Fruits and vegetables are more than favorable for our health. However, certain products can bring negative effects if consumed in the wrong way.
Nightshades are a particular group of plants which is a part of the Solanaceae family. This family includes more than 2,000 species of plants. We know most of these plants, such as tomatoes, potatoes, all types of peppers, and eggplants.
At times, blueberries, huckleberries, goji berries and ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng) can fall into this group, even though they are not particularly a kind of nightshades plants.
The consumption of nightshades can cause an inflammation, as they contain a chemical known as solanine, which, according to experts, causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
If this chemical enters the bloodstream, it can damage the red blood cells, whose role is to carry oxygen to the cells. Also, solanine can easily cause a build-up of ACh (neurotransmitter acetylcholine) in the nerves.
Furthermore, this burdens the nervous receptors which stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Since solanine is not soluble in water, it cannot be affected by cooking. Therefore, in order to be removed from the system, it has to do it in the form of alpha-solanine. Alpha-solanine is classified as a neurotoxin.
The majority of foods we consume contain alpha-solanine, as well as other neurotoxins, like atropine and nicotine.
Nightshades Trigger Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the side effects of nightshades.
They draw out the calcium from the bones and make them weak and brittle. That is why patients suffering from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or different joint problems, including gout, are advised to exclude nightshades from their menu.
Due to this, the founder of the Arthritis Nightshades Research Foundation, Ph.D. Norman F. Childers explains:
“Diet appears to be a factor in the etiology of arthritis based on surveys of over 1400 volunteers during a 20-year period.
Plants in the drug family, Solanaceae (nightshades) are an important causative factor in arthritis in sensitive people.”
This reaction is a result of a particular alkaloid, known as tropane, which causes extra sensitivity.
If you eliminate nightshades from your diet, you will probably never need an inhaler again. Additionally, it will help you treat all your knee issues.
Here is the full list of nightshade plants you should avoid:
- Tomatoes (all varieties, including tomatillos)
- Potatoes (all varieties, NOT sweet potatoes or yams)
- Eggplant (aubergine)
- Okra
- Artichokes
- Peppers (all varieties, including bell pepper, wax pepper, green & red peppers, chili peppers, cayenne, paprika, etc.)
- Goji berries
- Tamarillos (a plum-like fruit from Peru)
- Sorrel
- Garden Huckleberry & Blueberries (they also contain the alkaloids that induce inflammation)
- Gooseberries
- Pepino Melon
- The Homeopathic “Belladonna”
- Tobacco
- Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
Despite the ones above, you should also avoid soy sauce, as it contains GMO soybeans.
If you insist on its use, then you better choose Braggs Amino Acids at your local store. This type of soy sauce ferments in a unique way and contains pure water only.
Attention: The black or white pepper and peppercorns do not fall into the category of nightshades.
What Else To Avoid
- Homeopathic remedies containing Belladonna (known as deadly nightshades)
- Prescription and over-the-counter drugs full of potato starch (often found in sleeping pills and muscle- relaxing meds)
- Edible flowers: Petunia, chalice vine, day jasmine, angel and devil’s trumpets
- Atropine and Scopolamine included in sleeping pills
- Topical medications for pain and inflammation, rich in cayenne pepper
- Baking powders- many of them include potato starch
- licking envelopes, since the glue contains starch
- Vodka (potatoes have been used in the production process)
Be careful when you’re picking out Vodka and never go with the ones based on spices, so carefully read the labels before you decide.
Three Month Challenge
It is best to start getting used to a life without nightshades by engaging into a three-month challenge. It involves avoidance of all kinds of nightshade products, prescriptions, over- the- counter medications- and other processed foods which contain nightshades.
After the 3-month period, incorporate one nightshade at a time into your diet. This will lead to symptoms like energy loss, headaches, pain, stiffness, and respiratory problems due to the presence of nightshades. This will encourage you to never try them again.
The Cost of Pain
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies published a research on June 29, 2011, and showed that almost 116 million adult Americans deal with pains on a daily basis.
This exceeds the number of cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases patients. To treat this pain, the patients spend $635 billion dollars per year.
