Overall, there is no hard evidence that nightshade vegetables are bad for your health. Some preliminary research shows these vegetables may not be the best for people with certain inflammatory and auto-immune conditions like arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.
All nightshade plants contain compounds called alkaloids. One alkaloid found in nightshade vegetables, solanine, may be toxic in large quantities or in a green potato.
Some people report an increase in inflammation after eating nightshades. However, Nofziger notes that the connection between nightshades and inflammation is not supported by scientific studies.
Nightshades have been associated with arthritis. Although this causation is very uncommon in reality, nightshade foods are indeed associated with autoimmunity. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Therefore, nightshades could cause joint pain and arthritis in sensitive individuals.
Blueberries are not technically a nightshade plant. But, like nightshades, they contain some solanine. Blueberries have been called a “superfood” because they contain antioxidant compounds.
And everyone's favorite cruciferous veggie, broccoli, is also not on the nightshade vegetable list. Colorful fruits and vegetables like blueberries and broccoli are often mistaken for nightshades. But these fruits and veggies are actually full of antioxidants.
Tomatoes and Avocados are fruits and not vegetables. Tomatoes belong to the Nightshade fruit family while Avocados belong to the Laurels family.
green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards. nuts like almonds and walnuts. fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.
Zucchini is not a nightshade. Cucumbers are not nightshades. Coffee is not a nightshade. Squash is not a nightshade.
Nightshade Vegetables
Eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are all members of the nightshade family. These vegetables contain the chemical solanine, which some people claim aggravates arthritis pain and inflammation.
Allergies are caused by glycoalkaloids, a compound naturally produced by all nightshade plants. This is a natural pesticide that helps the plant fight against pathogens, such as bacteria. It can also stimulate an immune response in people.
While this is a common misconception, no, beets are root vegetables, not nightshade vegetables. Nightshade vegetables can be linked to causing inflammation whereas beets can prevent it. Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers and spices sourced from peppers are all examples of nightshade vegetables.
Here's a list of vegetables that people often think are nightshades, but are not nightshades: Black pepper. Coffee. Cucumbers.
Solanine is concentrated in the leafy greens bugs try to eat, one major reason why we only eat the tomato or pepper fruit, not the rest of the plant. It can also be found in foods that aren't part of the nightshade family, including blueberries, apples, cherries, and artichokes.
Tomatoes are often thought of as being in the vegetable family due to their savory flavor, but they are actually a fruit. Fruit is an edible part of a plant that develops from a flower and contains seeds. Peppers and eggplant are also technically nightshade fruits.
Strawberries are not nightshades; in fact, they're part of the rose family! A strawberry is not actually a berry. By technical definition, a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single seed.
Based on visual observation, the ancients characterised inflammation by five cardinal signs, namely redness (rubor), swelling (tumour), heat (calor; only applicable to the body' extremities), pain (dolor) and loss of function (functio laesa).
Background: Oat and its compounds have been found to have anti-inflammatory effects.
However, today most people eat “edible” nightshades every day in the form of French fries, mashed potatoes, salsa, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, and many other popular foods. Nightshade vegetables contain enough toxins to cause inflammation in some people, particularly those with autoimmune disease.
The theory goes that members of the plant family Solanaceae – which includes tomatoes, capsicums, chilli peppers, eggplant and potatoes – contain toxins designed to stop us from eating them, which are damaging to our health. Capsicums and tomatoes are considered to be "nightshade" vegetables. Shutterstock.
Foods that are not nightshades, but often get mistaken for them. Zucchini, cucumbers, and mushrooms are not nightshades, even though many people think they are.