By Lindsay Edwards

You probably already know that you should thoroughly wash produce before eating it to avoid ingesting harmful toxins and pesticides. What you may not know, however, is that there are naturally occurring toxins just as there are manmade toxins. One such naturally occurring toxin is solanine.

Solanine is a toxin produced when a potato is harvested and exposed to light. The toxin is characterized by the appearance of green splotches. Solanine can cause gastric upset, respiratory problems, and has even been found to cause spontaneous abortions in laboratory animals. Therefore, pregnant women should be especially careful to remove all green areas on a potato before eating it. Since solanine's content is highest just beneath the potato's skin, you should peel deep to remove most of the toxin.