Confused By Potato

[GottaSki]

Last August I removed every possible food intolerance and then trialed each food separately over the past 6 months.

All of my reactions were very clear with the exception of potato. I should add that all other nightshades had very bad reactions. When I initially trialed potato I had no reaction. They remained out of my diet while I trialed other foods, but when I stopped trialing and added those few items I hadn't lost back into my diet - potatoes bothered me sometimes. It seemed to start with some mashed potatoes that were made with yukon golds - roasted baby reds, no reaction. Then I was searching for a salty snack -- potato chips are the chink in my armor...so I've been trying to find one that isn't made with sunflower oil - as this would cause anaphylaxis. Finally found chips made with olive oil - ordered them from Amazon and had one evening of crunch for the first time in over six months. I didn't have a bad reaction that first night, but as potatoes seemed to be bothering me I removed them all again including the chips. On Friday night I was having a severe crunch attack...while my men were crunching very loudly (in all honestly they were just eating tortilla chips as normal -- but like in a slow motion movie -- it was extremely loud to me) anyhoo I broke down and ate 1/2 a bag of my olive oil chips (bag is 5 oz). I became extremely tired within a couple hours and yesterday I was a wreck - horrible achy, weak, numb fingers, joints, EXTREMELY angry for no reason, etc. Was completely locked up by evening and this morning woke up sore but better -- the only food it could be was those damned chips.

Does anyone else react hap-hazardly to potato? Some type of potato more than others (not counting sweet potato -- I know those are different family)?

I'm removing potato until I start to re-trial my intolerances in August, but am very curious about the mixed reactions I get to potato!!! Oh - might mention that I have had In&Out French Fries 3 times with no reaction -- makes it hard to avoid them but will for now.

Thanks everyone!

[Skylark]

Yes, yes, yes. I can't do tomato or very much pepper but my reactions to potato are haphazard. I am wondering if it has to do with how much solanine is in the individual potato. There is apparently quite a bit of variation depending on the strain of potato, the age, how they were stored, and how carefully the potatoes were peeled and the eyes removed. You may have gotten a low dose eating a few, and a dose over your personal tolerance eating half the bag.

Adding to my confusion, I've learned that most processed potato products contain undeclared sulfites. Open Original Shared Link explains it pretty well. It's mentioned in Sue Dengate's book too. (I'm trying to figure out why gluten-free breads trigger my asthma while the whole versions of foods like potato, rice, and corn don't and suspecting undeclared sulfites.) And then there is the natural MSG that forms in potato chips...

Your joint pain reaction sounds like solanine, thought the anger could be a reaction to the natural MSG.

[GottaSki]

undeclared sulfites would do it in me -- I can't eat anything that ends in -ite! I'll read up on that one for sure!

Thanks Skylark!

[Skylark]

Yeah, I'm getting really suspicious of them for my mild asthma. Here is Sue Dengate's fact sheet on sulfites.

Open Original Shared Link

MOST potato chips are supposedly OK and added sulfite is supposed to be declared, but when I Google search, potato chips keep showing up on the "avoid" lists for sulfite sensitivity. Seems like I see a lot of recalls for undeclared sulfites on potato chips. Also if the chip manufacturer bought whole, peeled potatoes from a processor they may have been dipped in undeclared sulfite.

I'm pretty sure all In-N-Out does is peel their potatoes and toss them into the fryer.

[GottaSki]

"I'm pretty sure all In-N-Out does is peel their potatoes and toss them into the fryer."

Yep...you can watch them create the fries in the kitchen while sitting in the drive thru -- haven't seen the peeling, but have seen the huge bag of potatoes in the back of the restaurant and the press machine that cuts the potatoes into fries.

I've read a few net articles since you pointed out the the potato article this morning. Makes sense to me...maybe I can have an occasional In&Out or homemade french fry! Think I'll toss some really thin slices of sweet potato/olive oil in the oven first -- don't want to touch a potato with a ten foot poll this week

[BarryC]

Even one small baked potato bloats me up a whole belt notch. Anything with potato-especially chips. I wonder what the gluten connection is? My carbs now consist only of Glutino bread and rice.

[GottaSki]

Even one small baked potato bloats me up a whole belt notch. Anything with potato-especially chips. I wonder what the gluten connection is? My carbs now consist only of Glutino bread and rice.

Try sweet potatoes, not yams - - they are not in the same family as russets, red and gold potatoes.

We bake, mash, boil and roast them - great substitute!

[psawyer]

There is plenty of chance to be confused about common terms for different plants.

Potatoes are in the nightshade family, Solanaceae.

Sweet potatoes are in the family Convolvulaceae. They are not related to potatoes, except in the name.

Yams are not the same as sweet potatoes, and are several species in the family Dioscoreaceae.

While often confused, these are very different plants.

[mushroom]

Just to make things even more confusing, you can't buy a yam in New Zealand. Everything remotely looking like a yam or a sweet potato is called a kumara - whether yellow, white, orange or purple, (otherwise known as the Maori potato ) No rutabagas either (swedes), no zucchini (courgettes), no eggplant (aubergines), ask for an artichoke and you get a Jerusalem artichoke (which is a tuber), no Romaine lettuce (cos), no arugula (rocket), I swear to God, when I first got back here I used to point - "I will have a couple of those!!. Witloof, anyone???

[GottaSki]

Even here in California -- I'm in san diego (sothern cali) plenty of plain (white/yellow flesh) sweet potatoes -- my daughter lives just north of the bay area - loads of sweet potato in a rainbow of colors - love the purple ones called "japanese sweet potato" where I purchased them.

[RiceGuy]

I have also noticed that different levels of processing and cooking of potato can influence how much they effect me, but dosage, and multiple doses over time will still get me.

I have tried frying sweet potato like French fries and chips, and though this does work, the texture is different. If you want a really good crunchy potato-like chip, try making them from taro root (the white variety). I like the flavor even better than potato, and yes, taro can also be boiled, mashed, baked and so forth! It is white inside like a potato, slightly sweeter, and some say there's a hint of water chestnut-like flavor. The chips turned out with and unbeatable crunch!

Incidentally, I hope you're not cooking with virgin olive oil, but even the light olive oil cannot take the heat like other oils more suited for cooking. So there's going to be a higher level of free radical formation as the oil breaks down more. This occurs even if the oil is not heated to the smoke-point. Aside from sunflower oil, some good oils for cooking include high-oleic safflower oil, macadamia nut oil, expeller-pressed rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, and for some application you can also use coconut oil. I recall that avocado oil also has a high heat tolerance.

[GottaSki]

I have also noticed that different levels of processing and cooking of potato can influence how much they effect me, but dosage, and multiple doses over time will still get me.

I have tried frying sweet potato like French fries and chips, and though this does work, the texture is different. If you want a really good crunchy potato-like chip, try making them from taro root (the white variety). I like the flavor even better than potato, and yes, taro can also be boiled, mashed, baked and so forth! It is white inside like a potato, slightly sweeter, and some say there's a hint of water chestnut-like flavor. The chips turned out with and unbeatable crunch!

Incidentally, I hope you're not cooking with virgin olive oil, but even the light olive oil cannot take the heat like other oils more suited for cooking. So there's going to be a higher level of free radical formation as the oil breaks down more. This occurs even if the oil is not heated to the smoke-point. Aside from sunflower oil, some good oils for cooking include high-oleic safflower oil, macadamia nut oil, expeller-pressed rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, and for some application you can also use coconut oil. I recall that avocado oil also has a high heat tolerance.

Thanks!

Already learned my something new for the day - well two things.

Taro root on the shopping list

Knew I shouldn't fry in olive oil -- but had no idea that we shouldn't cook with it at all -- seem to remember some rule about not taking it up too high in temperature, but guess I never checked actually what temperature that meant. I react to all liquid oils with the exception of olive oil -- did make some candy with coconut oil -- I'll break it out to use in other functions today.

Thanks again - have a great week.

[Skylark]

In truth, it's not good to heat any unsaturated oil. The "healthiness" of cooking with vegetable oils is food industry propaganda and partly responsible for American diet-related health problems. They all produce free radicals and trans-fats when you heat them, especially in a frying pan. I don't know whether baking is as bad. Stuff I've read says nut oils are even more fragile than olive. Cook with ghee, coconut oil, or animal fat and save your nut and olive oils for salad.

[T.H.]

undeclared sulfites would do it in me -- I can't eat anything that ends in -ite!

I wonder if some of the severity of the reaction might be due to other foods you consumed during the day that added to your sulfite load?

You might already be very aware of these, but just in case it's new info, foods from the Brassica family (cabbage, mustard greens, radishes, etc...), and the allium family (onions, garlic, leeks, and so on) are only a problem for folks on the more sensitive side of sulfite sensitivity, but they might have added to your sulfite load, as it were. Some other potential problem foods would be peanuts, maple syrup, eggs, grapes, vinegars, gelatin, and chocolate.

And sulfite dioxide in the exhaust from cars will also add to your sulfite load, so if you had the potatoes on a day when you were in traffic for much longer, or after a long day of driving on a freeway or standing near a busy street for a long stretch of time, that could affect things too, you know?

...as I recently found out after being around traffic all day, and then eating a dish that I had been perfectly fine with the day before.

[Aly1]

Hmmm, I am curious about this sulfite load concept as I recently discovered problems with onions, garlic and now potatoes; we had a roast with potatoes and my stomach bloated out right away. Didn't get the connection but the next day I had the left over roast potatoes and within a half hour my ears were ringing so loudly. This ear ringing thing has been coming and going for the past two months (it's really loud!) but I hadn't been able to associate it with anything I was eating until now. I have issues with corn so I thought that maybe it had to due with the way potatoes are treated with a corn-based spray to stop sprouting...but maybe its sulfites (?).

[GottaSki]

I wonder if some of the severity of the reaction might be due to other foods you consumed during the day that added to your sulfite load?

You might already be very aware of these, but just in case it's new info, foods from the Brassica family (cabbage, mustard greens, radishes, etc...), and the allium family (onions, garlic, leeks, and so on) are only a problem for folks on the more sensitive side of sulfite sensitivity, but they might have added to your sulfite load, as it were. Some other potential problem foods would be peanuts, maple syrup, eggs, grapes, vinegars, gelatin, and chocolate.

And sulfite dioxide in the exhaust from cars will also add to your sulfite load, so if you had the potatoes on a day when you were in traffic for much longer, or after a long day of driving on a freeway or standing near a busy street for a long stretch of time, that could affect things too, you know?

...as I recently found out after being around traffic all day, and then eating a dish that I had been perfectly fine with the day before.

Thanks! This is very interesting - I just found out I that I can't eat radish - did not know they were high in sulphites and have had minor ptoblem with some greens I've tried. I do eat the vegies you listed as well as eggs and occasionally grapes.

The traffic comment makes some sense as well - when I ride my bike I try to avoid heavy traffic as it adds to my breathing problems - have to wear a bandana on my face when I have to take a busy road.

I will look into this some more - thanks!

[GottaSki]

Hmmm, I am curious about this sulfite load concept as I recently discovered problems with onions, garlic and now potatoes; we had a roast with potatoes and my stomach bloated out right away. Didn't get the connection but the next day I had the left over roast potatoes and within a half hour my ears were ringing so loudly. This ear ringing thing has been coming and going for the past two months (it's really loud!) but I hadn't been able to associate it with anything I was eating until now. I have issues with corn so I thought that maybe it had to due with the way potatoes are treated with a corn-based spray to stop sprouting...but maybe its sulfites (?).

I completely understand your confusion. I have had no reaction to potato and had severe bloat - going to study everyones suggestions before I try them again.

Good luck on solving all these crazy puzzles

[Sparky10]

I have also noticed that different levels of processing and cooking of potato can influence how much they effect me, but dosage, and multiple doses over time will still get me.

I have tried frying sweet potato like French fries and chips, and though this does work, the texture is different. If you want a really good crunchy potato-like chip, try making them from taro root (the white variety). I like the flavor even better than potato, and yes, taro can also be boiled, mashed, baked and so forth! It is white inside like a potato, slightly sweeter, and some say there's a hint of water chestnut-like flavor. The chips turned out with and unbeatable crunch!

Incidentally, I hope you're not cooking with virgin olive oil, but even the light olive oil cannot take the heat like other oils more suited for cooking. So there's going to be a higher level of free radical formation as the oil breaks down more. This occurs even if the oil is not heated to the smoke-point. Aside from sunflower oil, some good oils for cooking include high-oleic safflower oil, macadamia nut oil, expeller-pressed rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, and for some application you can also use coconut oil. I recall that avocado oil also has a high heat tolerance.

Totally incorrect ! Read the book 'deep nutrition' by dr cate shanahan and learn about all vegetable oils except olive oil will cause free radicals! That's the problem with forums, lay people giving advice...can be very confusing!

[mushroom]

There seem to be as many different opinions about coooking oils as there are articles, books and studies done on them. Here is one article that purports to give the smoke point of all the various cooking oils and makes recommendations:

Open Original Shared Link

[Skylark]

Totally incorrect ! Read the book 'deep nutrition' by dr cate shanahan and learn about all vegetable oils except olive oil will cause free radicals! That's the problem with forums, lay people giving advice...can be very confusing!

Olive oil forms free radicals like any other unsaturated vegetable oil when it's heated. Cold-pressed virgin olive oil has some natural antioxidants that keep it from forming free radicals as long as it's not heated.

[Kjas]

The only oils I know that are safe to heat are macadamia oil and coconut oil.

All the others, when heated past a certain point have the effect already stated. Macadamia oil can be heated to a medium - high heat without negative effects and I usually l use it in cooking, stir frying, etc since it has a nice, light and very yummy taste. Coconut oil can be heated to a very high heat without damage but I mainly use it in baked products due to the taste factor.

As far as potatoes - they are my personal arch nemesis. I don't react to any other nightshade except potato. It's to the point where I end up with a stomach ache (if it stays down) as bad or worse then the gluten stomach aches used to be. It can also affect me up to 3 days later, so personally it's not worth it. My cousin has the same problem.

[Nadia2009]

Too bad I am reading this now that I switched to olive oil. I always thought olive oil wasn't good for frying and I knew that for years but have recently changed my mind because of the negative info on canola.

The only thing I fry are white potatoes and plantains and I try to keep the heat down. Would this still create free radicals?

[Skylark]

I fry with saturated fats, not oils. Ghee, coconut oil, lard, or tallow all hold up well when heated. Any unsaturated oil (i.e. ALL liquid vegetable oils) will create free radicals and trans-fats to some degree when heated.

[T.H.]

Hmmm, I am curious about this sulfite load concept as I recently discovered problems with onions, garlic and now potatoes; we had a roast with potatoes and my stomach bloated out right away. Didn't get the connection but the next day I had the left over roast potatoes and within a half hour my ears were ringing so loudly. This ear ringing thing has been coming and going for the past two months (it's really loud!) but I hadn't been able to associate it with anything I was eating until now. I have issues with corn so I thought that maybe it had to due with the way potatoes are treated with a corn-based spray to stop sprouting...but maybe its sulfites (?).

Were these potatoes that you roasted yourself? If they are regular potatoes that you roasted, it may not be sulfur/sulfites. The sulfite issue with potatoes is typically what is added to most processed potatoes foods (it keeps them from browning) so frozen potato products, potato chips, that sort of thing. But it's not usually added to plain potatoes.

Canola oil seems to be a problem for sulfite folks, though, so if you used that particular oil on the potatoes that could be an ieeu. Also, the vast-majority of processed corn 'stuff,' like corn starch, citric acid, xanthan gum, etc... is sulfited to a certain extent. As I understand it, the corn is soaked in a solution that contains sulfites, before processing, and this has been enough to make a lot of sulfite folks have issues with processed corn or substances that come into contact with corn during the processing in some way.

I would not necessarily ever recommend this to anyone, but the way I ended up checking if I reacted to sulfites was to go to a brewery/wine making store. They sell sulfite powder (sodium sulfite or potassium sulfite, I think it usually is) there for brewers to add to their wines - it was less than $5 for a tiny bottle of the stuff, and you use very little of it. They tell how much of the powder to add to make it Xppm.

I checked online(about.com on sulfite allergies) and found out that around 50 ppm is considered a moderate amount of sulfite, and between 10-50 ppm is considered a low amount of sulfite, but a sensitive person can still react to that much. I made a 25 ppm solution of the stuff in water, did a blind taste test between that and plain water, and holy COW did it give me SUCH a massive headache.

However, I was suspecting that was my reaction, so it's not life threatening, you know?

So...easy way to test, if highly unpleasant. People with a severe reaction go to an allergist to get it tested, but might be able to do it this way at an allergist's, as well.

[Skylark]

OK this is crazy. I think I might be reacting to potato SKIN. Tater tots didn't bother me but a whole baked potato has gotten me twice. How weird is that?