Can Potatoes Cause Diarrhea?
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Do Potatoes Cause or Help Diarrhea?

Do Potatoes Cause or Help Diarrhea?
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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Potatoes and diarrhea have two possible connections. The first is that potatoes may cause diarrhea if you eat lots of them with the skin still on or if you’re allergic or intolerant to them. The second is that potatoes without the skin can actually help you get over a bout of diarrhea.

It seems like two situations on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, right? They are, and that’s because nutrition is often a highly individualized science. If potatoes hurt your stomach, there can be some valid reasons why. If your stomach is upset for other reasons, potatoes may be just the thing you need.

A Potato Allergy or Intolerance Can Cause Diarrhea

If you have diarrhea every time you eat a potato, you may have a potato allergy or an intolerance. Although the two can show similar digestive symptoms, like diarrhea and vomiting, an allergy and an intolerance are vastly different things.

A true potato allergy involves activation of your immune system. With an allergy, when you eat even a small amount of potato, your immune system attacks it as if it’s a foreign invader and sends out antibodies called immunoglobulin E, or IgE. These antibodies attack the food particles and cause the hallmark symptoms of an allergy, such as itching, hives, vomiting, and diarrhea. In some cases, food allergies can be life-threatening, so if you’re having trouble breathing after eating potatoes, seek medical help right away.

On the other hand, a food intolerance involves only the digestive system — and it doesn’t trigger an immune response. A food intolerance usually develops as a result of enzyme deficiencies, sensitivity to natural chemicals in food, or an intolerance to artificial food ingredients. If you have a potato intolerance, you may be able to eat small amounts of potatoes without problems, but too much may cause uncomfortable symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and bloating.

Too Much Fiber May Contribute to Diarrhea

So, your healthcare provider ruled out a potato allergy and a potato intolerance. You might still be looking for answers as to why you’re having diarrhea after a potato-heavy meal. It turns out, eating too much fiber, which helps food pass through your body more easily, can lead to diarrhea. And a medium-sized potato, especially if you’re eating it with the skin, contains about 5 grams (g) of fiber.

Although having enough fiber in your diet is important, eating too much of it can lead to digestive symptoms such as gas, diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain. But how much is enough, and when does it become too much?

The current guidelines for fiber vary based on age and sex. For women over 18, experts recommend eating 22 to 28 g of fiber each day. For men over 18, experts suggest eating 28 to 34 g of fiber daily.

If you’re eating lots of potatoes and diarrhea becomes a problem for you, scale back. In addition to watching your total intake, you can also remove the skin, which contains most of the potato’s fiber. It may also be a good idea to check your intake of other high-fiber foods to avoid eating too much fiber. These foods include, but are not limited to:

  • Bran or whole-grain cereals
  • Peanut butter
  • Berries
  • Corn
  • Peas
  • Granola
  • Beans
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Apples
  • Dried fruits

Although it may be difficult to get too much fiber from potatoes alone, a meal with several high-fiber foods may contribute to diarrhea. If you go through the list and suspect that you may be getting too much fiber, reduce your intake until you’re within the recommended ranges. It’s also helpful to drink water, which binds to fiber and helps prevent undesirable digestive effects, such as diarrhea or constipation.

Can Potatoes Treat Diarrhea?

On the other hand, if you have diarrhea from another cause, potatoes may be able to remedy your symptoms until your bowel can function as it normally does. That’s because potatoes are considered a “binding” food, which basically means that they’re low in fiber (without the skin) and high in starch, which can hold more water and make your poop more firm.

Potatoes are also bland, so they won’t upset your stomach, and they’re rich in potassium, a mineral and electrolyte that your body loses in high amounts when you have diarrhea. For instance, one medium-sized potato without the skin has about 610 milligrams (mg) of potassium. For reference, women need 2,600 mg of potassium daily, while men need 3,400 mg of potassium per day.

Eating potatoes, along with other potassium-rich starchy foods and drinking enough water, can help keep your electrolytes balanced and prevent dehydration while you have diarrhea. Just make sure to forgo the skin, which is high in fiber and can make diarrhea worse. And if your diarrhea symptoms aren’t going away with home remedies, always check in with your healthcare provider for more support and individualized medical advice.

The Takeaway

  • Potatoes can both contribute to diarrhea and help treat its symptoms, depending on the situation.
  • You may experience diarrhea, among other symptoms, if you have a potato allergy or intolerance.
  • The skin of a potato has high amounts of fiber, so if you eat a potato with the skin on it, you’ll take in more fiber, which can lead to diarrhea if you eat too much of it.
  • Eating potatoes without the skin, however, can help treat diarrhea and upset stomach symptoms, due to their blandness and high potassium content.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Food Intolerance Versus Food Allergy. American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. January 10, 2025.
  2. Labrosse R et al. Non-IgE-Mediated Gastrointestinal Food Allergies in Children: An Update. Nutrients. July 14, 2020.
  3. What’s the Difference Between a Food Intolerance and a Food Allergy? Mayo Clinic. February 28, 2024.
  4. Potatoes. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  5. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2020.
  6. High-Fiber Foods. National Cancer Institute. October 15, 2024.
  7. What to Eat When You Have Diarrhea. Cleveland Clinic. June 17, 2025.
  8. Potassium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. June 2, 2022.
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Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.

She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.

Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

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Lindsay Boyers is a holistic nutritionist with a Bachelor's degree in food and nutrition and a certificate in holistic nutrition consulting. She has a background in functional nutrition and is currently studying for her RD exam.

In addition to contributing to everydayhealth.com, she has 12 published books, including The Everything Guide to Gut Health, The Everything Guide to the Ketogenic Diet, and The Everything Guide to Intermittent Fasting.

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