Docs slam TikTok potato juice ‘cure’ for strep throat: ‘Dangerous’

A potato a day does not keep strep throat away.

Despite TikTokers yammering on the platform that their Strep A infection has been cured by drinking potato juice, doctors are urging users to take this information with a grain of salt.

Strep throat, caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria, is a treatable infection that causes a sore throat, fever, swollen and red tonsils, pain when swallowing and more. Typically cured with antibiotics, the bacterial infection can lead to rheumatic fever or, in rare cases, death in children and older adults if left untreated.

The warnings come as strep throat infections skyrocketed this winter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in December it was investigating an uptick in invasive group A strep cases around the country. The World Health Organization also noted an increase in cases around the UK and Europe.

DIY content creators have concocted a homeopathic so-called remedy for the infection, and the trend is spreading across TikTok.

One user, who goes by Damien Michaels, told followers to juice a raw potato and drink about a cup of it twice a day. He claimed the root veggie will “alleviate strep throat on contact,” saying it would rid the drinker of the infection within two to three days.

In a since-deleted clip, self-described “Mom Coach” Allie Casazza also reported the spud elixir “freaking works” — claiming her daughter’s strep throat infection was “completely gone within two hours.”

But Dr. Idrees Mughal — who goes by Dr. Idz on social media — is advising against self-treating the “very contagious” infection with potato juice.

“This is one of the most dangerous videos I’ve ever been sent,” he says about Casazza’s clip, in a video with over 100,000 views.

“Do not treat your child with potato juice if they have severe strep throat symptoms,” he warned, noting that even if potato juice eases symptoms, it doesn’t mean the infection is gone.

Many users in the comments didn’t see the appeal of drinking potatoes, but others claimed they have antibiotic properties that can treat infections. While it’s true the antibiotic compound solanimycin comes from a microbe found in potatoes, it’s said to work against fungus, not bacteria, per clinical studies.

Dr. Zachary Rubin, a pediatric allergist who is active on TikTok, explained in a clip that while foods such as potatoes might treat strep symptoms, they do “not kill the bacteria. You need antibiotics for that.”

A woman who says she is a registered nurse also chimed in on TikTok, seconding that antibiotics are the “correct” treatment for strep throat and could be “life-saving.”

In 2017, a Canadian mom was sentenced to three years in prison after her 7-year-old son died because she failed to take the boy to the doctor while he suffered from a severe strep throat infection. The death was called “senseless.”