POTATO Overview Information
Potato is a plant. The fleshy part of the root (potato) is commonly eaten as a vegetable. Potato is also used to make medicine.
People take raw potato juice for stomach disorders and water retention (edema). A purified protein powder made from potato is mixed with water and used to control appetite for weight loss.
Some people put raw potato directly on the affected area for arthritis, infections, boils, burns, and sore eyes.
In foods, potato is eaten, used as a source of starch, and fermented into alcohol.
How does it work?
Potatoes might limit appetite so people can lose weight. A chemical in the potato peel might also prevent bacteria from attaching to cells. Potatoes are a source of vitamin C, iron, riboflavin, and carbohydrates.
POTATO Side Effects & Safety
Unblemished, ripe potatoes eaten as food or taken as medicine seem safe for most people. Damaged potatoes, green potatoes, and sprouts contain poisonous chemicals that cannot be destroyed by cooking. These poisonous chemicals can cause headache, flushing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, thirst, restlessness, and even death.
There isn’t enough information to know whether it’s safe to put raw potato on the skin as a treatment.
Special Precautions & Warnings:Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Unblemished, ripe potatoes are safe for pregnant and breast-feeding women in food amounts. But don’t use potato as medicine until more is known about how it might affect an unborn or nursing infant.
Diabetes: Potatoes can affect blood sugar control. If you have diabetes, monitor your potato intake as you would any carbohydrate.
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
- Medications for dissolving blood clots (Thrombolytic Drugs) interacts with POTATO
Potatoes contain a chemical that decreases blood clotting. Taking large amounts of potato with medications used for dissolving blood clots might increase the chance of bleeding and bruising.
Some medications used for dissolving blood clots include alteplase (Activase), anistreplase (Eminase), reteplase (Retevase), streptokinase (Streptase), and urokinase (Abbokinase).
The appropriate dose of potato depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for potato. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.