Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals when it comes to the nightshade vegetable family. Nightshade vegetable leaves are considered not edible because they contain harmful compounds like solanine and chaconine.
There is no doubt that potato is a high value vegetable but the question comes here, is potato leaves edible? Some say yes, it is edible while some consider it toxic.
Potatoes are one of the most common vegetable plants that grow very much all over the world. In addition, you can see this plant in almost all home gardens in both rural and urban areas.
If you are not familiar with potato leaves and suddenly discover them in your garden, what will you do with them? We will give you the correct answer in the discussion below, so let’s dive into it,
Is potato leaves Edible or Not?
Yes, potato leaves are edible but it is only applied to sweet potato leaves.
Generally, there are two main kinds of potatoes you can see around which are sweet potato and white potato. Also, you can hear some other names of potatoes like Irish potato, red potato, and Yukon gold potato which are different in terms of characteristics.
In case you are thinking of eating potato leaves but do not know whether it will be safe or not. The first thing you should consider is which potato plant it is.
If it is sweet potato, then you can surely go for it. On the other hand, if it is white potato or Irish potato, then do not think of eating it as they contain glycoalkaloids which are considered toxic to humans.
Isn’t sweet potato a nightshade vegetable?
No sweet potato isn’t considered a nightshade vegetable rather it belongs to the morning glory family.
Since it is a common notion that potatoes originate from the Solanaceae family and so they are known as nightshade vegetables. But what people miss here is that the idea is only true for white or Irish potatoes which are scientifically known as Solanum tuberosum.
For your information, some other nightshade vegetables are tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplant, etc. These vegetables contain certain amounts of alkaloids which are reportedly bad for us.
Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes don’t include alkaloids, not even in the leaves and stems. Therefore, it is safe to eat and often used in preparing delicious meals.
Do potato leaves have any health benefits?
Yes, green sweet potato leaves contain essential macronutrients and micronutrients which are effective in preventing diseases.
Consuming sweet potato leaves will provide you with a good flow of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and niacin. Here’s what these nutrients will do to your body,
Vitamin K maintains healthy blood pressure
Medical report shows that vitamin k aids artery calcification and can lower the risk of some cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack. Also, taking adequate amounts of vitamin K is good for healthy blood pressure because it prevents the formation of minerals in the arteries.
Treat cancer and diabetes
Green sweet potato leaves are rich with polyphenol content which intercepts the growth of cancer cells in vitro and Vivo. Vitamin k in sweet potato leaves is also shown to be effective for reducing the chances of liver cancer.
Also, sweet potato leaves are known for anti diabetic functionalities as they include such compounds that lower sugar content in the blood.
Healthy Skin
Potatoes are high in antioxidants, which can improve the appearance and texture of your skin. Antioxidants prevent free radicals from damaging cells and DNA, which helps keep wrinkles at bay. Therefore, it is considered good for skin.
Anti-inflammation
Inflammation is a natural immune response that occurs in any part of the body but is usually associated with pain and swelling. Inflammation of the joints is called arthritis. However, sweet potatoes are high in vitamins C and E, making them ideal for an anti-inflammatory diet.
How to cook Sweet Potato leaves?
Sweet potato leaves are good to eat as spinach and can be a great addition to any meal. You can use it in soups, stews, salads, stir-fries, and even raw consumption.
The taste is unique and you can enhance the taste including fish and other specific items with it. Not only the leaves, but you can also take their stems.
The best thing you can do to make a sweet potato dish is to pinch the whole spinach from the stems and other parts of the vegetable. Rinse with clean water and go through the specific process according to the way you want to cook it.
To get the best taste of sweet potato leaves, remember to cook it on low heat. Otherwise, if you use high heat while cooking sweet potato leaves, it will get slippery.
How to grow potato leaves?
Potatoes are easy to grow in the garden and they can also be grown in pots. You don’t need to do the hassle of plowing and harvesting.
Sweet potato is a plant that grows mostly in tropical areas but it is grown in non-tropical countries also. You can see its existence in all the states in America, Europe, and other subtropical areas.
Just choose a healthy tuber of sweet potato and place it in the soil. If you are growing in a pot, then keep it in a sunny spot and give water regularly.
You can see tiny sprouts appearing in less than two weeks which are called potato slips. When the slips grow younger, you need to cut and split them from the tuber and plant into direct soil.
Sweet potato leaves are growing fast, you can see the results of its overgrown stalks and leaves in a few months.
Wrap up
So, it is now clear that the answer to the question ‘Is potato leaves edible or not’ depends on which kind of potato leaves it is. Most potato plants are considered inedible except sweet potatoes.
These potato plants taste unpleasant because of the existence of solanine and chaconine. Moreover, solanine can affect humans as well as animals.
Elsewhere in terms of health benefits and tasty appearance in regular meals, we can say that sweet potato leaves are safe to eat. Although, many people don’t like the taste of sweet potato leaves because of its slippery taste.