The truth about nightshades: four online myths about potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines

[helvella]

Posting this out of general interest.

The questions about nightshades have been asked many times times. And many claims made.

Have to say, it really is very easy to ask whether there is an issue in general, or for an individual, answering that question is much more difficult. I certainly don't dismiss the possibility of issues. But nor am I wholly convinced they are widespread both across the entire nightshade family (and regardless the preparation techniques) or across the population.

The truth about nightshades: four online myths about potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines

Is this popular family of plants really toxic? Many TikTok influencers seem to think so. Here, dietary experts set the facts straight

Rest of article accessible here:

theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...

I'm hoping comments add to the discussion.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

They make me feel poisoned from top to bottom! 🤷‍♀️

[seveneleven]

I tend to agree with this - I don't think there's value in dismissing entire families of food for all people, whether soy, nightshades, wheat, etc. If they did cause the wholesale destruction of our immune systems etc. that is sometimes claimed, it would be rather bigger news, and most of the world would be toast by now. Wheat is a good example - some people are coeliac, and some have significant digestive or autoimmune reactions and should stay away, but that doesn't mean whole swathes of the population who have happily consumed it as a staple for thousands of years need to stop eating it. I have histamine intolerance, and I tend to avoid tomatoes because they give me a reaction, but I don't notice the same effect from occasional aubergines or potatoes. So I'm not going to limit my diet any more than I need to, because then it's possible to just get into a whole cycle of increasing sensitivity due to lack of exposure. As with most things, it's individual. Can at best say that certain groups with particular conditions may need to avoid xyz foods and test it for themselves.

[helvella]

I looked around for a decently comprehensive list of members - and I'm afraid Wiki was as good as any freely accessible lists I could find.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solan...

The ironies of goji berries being massively hyped as super-healthy foods. And forgetting that tobacco is in the family.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum

[jade_s]

I've been intolerant to several memebers of the family at one time or another - eggplant, bell peppers, potatoes - giving me killer migraines. One of my docs suggested histamine, but I'm not completely convinced. Tomatoes and chili peppers don't give me any trouble... though tomato sauce does give me reflux.

I don't eat petunias 😂

I agree these toxicity statements are overblown - people have been eating these foods for centuries. But perhaps some people do have reduced ability to process certain substances, think celiac or anaphylactic reactions for example. As always, it comes down to the individual.

[helvella in reply to jade_s]

Had a few migraines - nowadays seem to be aura only - and think I could live on members of the family!

[Hedgeree in reply to jade_s]

I agree about it being an individual thing. I've had a very rapid unpleasant reaction to aubergines to the point now where I'd be scared to eat any of them but fine with tomatoes and chillies.

At the time I did read online about aubergines being high in salicylates and lectins which can cause gastrointestinal issues but didn't explore the issue any further.

A relative can't go anywhere near chillies or black pepper as her lips and face swell. She knows if she's accidentally ingested any as she starts to feel a tingling sensation inside her mouth and lips.

[helvella in reply to Hedgeree]

Just in case anyone coming along later doesn't realise, the plants that produce pepper (as in black and white pepper) are not of the nightshade family.

[Hedgeree in reply to helvella]

Of course! The black pepper reaction seems to be a fairly new one; she'd had the chilli problem for many years previously.

Thanks helvella!

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to jade_s]

I found that zinc deficiency is linked to histamine intolerance... perhaps that is why I've become more sensitive to nightshades.... never could stand the smell of pepper though 🤷‍♀️

I'd love to be able to eat potatoes again 🤤even without the butter!

But I don't miss the trippy 48h migraines

[jade_s in reply to TiggerMe]

That's interesting! I had zinc tested last month and it's in range but lower in the range. Not sure if it needs to be high in range, or more like iron and midrange 🤷‍♀️ i did lots of copper+zinc in the early days and it was never too bad. So many health pitfalls who can keep up 🤣

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to jade_s]

I'm aiming mid range in the hope that copper will be about the same 🤷‍♀️

It'll be interesting to see if it makes any difference to my tolerance level

[jade_s in reply to TiggerMe]

How much are you planning to or are taking? My holistic endo wants me to take some (25mg?) and maybe i should, but i only have 50mg capsules for when i'm ill, and i think both are probably way too much ?

Will be interesting to see if it works for you! 🙏

Did you know there are histamine enzyme pills you can take? Very pricey though! My doc also measured DAO last week, i guess it's the enzyme that metabolizes histamine?

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to jade_s]

I've got some 30mg picolinate and some Ionic Zinc liquid which I can vary the dose and I alternate 🤷‍♀️ if you are prescribed it they give you 45mg... Each Solvazinc® tablet contains zinc sulfate monohydrate 125 mg (45 mg zinc).

I'd have thought your tablets would be fine but maybe not every day or are they cuttable?

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to jade_s]

I've tried the DAO pills... they down grade the reaction but still feel pretty crappy... maybe useful if you are forced to eat out.

I didn't know they could measure it, what was the result?

[jade_s in reply to TiggerMe]

Waiting for the result , will take a few weeks...

For example ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Thx for the zinc info. I have zinc picolinate capsules.

[goatheard]

Ashwagandha, currently popular for stress relief and now added in coffee, energy bars and drinks, and all kinds of supplements, is in the nightshade family. Just something to be aware of.

[Hidden]

Potatoes are the ‘new’ Prozac.

Not surprised to hear this as in times of stress, a plate of mashed potato does the trick. The perfect comfort food.

radiantrecovery.com/

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

Zoe podcast recently suggested nightshade thing isn’t a thing. But… Mum absolutely can’t eat red or green peppers. Allotment pal is feeling better off all nightshades. Needs further testing methinks.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podca...

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