In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleAre They Safe to Eat?Health EffectsCooking TipsWays to EnjoyFAQs
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Are They Safe to Eat?
Health Effects
Cooking Tips
Ways to Enjoy
FAQs
Potatoes alsooffer a variety of key dietary nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. Since many vegetables can be served raw, you may wonder if you can also add some raw potatoes to your plate. Here’s what you need to know about eating raw potatoes.
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Is It Safe to Eat Raw Potatoes?
Occasionally consuming a small portion of raw potato is safe, but the starchy and bitter taste is likely enough to steer you away. If you are adventurous enough to try eating raw potato, consuming too much at once can cause gastrointestinal distress like vomiting, bloating and diarrhea due to the indigestible resistant starch and other compounds like lectins and solanine.
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What Happens If You Eat Raw Potatoes?
Raw potatoes are especially high in resistant starch, which is “resistant” to digestion but can offer many other health benefits, such as supporting gut health, improved blood sugar control and weight management, per a 2022 review in theJournal of Functional Foods. When bacteria break down and ferment the resistant starch in raw potatoes, they form gases and short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. Butyrate helps fuel the cells lining your colon. However, the fermentation of resistant starch in your gut could cause uncomfortable bloating and gassiness, especially if you consume a lot at once.
Lectins are a naturally occurring protein that can be found in a variety of plant- and animal-based foods. Foods with the highest concentration of lectins include legumes, grains and nightshade vegetables (such as potatoes). Lectins areknown as an “antinutrient"because they can potentially inhibit the absorption of essential nutrients like calcium and iron. Eating too much lectin at one time from foods like raw potatoes or uncooked grains could lead to nausea, upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea. Luckily, cooking, sprouting and fermenting readily destroy lectins. The health benefits of consuming foods high in lectins, like whole grains and potatoes, far outweigh any potential negative antinutrient effects, as noted in this 2020 review inNutrients. That being said, people with autoimmune conditions or digestive issues should talk with their health care providers to learn if they should avoid lectins.
Potatoes contain bitter-tasting compounds called glycoalkaloids, which are commonly found in plants in thenightshade familyand can be toxic if consumed in high amounts. Potatoes contain two types of glycoalkaloids: solanine and chaconine. The glycoalkaloid content of potatoes sold in the grocery store is closely monitored. However, when potatoes are improperly stored and exposed to sunlight, the concentration of glycoalkaloids can reach potentially toxic amounts.
Acute solanine poisoning is possible, especially in children, when consuming too much of this compound either from green or raw potatoes. Generally, the symptoms are mild, such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, but can also include headache, flushing, confusion and fever, per theNational Capital Poison Center. Excess consumption of solanine has been linked to deaths, although it is very rare. Unfortunately, cooking does not reduce the amount of solanine in potatoes, but peeling any potatoes that have started to turn green or have sprouted can help reduce the solanine content.
As a root vegetable, potatoes are notorious for harboring dirt in their nooks and crannies, which also means they can have unwanted bacteria on the outside. As you would with any fruit or vegetable, give potatoes a good rinse, or maybe a scrub, depending on the dirt level, before you eat them—this applies to enjoying them either raw or cooked.
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The Bottom Line
If you are feeling adventurous, you can safely eat a small portion of raw potato every once in a while, as it is a good source of gut-friendly resistant starch. However, the bitter and starchy taste and the potential for an upset stomach or diarrhea may likely steer you away. Remember to give your potatoes a good rinse to remove any bacteria-harboring dirt hiding in the nooks and crannies. Cooked potatoes offer just as many nutrients and health benefits as raw potatoes without the risk of unpleasant side effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raw potatoes can be consumed safely in small amounts. However, raw potato is also very bitter, and the unpleasantly starchy texture is much improved with cooking. Cooking also breaks down the resistant starch and destroys the lectins so that potatoes can be consumed without the potential negative gastrointestinal effects like excess gas and bloating.
According to a 2018 review published in theAmerican Journal of Potato Research, raw potatoes have almost double the vitamin C content of cooked potatoes, as cooking can destroy some of the vitamin C. They are also much higher in resistant starches, which is why raw potatoes may appeal to people who may be trying to lose weight or improve their gut health. On the other hand, cooking increases the amount of potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6 in potatoes while destroying any lectin, which is an anti-nutrient that can reduce the absorption of essential nutrients.
The toxin in potatoes that can make you sick is solanine, but the concentration of this naturally occurring compound varies widely based on the variety of potato, growing conditions and storage. Also, the amount of solanine that can be consumed before experiencing negative side effects varies from person to person based on body weight.
Cooking your vegetables (like potatoes) can significantly improve the taste and texture as well as reduce the risk of foodborne infections when consuming them raw. Essentially, any vegetable can be consumed raw, even ones that you may have always enjoyed after cooking, such as parsnips, beets, bok choy and kohlrabi. Just note that suddenly increasing your intake of raw vegetables may lead to some uncomfortable gas and bloating as your gut works a little harder to digest them.
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