If the potatoes in you've stored at home have sprouted, it is best to throw them out. Sprouted potatoes can cause severe reactions, dangerous to health.
Potatoes that have been left stored exposed to light not only sprout but turn green as well. A strong poison, known as solanine, accumulates in them.
In large doses, solanine wrecks red blood cells and has a bad effect on the central nervous system. If solanine enters the human body, it causes dehydration, fever, spasms and epileptic spasms. In bodies that have a weaker immune system, the results may be lethal.
Many people believe that if they boil or bake potatoes that have turned green, that this will protect them from poisoning. But heat treatment does not get rid of the poison in sprouted potatoes.
Even small green spots on a potato are a sign that it contains solanine, so don't be tempted to keep it in your kitchen.
The first symptoms of solanine poisoning are bloated stomach, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat. But before these symptoms become evident, the person that has eaten the potatoes with solanine will feel a burning sensation on their tongue.
In first aid, the person undergoes a gastric lavage, enemas, takes laxatives and cold, strong coffee.
To store potatoes correctly so they don't sprout, they must not be in a net or plastic bag but in a cloth bag that does not let light through.
Sprouted garlic is also unhealthy for the body, even though it does a lot less harm than sprouted potatoes.
Sprouted garlic contains substances that slow down metabolism. The sulfonyl-hydroxyl ions found in sprouted garlic penetrate through all organs.
This leads to distractedness, minor headaches and the inability to concentrate, making it difficult to work and even hard to drive.
So don't consume sprouted garlic if you wish to be able to work and react quickly in critical situations.
