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Potato plant poisoning occurs when someone eats the green tubers or new sprouts of the potato plant.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Alternative NamesSolanum tuberosum poisoning
Poisonous IngredientSolanine (very toxic even in small amounts)
Where FoundThe poison is found throughout the plant, but especially in green potatoes and new sprouts. Never eat potatoes that are spoiled or green below the skin. Always throw away the sprouts.
Potatoes that are not green and have had any sprouts removed are safe to eat.
Symptoms- Delirium
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Fever
- Hallucinations
- Headache
- Loss of sensation
- Lower than normal body temperature (hypothermia)
- Paralysis
- Shock
- Slow pulse
- Slowed breathing
- Stomach or abdominal pain
- Vision changes
- Vomiting
Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.
Before Calling EmergencyDetermine the following information:
- Patient's age, weight, and condition
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
- Name and part of plant that was swallowed
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
See: Poison control center - emergency number
What to expect at the emergency roomThe health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. You may receive:
- Activated charcoal
- Breathing support
- Fluids through a vein (IV)
- Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)
How well you do depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster you get medical help, the better the chance for recovery.
Death has been reported, but is rare.
ReferencesHostetler MA, Schneider SM. Poisonous plants. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004:chap 205.
Graeme K. Toxic plant ingestions. In: Auerbach PS, ed. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 58.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoPotato plant poisoning occurs when someone eats the green tubers or new sprouts of the potato plant.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Alternative NamesSolanum tuberosum poisoning
Poisonous IngredientSolanine (very toxic even in small amounts)
Where FoundThe poison is found throughout the plant, but especially in green potatoes and new sprouts. Never eat potatoes that are spoiled or green below the skin. Always throw away the sprouts.
Potatoes that are not green and have had any sprouts removed are safe to eat.
Symptoms- Delirium
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Fever
- Hallucinations
- Headache
- Loss of sensation
- Lower than normal body temperature (hypothermia)
- Paralysis
- Shock
- Slow pulse
- Slowed breathing
- Stomach or abdominal pain
- Vision changes
- Vomiting
Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.
Before Calling EmergencyDetermine the following information:
- Patient's age, weight, and condition
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
- Name and part of plant that was swallowed
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
See: Poison control center - emergency number
What to expect at the emergency roomThe health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. You may receive:
- Activated charcoal
- Breathing support
- Fluids through a vein (IV)
- Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)
How well you do depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster you get medical help, the better the chance for recovery.
Death has been reported, but is rare.
ReferencesHostetler MA, Schneider SM. Poisonous plants. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004:chap 205.
Graeme K. Toxic plant ingestions. In: Auerbach PS, ed. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 58.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 12/15/2011
Eric Perez, MD, St. Luke's / Roosevelt Hospital Center, NY, NY, and Pegasus Emergency Group (Meadowlands and Hunterdon Medical Centers), NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Which part of the potato is edible?
You eat the tubers (potatoes) that grow underground. The green stems, flowers and leaves are poisonous, even any tubers that have become green, should not be eaten. the poison is Solanine (very toxic even in small amounts).
Do Irish potatoes store food in the stem?
All potatoes store food in their underground tubers. It is the tubers that we eat, as the rest of the potato plant is poisonous. Very green tubers should be discarded and not eaten.
Why potato is called tubers?
NO a tuber is a modified stem used to store water and nutrients when the plant is dormant so that it has enough energy to grow during the next growing season. To say tubers are all vegetables is wrong as begonias are grown from tubers but the tubers are toxic if eaten, the same goes for Dahlia tubers. The only reason why some people call potato a vegetable is because the majority of the potato is used for water and nutrient storage which makes it very starchy and edible. While any other part of the potato which is green ie. stems and leaves are actually poisonous.
Can you eat a budding potato?
Yes, the green stuff is natural--just don't eat the green part, the rest is fine. (alternate answer) Potato skin often has a greenish tinge because it is the root of a plant which grows green leaves for photosynthesis. Don't eat green mold, but in most cases, the green in the potato skin is just chlorophyll, and is perfectly safe to eat.
Is a potato produced asexually?
Potato plants form tubers underground and these will form a new plant, asexually, if left in the ground or replanted. The tubers can be cut into pieces to form many new plants but each piece must have an "eye" from which a sprout can develope.The tuber is not the seed of the potato plant - seeds are formed in a green berry that resembles a tiny tomato, and that grows on the above ground portion of the plant after blossoming and pollination.
Why are Brussel Sprouts green?
Brussel Sprouts are green because it wpuld be odd if they were purple
What sprouts can you use in a green salad?
Mung bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, lentil sprouts... all go well in a green salad. Basically, anything that can be sprouted can be added to a salad.
Why are my potato plants growing what looks like baby potatoes on the plant branches like cherry tomatoes grow?
Potato tubers will form along the base of a growing potaote plant. This is the basis of a trick I use to make harvesting tubers easy- as the potato plant grows, bury the base of the plant in weed-free hay or dirt; then, later in the season, you will be able to reach under the loose soil or hay and pluck baby tubers from the stem. Be sure ands bury tuber-bearing otherwise the tuber skin will turn green; a green tuber contains toxins that can upset your stomach. After potato plants flower, some varieties will produce small green fruits that resemble green cherry tomatoes, each containing up to 300 true seeds. By finely chopping the fruit and soaking it in water, the seeds will separate from the flesh by sinking to the bottom after about a day (the remnants of the fruit will float). All new potato varieties are grown from seeds, also called "true seed" or "botanical seed" to distinguish it from seed tubers. Potato fruit contains large amounts of the toxic alkaloid solanine, and is therefore unsuitable for consumption.
Is is safe to eat sprouted potatoes?
I am not a scientist, but I have read enough articles to believe... if a potato is wrinkled, shrunken, with sprouts that it is not safe to eat. Otherwise, one or two sprouts on a fresh potato is probably okay.
Can baby guinea pigs eat alfalfa sprouts and green pepper?
Green peppers yes, not sure about alfalfa sprouts
Do potato plants have thorns or stickers?
Potatoes do not have thorns, not sure what you mean by stickers. The potato plant has tubers underground, green herbaceous foliage above ground, it may produce flowers, that can produce a small tomato like fruit which may contain seeds.
Can you eat the green parts of a potato plant?
Potatoes contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, a poison affects the nervous system causing weakness and confusion. These compounds are generally concentrated in its leaves, stems, sprouts, and fruits. So, no, you should not eat the green parts of a potato plant.
