Killer potatoes! Doctor Warns of Subtle Signs Your Beeps Could Be Toxic (And It’s Not Just the Color)

A doctor has issued a worrying warning to those who enjoy eating stale pudding.

According to Dr. Samuel Choudhury, a general practitioner from Singapore, potatoes that have been in the cupboard for a while can contain a potentially deadly poison.

In a clip he shared with his 216,000 Instagram followers, Dr. Choudhury advised against using potatoes that have sprouted, as well as potatoes that have turned green.

Green spots on spuds are known to indicate the presence of the toxin solanine, which can lead to yeast infection painful digestive symptoms, as well as hallucinations, paralysis and in severe cases even death.

But Dr. Choudhry says the poison can also be bound in sprouts that form on mashed potatoes that are exposed to a light and moist environment for a week or two.

In his social media video, Dr. Choudhury told the cautionary tale of Maria Harless, a young woman from Denver, Colorado who had “a sudden craving for mashed potatoes.”

But after she ate them and went to sleep, she “took a turn for the worse” and woke up in the middle of the night with vomiting and a pounding headache.

When she arrived at the emergency department, doctors realized a sprouting potato was the culprit, Dr. Choudhury explained.

Watch out for shoots and green bits on your potatoes; these indicate the presence of the toxin solanine, which can cause painful digestive complaints, but also hallucinations, paralysis and in severe cases even death.

‘She suffered from solanine poisoning, a neurotoxin from potatoes, but not from normal potatoes. Not these (green and sprouting potatoes).

‘Consuming large quantities of these (green or sprouting potatoes) can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, headaches, irregular heart rhythm and in severe cases death.’

“In one case a family of seven became a family of five, so if you see this I would err on the side of caution and throw them in the compost and just buy new ones,” he added.

The sprouting, green color and bitter taste may be a sign that toxin is present.

Potatoes turn green and start to sprout if they are not kept in the dark, explains Dr. Choudhury.

When potatoes are stored in conditions that are too warm, light or humid, their dormant growth nodes, called eyes, begin to grow.

Estimates of how much solanine is toxic vary, but a toxic dose is believed to be 1 mg or more of solanine per kilogram of body weight, according to the European Food Safety Authority.

However, if the potato is firm and the sprouts are small, removing them can help eliminate the poison.

Likewise, peeling the potatoes can also help reduce solanine levels, as the substance is most concentrated just under the skin.

To keep your spuds fresh, it is best to store them in a cupboard that is slightly warmer than the refrigerator.