What are nightshade vegetables?
Vegetables of the nightshade family (lat. Solanaceae) are the edible parts of flowering plants belonging to this family.
The Solanaceae family contains more than 2,000 plant varieties, but very few of them are actually eaten. Some, such as belladonna, are even poisonous.
However, nightshades also include vegetables that have been a staple food in many societies for hundreds of years.
Here are some of the most commonly eaten nightshade vegetables:
- eggplant
- pepper
- potato
- tobacco
- physalis vegetable
- tomatoes
A variety of herbs and spices are also derived from these vegetables, including cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, chili powder and paprika.
Black and white peppers come from peppers that are not in the nightshade family.
Additionally, some condiments and other common food products contain nightshade vegetables as ingredients, such as hot sauce, ketchup, marinara sauce and salsa.
Although they are commonly called vegetables, many nightshades are botanically considered fruits, such as tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.
Conclusion:
The nightshade family (Latin: Solanacaea) includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.
Datura common
This plant also belongs to the group of poisonous ones and is distributed throughout Russia. The height of the common datura can reach 1.5 m. Its roots are taprooted and powerful, and its stems are erect, bare, and branched. Datura leaves are pointed, ovate, coarsely toothed. The flowers of this representative of the nightshade family are white and emit an intoxicating odor. This is where the name of the plant comes from.
Datura fruits are a four-lobed capsule covered with thorns. Like belladonna, Datura vulgaris is widely used in medicine.
Rich Sources of Nutrients
Many health professionals recommend eating nightshade vegetables due to their high nutrient density.
This means they contain many nutrients for fewer calories.
- Tomatoes . Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins A and C. They also contain an antioxidant called lycopene. These nutrients may reduce markers of inflammation and reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases (,).
- Peppers . Peppers contain incredible amounts of vitamin C, which can provide many health benefits, including helping improve iron absorption ().
- Chilli . Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which gives them their heat. Taking a capsaicin supplement has been found to help relieve heartburn symptoms and may promote weight loss by helping to reduce calorie intake (,).
- Eggplants . Eggplants are a good source of fiber, with 2.5 grams of fiber per 80-gram serving. This essential nutrient helps regulate intestinal motility and may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease ().
- Potato . Potatoes with skin contain sufficient amounts of potassium, vitamin B6 and manganese ().
However, unlike most nightshades, potatoes are a starchy vegetable. One small potato contains about 30 grams of carbohydrates ().
People with diabetes or others wanting to lower their blood sugar may want to avoid eating too many potatoes.
Conclusion:
Nightshades are a nutrient-dense food that may provide health benefits due to their vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
What danger does the nightshade species contain?
Any plant from this family contains alkaloids, which makes them poisonous. The most famous alkaloid is nicotine . Tobacco is also a nightshade plant. So much has been written about the dangers of tobacco that it seems there is nothing left to add. Almost all countries of the world declared real war on him.
Quite often, belladonna berries cause poisoning, although this plant is almost harmless to animals. But almost all cultivated nightshades often cause poisoning in horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs. Even regular potatoes can be poisonous. Many cases of mass poisoning by black nightshade have been recorded. To avoid problems, it should be destroyed near pastures.
Among the nightshades there is such a terrible plant as the prickly nightshade . A nasty quarantine weed. If you miss the moment, it will quickly clog your garden or vegetable garden. Crop losses reach 100%. The leaves are poisonous to animals; the plant is a breeding ground for the Colorado potato beetle, potato moth, and pathogens of viral diseases.
The nightshade family includes many beneficial and harmful plants. Its prominent representatives are the two most common plants - potatoes and tobacco. We have already decided long ago how to treat them. The nightshade family, from which vegetables, berries and fruits grow, the representatives of which play a key role in human life, is undoubtedly of great interest.
Are they harmful for people with autoimmune diseases?
Although nightshade vegetables are a rich source of nutrients, many people claim that they are harmful and should be avoided.
Most of these claims seem to center around a group of substances found in nightshades called alkaloids.
Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing substances commonly found in the leaves and stems of nightshades. They are often very bitter and act as a natural insect repellent.
But the edible parts of these plants also contain some alkaloids. Consequently, many people with autoimmune diseases exclude nightshades from their diet, believing that they make their health problems worse.
However, research has not yet shown that nightshade vegetables contribute to autoimmune diseases.
Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by inflammation of the digestive tract. Examples are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
In people with IBD, the protective lining of the intestines does not function properly and allows bacteria and other harmful substances to enter the bloodstream (,).
This is sometimes called leaky gut or "leaky gut syndrome" ().
When this happens, the body's immune system attacks the harmful substances, leading to further intestinal inflammation and a variety of adverse gastrointestinal symptoms such as pain, diarrhea and malabsorption.
While research on this issue is limited, some animal studies suggest that alkaloids in nightshades may further aggravate the intestinal lining of people with IBD.
In two separate studies in mice with IBD, alkaloids in potatoes were found to negatively affect intestinal permeability and increase intestinal inflammation (,).
It is important to note that the alkaloids in these studies were in much higher concentrations than the amounts found in a typical serving.
Additionally, two test-tube studies suggest that fiber called pectin in tomatoes and capsaicin in peppers may also increase intestinal permeability (, ).
This limited animal and test-tube research suggests that people with IBD may benefit from eliminating or reducing their intake of nightshade vegetables. But before clearer recommendations can be made, human studies need to be conducted.
Effect on other autoimmune diseases
Even less is known about the effects of nightshades on other autoimmune diseases.
However, there may be some connection between leaky gut, or leaky gut syndrome, and autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis (,).
Some experts believe that leaky gut syndrome may contribute to higher levels of inflammation throughout the body, which worsens symptoms of the disease (, ).
Based on this belief, some have suggested that nightshades may increase intestinal permeability and worsen the symptoms of these autoimmune diseases.
Many people with these conditions have eliminated nightshades from their diet and report a decrease in symptoms, but the evidence for this recommendation is currently largely anecdotal and requires study.
Conclusion:
Some animal studies suggest that people with IBD may have negative effects when consuming nightshades, but more research in humans is needed before recommendations can be made to avoid them.
Pepper
On their suburban plots, summer residents in Russia can grow two main varieties of such nightshades. It can be sweet or bitter pepper. Breeders, like tomatoes, have developed many varieties of such crops. The fruit of peppers is a capsule with fleshy or not very fleshy walls. In sweet varieties it is usually quite large, in bitter varieties it is smaller. Inside the pepper box there are many seeds. Externally, the planting material of this crop is very similar to tomato seeds.
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Like tomatoes, both varieties of peppers - sweet and bitter - can be used in the preparation of salads, winter preparations, first and second courses. Young fruits of such nightshades have a soft green color. As they ripen they turn bright red. Sometimes gardeners also grow yellow or dark green peppers.
Sensitivity and allergies
Other groups of people without autoimmune diseases say that eliminating nightshades from their diets has significantly improved their health.
These people are often said to have a sensitivity to nightshades.
One of these groups includes people with arthritis, as some claim that eliminating nightshades provides pain relief.
There is an older theory that nightshades contain a form of vitamin D that causes calcium deposits that can contribute to joint pain and other symptoms of arthritis.
It is true that a vitamin D-like substance has been found in plants of the nightshade family. And some studies have shown that animals that eat these plants develop calcium deposits in their soft tissues, which cause health problems (, ,).
However, there appears to be no evidence that nightshades contain vitamin D or that eating these vegetables causes calcium deposits, arthritis symptoms, or other related health problems in humans.
In addition to sensitivity, some people are allergic to certain vegetables in the nightshade family in rare cases.
Allergy symptoms vary but may include skin rash, hives, itchy throat, swelling and difficulty breathing (,).
If you experience any of these symptoms when you eat a particular nightshade vegetable, it would be wise to stop eating that food and seek medical attention for further testing.
If you want to start an elimination diet, consult your doctor or nutritionist.
Conclusion:
People who claim to be sensitive to nightshades have found symptom relief by avoiding them, although there is no research to support this. Others have rare allergies to nightshades.
general information
The Solanaceae family, from the Dicotyledonous class, Flowering division, from the Plant kingdom, has at least 100 genera and more than 2,500 species.
The family consists of small trees, creeping shrubs and herbs
The leaves have a variety of shapes - they can be:
They are located in pairs - large and small. They often have a specific smell.
The flower is bisexual, regular, with a calyx of 5 leaves, shaped like teeth or lobes. The inflorescences-curls have no bracts; they have a double-leaved perianth. Five filaments of stamens are attached to the corolla tube. The ovary of the pistil is two-locular with a large number of ovules. The anthers are large and located closer to the center of the flower. Ch(5)L(5)T(5)P(1) - the formula of which can describe the nightshade flower. The plant has several flowers collected in small inflorescences. The fruit contains a large number of seeds .
In Russia, the family is represented only by herbs, about 45 species. The main representatives come from North and South America. The most famous - potatoes and tomatoes, appeared in Europe only in the middle of the 16th century and were initially considered only as ornamental plants. In Russia, this culture became known two centuries later.
Today, these nightshades are already of irreplaceable importance as a food product.
Eliminating nightshades from the diet
If you are healthy and have no adverse reactions to nightshades, there is no good reason to avoid them.
They are rich in nutrients and have several potential health benefits.
On the other hand, if you have an autoimmune disease such as IBD or think you may be sensitive to nightshades, you may want to consider eliminating them from your diet to evaluate changes in symptoms.
If you decide to do this, completely eliminate all nightshade vegetables and nightshade-containing foods for at least 4 weeks. Be sure to monitor the severity of your symptoms during this time.
After this period, you should begin introducing nightshade vegetables back into your diet one at a time. During this time, do not make any lifestyle changes.
After reintroducing nightshades, compare the severity of your symptoms during the elimination and reintroduction periods.
If symptoms were less severe when you removed them from your diet and worsened when reintroducing them, you can continue to avoid them for a long period of time.
If symptoms were no different between the two periods, you should look for other ways to relieve your symptoms and continue to eat nightshades.
Conclusion:
Most people are encouraged to eat nightshade vegetables. However, if you have an autoimmune disease to evaluate for any changes in symptoms, you may want to consider eliminating nightshades from your diet.
Tomatoes
This cultivated plant is perhaps the most popular representative of the nightshade family after potatoes among domestic summer residents. Most Russian gardeners grow tomatoes in large quantities year after year.
Over the entire period of human cultivation, breeders have developed a simply huge number of tomato varieties. If desired, you can grow early, mid-season, and late tomatoes on a suburban plot. The seeds of this culture are available for sale in salad varieties, intended for fresh consumption or bred specifically for canning.
A tomato is a vegetable whose fleshy, juicy fruits can be red, yellow or orange. Some genetically modified varieties of tomatoes are purple, blue or, for example, black. However, such varieties are not cultivated in Russia. The cultivation of genetically modified crops in our country is, as is known, prohibited by law.
How to replace nightshade vegetables
If you decide to eliminate nightshades from your diet long-term, you will miss out on the nutrients they contain.
However, there are many other foods to choose from that contain many of the same nutrients and offer similar health benefits.
Here are a few foods you can substitute for nightshade vegetables:
- Yam (sweet potato) . Switching from white potatoes to sweet potatoes will help you avoid nightshades and start getting much more vitamin A.
- Pesto . Instead of tomato sauce on pizza and pasta, use green pesto. It's a tasty alternative that doesn't have to contain nightshades. Red pesto typically contains tomatoes and should be avoided if you are trying to eliminate nightshades.
- Citrus fruit . Many nightshade vegetables contain vitamin C, but citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines and grapefruits are also excellent sources.
- Green leafy vegetables . Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens are an excellent source of many vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
If you still want to eat nightshades but would like to reduce their alkaloid content, you can do this by peeling potatoes, limiting your consumption of green tomatoes, and eating these vegetables fully cooked.
Conclusion:
Eliminating nightshades from your diet also eliminates some important nutrients. However, there are many other nutrient-dense foods you can try.
Tobacco
Sometimes this nightshade crop can be grown in dachas. But more often it is cultivated by large agricultural enterprises. There are several varieties of tobacco. The following plants can be grown: herbaceous perennials or annuals, shrubs and semi-shrubs.
The green mass of tobacco, in addition to minerals, pectins, acids or alkalis, contains resins and nicotine. This plant is known to be used mainly in the production of cigarettes. Tobacco nicotine can also be used in medicine.
Source
Representatives of the family
There are a lot of varieties of nightshades, approximately 2500. They can be found in Eurasia and America, as well as in the vast expanses of our homeland.
Externally, it is a herbaceous plant; it can be either an annual or a perennial. You can also find trees of nightshade varieties. Varieties of this group are divided into wild plants and those that are grown specially.
The main groups are:
- vegetable;
- decorative;
- medicinal or poisonous.
Decorative
The vines entwining shrubs and flowers become a real decoration of an exquisite garden. They stand out brightly thanks to their playful flowers, luscious foliage and varied fruits.
Ampel calibrachoa
The plant is characterized by cascading stems covered with foliage. Miniature bell-shaped flowers are scattered along the entire length. They cascade, so the plant is often used to decorate terraces, gazebos and balconies.
Ampelous calibrachoa is often used in landscape design
Brugmansia
The species is mostly represented by shrubs and low trees. He is a branch of the Datura family. Gardeners are most familiar with two species: arborescent brugmansia and snow-white brugmansia. The natural habitat is the tropical and subtropical climate inherent in the territory of South America.
The plant contains toxic substances, like most representatives of the Solanaceae. In Europe, the crop is used exclusively for decorative purposes. However, residents of Latin America use the flower to treat tumors, abscesses, asthma, and rheumatism.
Brugmansia is represented by shrubs and low trees
Petunia hybrid
The cultivation of petunia dates back to the 18th century. It originally grew in South America, as well as in Brazil. About 40 species are known that are suitable for balcony, pot and garden cultivation. The demand for hybrid petunia is due to the presence of voluminous flowers, painted in a variety of shades. The plant can only be grown in sunny areas, since in the shade the shoots stretch out and lose their decorative effect. Abundant flowering can be achieved on sandy and loamy soils.
Delicate flowers are easily damaged by strong winds and rain, so choose a well-protected place for planting.
Author's advice
Fragrant tobacco
A plant in demand in gardening circles, which attracts with its variety of bud colors and attractive aroma. The main function is to attract pollinating insects to the garden. Fragrant tobacco was brought to European territory from South America. With proper care, the plant reaches almost a meter in height and forms buds that look like stars.
False pepper nightshade
It is an ornamental plant that is grown at home. Its distinctive characteristic is the spherical fruits of a bright red hue. They decorate the bush in the summer-autumn period.
False pepper nightshade
Fragrant tobacco
Petunia hybrid
Nightshade bittersweet
The plant is used when arranging landscapes near natural and artificial reservoirs, since the crop loves high humidity.
Decorative nightshade bittersweet
