Why should potatoes be cooked before they are eaten?

It is generally safer to cook potatoes before eating them to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Raw potatoes contain solanine, a toxic alkaloid. While the levels of solanine in most potatoes are not high enough to cause significant harm, high concentrations of solanine can lead to symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, headaches, and even more severe health problems in extreme cases.

Cooking, especially boiling, baking, or frying, breaks down solanine and reduces its concentration to safe levels, allowing for the potatoes to be consumed safely. Cooking the potatoes effectively removes this potential hazard and makes them suitable for consumption.