How to prepare potato juice

Traditionally, people make potato juice using two medium-sized potatoes.

1. Select fresh, firm potatoes without green patches, sprouts, or damaged areas.

2. Wash the potatoes thoroughly under clean running water.

3. Scrub the skin to remove dirt and soil.

4. Peel the potatoes if desired, particularly if the skin is damaged or discolored.

5. Cut the potatoes into small cubes.

6. Process them in a clean juicer.

7. Strain the juice if necessary and consume it immediately rather than storing it for long periods.

Two medium potatoes may produce approximately half a cup of juice, although the quantity depends on their size and moisture content.

Potato juice has a relatively mild but distinctive earthy flavor. Some people combine it with other ingredients to make it more palatable.

For example, it can be mixed with small amounts of carrot or cucumber juice. However, mixing potato juice with other ingredients does not make it a proven medical treatment.

An important safety consideration: Raw potatoes are not equivalent to cooked potatoes from a food-safety perspective. Raw potato juice may contain naturally occurring glycoalkaloids, including solanine and chaconine. Avoid green, sprouted, bitter, or damaged potatoes, and do not treat raw potato juice as a necessary daily health supplement. There is no established therapeutic dose or universally recommended daily intake.

3. Digestive Health and Stomach Discomfort

Fresh raw potatoes, peels and knife on wooden table

One of the best-known traditional uses of raw potato juice involves digestive health.

For generations, people in parts of Europe have consumed freshly extracted potato juice to relieve stomach discomfort, indigestion, and symptoms associated with excessive stomach acidity.

The practice has attracted scientific interest because some compounds in potatoes may interact with digestive processes.

Potato juice and indigestion

Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, is a collection of symptoms that can include:

• Upper abdominal discomfort or burning.

• Feeling excessively full after eating.

• Bloating and pressure in the stomach.

• Nausea.

• Belching.

• Discomfort shortly after meals.

These symptoms can have several different causes. Some people experience functional dyspepsia, in which the digestive system is sensitive or does not function normally despite the absence of an obvious structural problem.

Others may have gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, peptic ulcers, or an infection with Helicobacter pylori.

A particularly interesting study published in Phytomedicine in 2006 investigated freshly squeezed potato juice in people experiencing dyspeptic symptoms.

Researchers enrolled 44 participants, with 42 completing the study. Participants consumed potato juice twice daily for one week. The researchers reported improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms and quality-of-life measurements.

Approximately two-thirds of the participants experienced some degree of benefit.

These findings are interesting because they suggest that potato juice deserves further investigation as a possible traditional remedy for digestive discomfort.

However, the study was a small pilot study without a placebo-controlled comparison group. The researchers themselves emphasized that larger, better-designed studies were necessary to confirm the results. Source: Chrubasik et al., Phytomedicine, 2006.

Consequently, potato juice should not be considered an established treatment for chronic indigestion or gastrointestinal disease.

Could potato juice help with gastritis?

Gastritis occurs when the stomach lining becomes inflamed.

Depending on its cause, it may produce symptoms such as upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and a feeling of fullness.

Traditional herbal and food-based approaches have sometimes included potato juice because it is relatively mild in flavor and contains various plant compounds.

Some older publications describe potato juice as potentially soothing to the stomach. However, there is not enough high-quality clinical evidence to establish that it reduces inflammation in the human stomach or treats the underlying causes of gastritis.

Those causes may include H. pylori infection, certain medications, excessive alcohol consumption, and other medical conditions.

If gastritis symptoms persist, it is important to identify the underlying cause rather than relying on an unproven home remedy.

Supporting a healthy digestive system

Potatoes can still contribute to digestive health when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Their fiber helps support regular bowel movements, while resistant starch in cooled potatoes can be fermented by beneficial bacteria in the colon.

To increase the potential digestive benefits of potatoes:

• Eat properly cooked potatoes with their skins when appropriate.

• Include a variety of vegetables and fruits in your meals.

• Drink enough water throughout the day.

• Increase dietary fiber gradually to reduce bloating.

• Combine potatoes with protein and other fiber-rich foods.

It is worth remembering that raw potato juice contains much less of the intact dietary fiber found in a whole potato. For this reason, eating a properly cooked potato is generally a better way to obtain its fiber.

4. Potato Juice and Peptic Ulcers: What Does Research Say?

Peptic ulcers are open sores that develop in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine.

They can cause burning abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, and discomfort between meals or during the night.

For many years, people believed that ulcers were primarily caused by stress or spicy foods. Modern research has established that two major causes are infection with Helicobacter pylori and prolonged use of certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen and naproxen.

Potatoes have attracted interest in this area because researchers have investigated whether certain compounds in potato juice may affect bacteria associated with stomach disease.

Some traditional accounts describe potato juice as a remedy for stomach ulcers. However, this claim requires careful interpretation.

There is preliminary laboratory and traditional-medicine research suggesting that potato-derived substances may have biological activity. Nevertheless, there is no convincing clinical evidence that ordinary raw potato juice can eradicate H. pylori, heal peptic ulcers, or prevent ulcer complications.

According to the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, peptic ulcers are generally treated by addressing their underlying causes. This may involve acid-reducing medication and, when H. pylori is present, a combination of antibiotics and other medicines.

The institute also notes that researchers have not found that a particular diet plays a major role in causing, preventing, or treating peptic ulcers. Sources: NIDDK, Peptic Ulcers.

Potatoes can be included in a diet that is comfortable for someone with digestive symptoms, provided they tolerate them. Boiled or baked potatoes without excessive fat or spicy seasonings may be easier to tolerate than heavily fried preparations.

However, anyone experiencing persistent stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, or suspected ulcers should seek medical evaluation.

Black or tarry stools, vomiting blood, or sudden severe abdominal pain require urgent medical attention.

5. Antioxidant Properties and Potential Cancer-Related Benefits

Purple Potatoes - Fad or Fabulous? – Easy To Grow Bulbs

Potatoes contain several naturally occurring plant compounds that may contribute to antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants help protect cells against oxidative stress, a process involving an imbalance between the production of reactive molecules and the body's ability to neutralize them.

Oxidative stress has been studied in connection with aging, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Different potato varieties contain different concentrations of antioxidants. Purple and red potatoes, for example, may contain anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds, while yellow-fleshed potatoes contain carotenoid pigments.

Potato skin also contains various plant compounds, which is one reason eating properly washed potatoes with their skins can increase the range of nutrients obtained from them.

What is patatin?

One protein found in potatoes is called patatin.