An event in 1979 left a lesson for the rest of his life. In that year, almost 80 children were poisoned after consuming potatoes that had already turned green, causing some of them to take six days to recover. This greenish color means that the potato has already entered the process of decomposition. Therefore, to avoid the recurrence of events like this, read this article and learn why you should never eat potatoes that are turning green.
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What causes potatoes to turn green?
The green color in this vegetable means that it is producing chlorophyll. This factor alone would not be such a serious problem, but it serves as an indicator that there is also production of solanine and chaconine. These are substances produced by the potato when exposed to light and cause irritation to the intestinal mucosa.
The mild poisoning caused by solanine, when not recognized, can be the cause of episodes of gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach, in a mild form. However, depending on the amount and period of ingestion, it can lead to more serious cases. The symptoms range from apathy, drowsiness, salivation and wheezing, to cases of loss of coordination, as well as weakness, coma and, in even more severe cases, death from cardiac arrest. breathing.
What happened in 1979?
At a school south of London, England, about 80 children were victims of food poisoning. As symptoms, most children had vomiting, diarrhea and fever. However, in more severe cases, patients fell into a coma and even had seizures.
What is the cause of all this? The consumption of green potatoes. The symptoms started between 4 and 14 hours after eating the potatoes. Fortunately, even though some children were confused and hallucinated for days, after six days of food poisoning, everyone was alive and well.
Despite appearing harmless, the potato can be poisonous, especially its leaves and stems. Even consumption of the vegetable, when spoiled, can even lead to death within the first 24 hours.
Usually, in practice, solanine poisoning appears to be rare, on account of its appearance and its bitter, unpleasant taste. However, this ends up changing in times of food scarcity.