids.
4. Seek Medical Help for Severe Symptoms: Call a poison control center or seek medical attention if symptoms are severe, persistent, or include neurological effects like headache, confusion, fever, or paralysis.

Raw vs. Cooked Potatoes: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Raw Potato	Cooked Potato
Digestibility	Difficult to digest due to high resistant starch content, causing gas and bloating.	Easy to digest; heat breaks down starches into simpler sugars.
Solanine Content	Contains higher levels, especially in green or sprouted areas, posing a toxicity risk.	Has significantly reduced solanine levels, particularly after peeling.
Lectin Content	High levels of antinutrients that can inhibit nutrient absorption.	Lectins are substantially reduced (50-60%) by cooking.
Flavor & Texture	Unpleasant, bitter, and starchy.	Palatable, soft, and flavorful; enhanced by the Maillard reaction.
Vitamin C	Higher vitamin C content, which is sensitive to heat.	Lower vitamin C content due to degradation from heat.
Foodborne Pathogens	Possible presence of soil-based bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli.	Pathogens are destroyed by the cooking process.

A Final Look at Safety

Ultimately, eating raw potatoes is a gamble with limited upside. While they contain slightly more vitamin C and gut-friendly resistant starch in their raw form, the risks of unpleasant digestive issues, antinutrient effects, and potential toxicity far outweigh these minor benefits. The best and safest approach is to enjoy potatoes in their countless delicious cooked forms, after ensuring they are stored correctly and any green or sprouted parts have been removed.

For more information on food safety and preparing vegetables correctly, consult authoritative sources like the USDA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get seriously sick or die from eating raw potatoes?

Serious illness from eating raw potatoes is extremely rare, typically only occurring after ingesting a very large amount or consuming highly toxic green/sprouted tubers. While severe cases of solanine poisoning have been reported, most people only experience mild to moderate digestive symptoms and recover fully.

Does peeling a raw potato make it safer to eat?

Yes, peeling a potato can significantly reduce its glycoalkaloid (solanine) content, as this toxin is concentrated in and just below the skin. However, peeling doesn't eliminate all risks, as some toxins and hard-to-digest starches remain.

What is the bitter taste in some raw or cooked potatoes?

A bitter taste is a strong indicator of high solanine levels. If a potato, raw or cooked, tastes bitter or causes a burning sensation in your mouth, you should stop eating it and discard it immediately.

Are raw sweet potatoes dangerous like raw regular potatoes?

Sweet potatoes do not contain solanine because they are not part of the nightshade family. They are generally safe to eat raw, though they contain other compounds that can cause minor digestive upset in some people.

How much raw potato is considered a toxic dose?

A toxic dose of solanine is generally considered to be around 1 milligram or more per kilogram of body weight, though this can vary. A typical, healthy potato contains much less than this, meaning a person would need to eat a very large quantity to reach dangerous levels.

Does cooking destroy solanine?

Cooking methods like boiling, baking, and microwaving can reduce solanine content, but they don't eliminate it entirely. The most effective way to reduce solanine is to peel away green skin and remove sprouts before cooking.

How can I tell if a potato has a high solanine content?

High solanine content is indicated by greening on the skin or sprouts (eyes) forming. The green color itself is chlorophyll, but its presence signals higher glycoalkaloid levels. A very bitter taste is another key sign.