confused about which raw veggies are safe!

I would avoid root veggies that aren't peeled & washed well due to possible botulism spores, other than that, I don't know of any that you can't add, but not really sure why you would "want" to add them. I would stick with things that we naturally eat raw.

I've eaten raw sweet potato...?

beautifulsparkles wrote: »

I guess death is on the way, lolz

considering potatoes are generally poisonous raw i don't think OP is being crazy.

"Two toxic chemicals (steroidal glycoalkaloids) solanine and chaconine are naturally present in potatoes and are important components of their resistance against pests and pathogens. Cooking the potatoes destroys the bacteria. Eating the potato raw may cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever and an upset stomach. "

But yes, OP, certain foods should not be eaten raw. I've used this list in the past:

http://vegpeace.org/rawfoodtoxins.html

Really not an issue...even for potatoes. Most people are not going to eat potatoes that have sprouted...or the leaves. Same with rhubarb.

As a rule there isn't an issue with raw veggies.

Now, of course there are exceptions. Some mushrooms will kill you, some fruits and vegetables can affect people with certain conditions (ie spinach (high oxaloids) those with kidney issues or grapefruit with medications....

rainbowbow wrote: »

beautifulsparkles wrote: »

I guess death is on the way, lolz

considering potatoes are generally poisonous raw i don't think OP is being crazy.

"Two toxic chemicals (steroidal glycoalkaloids) solanine and chaconine are naturally present in potatoes and are important components of their resistance against pests and pathogens. Cooking the potatoes destroys the bacteria. Eating the potato raw may cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever and an upset stomach. "

But yes, OP, certain foods should not be eaten raw. I've used this list in the past:

http://vegpeace.org/rawfoodtoxins.html

This makes it sound like solanine is "the bacteria" but it is not.

so I had to find the raw potato info and this "NOTE: Juicing potatoes
As long as -the potato does not contain harmful doses of glycoalkaloids, juicing fresh, peeled potatoes removes most of the resistant starches and is considered safe, at least there are no studies showing otherwise. It is even claimed to be beneficial for the digestive tract by many natural medicine practitioners."

info obtained from http://nutritionmyths.com/can-raw-potatoes-make-me-sick/

rainbowbow wrote: »

note: OP is making smoothies and not juicing.

Well crap, learn something new everyday, I wasn't thinking they were different just reading the article fast, thanks.

beautifulsparkles wrote: »

I've eaten raw sweet potato...?

rainbowbow wrote: »

beautifulsparkles wrote: »

I guess death is on the way, lolz

considering potatoes are generally poisonous raw i don't think OP is being crazy.

"Two toxic chemicals (steroidal glycoalkaloids) solanine and chaconine are naturally present in potatoes and are important components of their resistance against pests and pathogens. Cooking the potatoes destroys the bacteria. Eating the potato raw may cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever and an upset stomach. "

But yes, OP, certain foods should not be eaten raw. I've used this list in the past:

http://vegpeace.org/rawfoodtoxins.html

Of course sweet potatoes are not potatoes and they aren't yams either.

Sweet potatoes: Solanaceae family )
Potatoes: Convolvulaceae family (Genus is Solanum or nightshade)
Yams: Dioscoreacae family

You can safely eat raw sweet potatoes, nutritious, recommend washing. You also can eat their leaves, also nutritious.

You can eat raw potatoes, some debate about that, but not their leaves as they are a nightshade so have poisonous leaves.

If you are considering raw potatoes or raw casava just google them and learn a few things. Remember - google is full of fact and crap.

Potato greening
Solanine develops in potatoes when spuds are subjected to light or either very cold or warm temperatures. The greenish hue that should warn you away from such spuds is actually chlorophyll, but its presence indicates concentrations of solanine are present in the tuber. Unless you are deliberately seeking out green potatoes to eat, you are unlikely to ingest enough of the toxin to do harm. Greened potatoes do not necessarily need to be discarded. The concentration of solanine is greatest in or directly beneath the skin, and peeling is an effective way to remove the solanine-affected tissue. Additionally, cooking in steam or water reduces solanine levels by 30 to 40 percent.

Some general information about cassava
a.k.a. Yuca
Tapioca is cassava starch used in puddings and as a thickening agent
There are two varieties of cassava – sweet and bitter. Both contain Prussic acid (hydrocyanic acid), which can cause cyanide poisoning. Cooking or pressing the root thoroughly removes the poison. Cassava can never be eaten raw. Bitter, or wild, cassava contains enough acid so that it can be fatally poisonous if eaten raw or undercooked. To escape the Conquistadors, the oppressed natives were known to commit suicide by eating raw cassava. Don’t be intimidated. You won’t come into contact with bitter cassava in U.S. stores. Sweet cassava is sold in American markets fresh or frozen. Bitter cassava is processed into safe edible flours and starches, which in turn are made into breads, pastries and cakes.