The Nightmare of Nightshades

The Nightmare of Nightshades

What is a nightshade?

Nightshades are a botanical family of plants that are also known as  Solanaceae. This is because they contain a chemical known as solanine, which some people are very sensitive to. The list of edible nightshades is pretty short, but the list of toxic ones is extensive, with the most well known one being Belladonna or "deadly nightshade." The fact that some plants containing solanine are so harmful to the body make many people weary of ingesting any of this substance. People with autoimmune disorders, who may already have leaky gut or heightened inflammation in their body, are especially susceptible to reactions from this class of plants. Nightshades have been associated with fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines and headaches, irritable bowel syndrome or disease, and skin conditions. 

Which edible plants are in the nightshade family?

The most commonly consumed nightshades are white potatoes, peppers of all kinds, eggplant, and tomatoes, but there are also others as listed below.

• Ashwagandha
• Bell peppers 
• Bush tomato
• Cape gooseberry 
• Cocona
• Eggplant
• Garden huckleberry 
• Goji berries 
• Hot peppers (such as chili peppers, jalapenos, habaneros, chili-based spices, red pepper, cayenne)
• Paprika
• Pepinos
• Pimentos
• Potatoes 
• Tamarillos
• Tobacco
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes

And I shouldn't eat them because of Sola-what?

Solanine. Glycoalkaloids are a natural pesticide produced by plants. Solanine is the one produced by nightshades. It helps protect plants from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and insects by binding to certain structures of a predator's cell membranes and causing them to burst. They can also act as a neurotoxin by disrupting certain enzymes, leading to paralysis, convulsions, respiratory arrest, and death. These symptoms are seen with un-edible nightshades that are very toxic to humans. However, even the edible nightshades can cause some reactions.

Some people say they are good to eat......

In laboratory studies, not human ones, nightshades have shown to possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects. This is what nature designed them to do after all. However, they are not very specific in their destruction. While they might help in ridding the body of these bad guys, they normally end up destroying just as many good cells as well. Red blood cells and mitochondrial cells (our energy producers) are especially susceptible to destruction by glycoalkaloids. 

                                                                                              (A cell wall bursting)

Should I be worried about nightshades?

At low doses, humans normally only experience minor symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation, headaches, and some inflammation or swelling. Because these symptoms can come on quickly or take days due to transit time in the intestines, it's hard to associate these symptoms with what you're eating. Many people will have very little reaction to nightshades, and possibly none at all. If you are having any issues though, try taking nightshades out of your diet for two weeks and see if it makes any difference. Just make sure to substitute in good food and not junk to make up for the loss!