Nightshade UPD

Nightshade is a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. Tobacco is also in the nightshade family. Nightshades are unique because they contain small amounts of alkaloids.

nightshade

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.

Normally, potatoes and other nightshade vegetables have an acceptable amount of alkaloids in them. You may feel some effects if you eat between two to five milligrams of solanine per kilogram of body weight. If you weigh around 150 pounds (68 kilograms) you would need to consume a minimum of 136 milligrams of solanine to feel ill.

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. However, nightshades don't cause inflammation directly. They may increase inflammation that is already there.

How do you know if nightshades are bad for you? Experts recommend eliminating them from your diet for a few weeks. Then, reintroduce them and see how you feel. If you feel worse after reintroduction, you may have a sensitivity to nightshades.

Since there are several different nightshade fruits and vegetables, there are multitudes of ways to cook them. If you want to learn how to cook nightshades, popular dishes that usually contain them include:

The genus Physalis produces the so-called groundcherries, as well as the tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica), Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry) and Physalis alkekengi (Chinese lantern). The genus Lycium contains the boxthorns and the goji berry, Lycium barbarum. Nicotiana contains, among other species, tobacco. Some other important members of Solanaceae include a number of ornamental plants such as Petunia, Browallia, and Lycianthes, and sources of psychoactive alkaloids, Datura, Mandragora (mandrake), and Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade). Certain species are widely known for their medicinal uses, their psychotropic effects, or for being poisonous.[6]

The name "Solanaceae" (US: /ˌsoʊləˈneɪsi, -siˌaɪ, -siˌeɪ, -siˌiː/) comes to international scientific vocabulary from New Latin, from Solanum, the type genus, + -aceae,[9] a standardized suffix for plant family names in modern taxonomy. The genus name comes from the Classical Latin word solanum, referring to nightshades (especially Solanum nigrum), "probably from sol, 'sun', + -anum, neuter of -anus."[9]

There are specific signs of intolerance you can look for, so if you have leaky gut or autoimmune disease you will want to look out for any warning signs after eating nightshades such as joint pain, digestive issues, reddening of your skin or any type of inflammatory response.

You can see just from this short list that there is great variety within the nightshade family. While the commonality might not be evident on a dinner plate, there are some basic similarities in composition that nightshade vegetables share, and one such similarity is the presence of two substances: calcitriol and alkaloids.

Keep in mind that nightshades include quite deadly plants as well as generally safe vegetables. Not all of these compounds are present in every nightshade plant, and even when they are present, not all are strong enough to feel immediate effects.

Should you avoid nightshades? Those exhibiting apparent sensitivities to nightshade vegetables often have similar complaints as gluten sensitive reactions. Nightshade vegetable sensitivity reactions can include:

Particularly with regard to capsicum, heartburn or reflux is not a surprising reaction for nightshade sensitivity. Irritating the lining of the esophagus and stomach, capsaicin is certainly tied to issues with acid reflux and heartburn. Most individuals can limit the amount of capsaicin they intake to minimize this discomfort, but a true sensitivity will require its elimination.

There is no direct evidence of nightshade vegetables causing arthritis, or of their elimination relieving symptoms. However, anecdotal evidence would suggest that some people have experienced a decrease of symptoms, so I do not take these experiences lightly. People frequently have joint pain associated with nightshade sensitivity.

Now whether it is because of the potential that vitamin D3 and calcitriol have to calcify soft tissue, or the effects of neurotransmitters and pain receptors, or something not yet discovered, we do not know for sure. But it certainly cannot hurt to eliminate nightshade vegetables to see if they are contributing to your pain.

There are over 2,000 species of nightshades, herbs and non-edibles included. A list of commonly eaten nightshade vegetables is important, plus common products that may use nightshade-derivatives. The following list* can help you get started, but it is advised to work with a holistic professional to help you develop a thorough and successful plan:

*Note that blueberries, goji berries and huckleberries all include similar alkaloids. They are not nightshades, but it may be important to eliminate them at the same time. Be cautious of anything that might contain potato starch as a thickener or filler, including medications, baking powders, and even envelope glue can contain potato starch.

However, if you are suffering from symptoms that could be tied to nightshade sensitivity, taking the time to eliminate them from your diet and give your body a chance to recover might save a lifetime of pain and discomfort. And, as with all foods, choosing the best-quality versions and utilizing them in a whole foods diet is key.

However, some believe that certain groups of people may be better off eliminating nightshades. They claim that harmful substances found in these vegetables may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune conditions.

But the edible portions of these plants contain some alkaloids, too. Consequently, many people with autoimmune diseases eliminate nightshades from their diets, believing they contribute to their health problems.

This limited research in animals and test tubes suggests that people with IBD may benefit from eliminating or reducing nightshades. But research is needed in humans before more definitive recommendations can be made.

Many people with these diseases have eliminated nightshades from their diets and report improvement in symptoms, but evidence for this recommendation right now is mainly anecdotal and needs to be studied.

It is true that a vitamin D-like substance was discovered in plants in the nightshade family. And some studies have reported that animals feeding on these plants have developed calcium deposits in soft tissues, which cause health problems (19, 20, 21).

Bittersweet nightshade is a slender perennial vine or semi-woody shrub found throughout King County, especially in creeks and wetlands, as well as field edges, gardens, parks, and roadsides. This plant is toxic to people, pets, and livestock. Leaves are dark green to purple-tinged. Mid-May to September, produces star-shaped purple flowers with stamens fused in a prominent yellow cone. Flowers followed by round or egg-shaped berries that ripen from green, to orange, to bright red. All stages of berry can grow on same plant. Spreads by seed, as well as stem and root fragments.

Although this is not the same plant as deadly nightshade or belladonna (an uncommon and extremely poisonous plant), bittersweet nightshade is somewhat poisonous and has caused loss of livestock and pet poisoning and, more rarely, sickness and even death in children who have eaten the berries. Fortunately, bittersweet nightshade has a strong, unpleasant odor, so most animals will avoid it, and poisonings from this plant are not very frequent.

The entire plant contains solanine, the same toxin found in green potatoes and other members of the nightshade family, and it also contains a glycoside called dulcamarine, similar in structure and effects to atropine, one of the toxins found in deadly nightshade. The toxin amount varies with soil, light, climate and growth stage. Ripe fruits are generally less toxic than the leaves and unripe berries, but even ripe berries can be poisonous.

Because bittersweet nightshade is very widespread and not on the State Noxious Weed List, we are not tracking locations. If you would like information or advice on how to control this plant, please feel free to contact our office. If you are concerned about where the plant is growing on public lands or trails, we can direct you to the agency responsible for that area.

Nightshades are a problem across north central US. The problem in potato is that nightshades are in the same family (Solanaceae) as potato (Solanum tuberosum), as well as tomato, pepper, and tobacco. These weeds harbor many of the same pathogens causing diseases such as early and late blight and pest insects such as Colorado potato beetle and aphids as potato. Most herbicides that affect nightshades also affect potato making control difficult.

Three species of nightshades are common in the north central states. Hairy nightshade (S. sarrachoides) is native to South America and is found coast to coast along the south of US but is also found as far north as eastern Nebraska, eastern S. Dakota and southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Eastern (black) nightshade (S. ptycanthum) is native to Europe and is found east of the Rocky Mountains. Cuttleaf nightshade (S. triflorum) is native to North America and is found east of the Cascade Mountains. Black nightshade (S. nigrum) is found along the Pacific coast.

Leaf shapes are similar. Hairy nightshade leaves are covered with fine hairs, whereas eastern black nightshade leaves have only a few hairs. The fine hairs on hairy nightshade give the leaf a silvery gray color and may be "sticky" to the touch. Eastern black nightshade leaves are dark green in color and usually have "shot holes" from insect feeding. Cutleaf nightshade leaves are deeply lobed and resemble a holly leaf. 041b061a72