Nightshade plants – to Eat or Not to Eat on an Arthritis Diet

Nightshade plants consist of;

• potatoes (not sweet potatoes)
• tomatoes
• aubergine/eggplant
• sweet and hot peppers (including paprika, cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce)
• huckleberries
• cape gooseberries

And some of the more exotic plants; 

• tomatillos and tamarillos
• naranjillas
• pepinos
• pimentos

These are in our ‘limited’ foods list as we found this was the best place for them to appear as they are such controversial ingredients in the world of Arthritis and healing. Here are just some snippets of research that give some very differing recommendations:

“The primary chemical compound in nightshades, Solanine, may interfere with the production of enzymes in your muscle tissues, increasing pain, inflammation and stiffness associated with rheumatoid arthritis”.

http://www.livestrong.com/

“People with arthritis are often advised to avoid nightshade plants because they supposedly aggravate joint pain. But nightshade plants aren’t a problem for everyone, just a small number of people who have a particular sensitivity to Solanine.  It’s a little bit like an allergy…some have a noticeable reaction while others have no reaction at all”.

http://nutritionovereasy.com/

 “According to the University of Washington website, "No foods have been definitively shown to cause or exacerbate arthritis in most individuals. A variety of diets and hand-me-down information exists about certain foods and arthritis, in particular the night shade plants, but none of it has been proven." The effect of foods on arthritis symptoms vary greatly from person to person. It is an individual decision whether or not to avoid nightshade vegetables”.

http://arthritis.about.com

It really is a case of trial and error, as with many other ingredients (goat’s diary, gluten and sugar to name a few) and it is down to the individual to determine whether these particular ingredients suit them or not. We found that it is best to limit or completely avoid them at first (for at least one week), and then gradually introduce them one at a time and simply see how your joints react. You may find that any foods that do not agree with you will aggravate your joints and cause pain either immediately and/or up to the day after they have been eaten. It is not an accurate Science, but you are the best person to determine the best diet for you.