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Nightshades and Your Health
Nightshades are foods containing a substance called solanine that creates inflammation in some people. When you have sensitivity to solanine, a very common reaction is pain and inflammation.
Not everyone responds negatively to solanine. However, if you experience chronic joint pain, body aches, stomach irritation, and even headaches, it may be worthwhile to avoid foods containing it for a while and see if you notice improvement. You may need to avoid these for at least a month to thoroughly test if this is the problem.
You might also notice if you have a worsening of symptoms after a particular meal. If so, check whether or not the meal might have included nightshades. These exist in many foods, so you'll need to become a good label reader to be sure if you're getting them or not.
Foods in the nightshade family include:
- Tomatoes (all varieties including Tomatillos) - salsa, ketchup, pasta sauce, etc.
- Potatoes (all varieties except sweet potatoes and yams) - French fries, baked potatoes, hash browns, etc. Also be alert for potato starch used in seasonings and as a thickener in sauces.
- Peppers (red, green, yellow, orange, jalapeno, chili, cayenne, pimento) - salsa, stuffed peppers, spicy chili, etc.
- Paprika
- Eggplant
There are other foods containing solanine that are not nightshades, but which may cause the problem as well:
- Blueberries & Huckleberries
- Okra
- Artichokes
Even very small amounts of these can cause problems with a sensitive person, so an adequate test requires eliminating even traces of these in your diet for a period of time.
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