10/20/2015
Pain: Nightshades and Alkaloid Foods
Some people avoid common foods known as “nightshades” as a way of managing their pain. When you are dealing with pain, adjusting your diet is an option you may want to investigate and try.
What are Nightshades exactly?
There are over 2800 species of nightshade plants (more accurately plants, herbs, shrubs, trees and foods) and each has its own unique properties and constituents. What is common to this impressive list of plants is that each belongs to the scientific family Solanaceae, commonly referred to as solanine, and to the scientific order Polemoniales. The nightshades that most people have heard of are part of the pharmaceutical family and include mandrake, to***co and belladonna, but the truth is that may common and popular food items are also part of the nightshade family and in a person sensitive to solanine, these foods could be the answer for unexplained chronic pain. More specifically, it is the alkaloids in these items that can impact the nerve-muscle function of the body, compromise joint function as well as digestive function in humans.
So what’s the Story with Nightshades and Pain?
Chronic joint pain unassociated with injury or illness may be the result of alkaloid sensitivity. People with chronic joint pain and arthritis may want to remove alkaloid foods from their diet to determine if these foods are playing a role in their chronic pain. The level of alkaloids in nightshade foods is much lower than what can be found in nightshade herbs and plants used for pharmaceuticals. The cooking of nightshade foods actually lowers the level of alkaloids even more. This is why most people aren’t affected by the ingestion of nightshades in prepared foods, but there still remains a portion of the population who remain sensitive to even the lowest levels of alkaloids found in the cooked and raw versions of some foods.
Which Foods are Nightshades?
Nightshades foods can be found as fruits, vegetables and spices. These include: potatoes, tomatoes, certain species of hot and sweet peppers, eggplant, ground cherries, tomatillos, garden huckleberry, pepinos, naranjillas, pimentos, and many common spices (paprika, red pepper, cayenne and tabasco sauces). To expand on this list though, you must consider all items that contain that food element. For example; potato based items: chips, knishes, some potato breads, soups and vodka; or tomato based items: ketchup, seasonings, baked beans etc. Peppers and spices are well are hidden in the broad spices category on many package labels.
There is a new concern about soy products that are being genetically modified with the petunia gene which is a nightshade; purchase organic if you plan to eat soy products.
Getting More Specific About Alkaloids, Nightshades and Pain
While the effects of alkaloids and nightshades on joint pain isn’t as concrete as the evidence of their effect on the nervous system, it is still believed to be a valid recommendation to test the removal of alkaloids from one’s diet and prescriptions to help eliminate or relieve chronic pain, especially in people with joint pain and arthritis. Still in the research stages, there is evidence to indicate a connection between potato alkaloids and damage caused to joints by inflammation and an altered mineral state. Some research has also shown that there is a connection between alkaloids and an excessive loss of calcium from bone and of disproportionate deposits of calcium in soft tissue. …
Norman Childers, “The Nightshade Book”: (noarthritis.com)
Dr. Childers is the most vocal and dedicated anti-nightshade researcher. His book contains over 100 years of research and gives case histories based on over 50,000 people who have followed a no-nightshade diet for years. The following is quoted from Dr. Childers’ website.
Two Health Problems with the Nightshades:
Muscle Spasm, Pain Tenderness Inflammation -
1. Muscle Spasm, Pain Tenderness Inflammation - The NightShades contain drug-like substances including solanine in potato and eggplant, tomatine in tomato, ni****ne in to***co, and capsaicin in garden peppers. These drugs may cause paralytic-like muscle spasm, aches, pains, tenderness, inflammation, and stiff body movements.
2. Soft Tissue Calcification Around the Joints - The second problem is the ability of the Solanaceae (Nightshades) to develop naturally the very active metabolite of vitamin D3 (1-25 dihydroxycholecalciferol) that results in calcinosis of soft tissues, ligaments, and tendons, mineralization in walls of major arteries and veins in livestock.
Garrett Smith on Nightshades, (westonaprice.org)
“If you suffer from inflammation, joint pain and cracking, avoiding nightshades will lessen your pain, whether or not the nightshades are the true source of the pain. Muscle pain and tightness, morning stiffness, poor healing, arthritis, insomnia and gall bladder problems—these can all be caused by nightshades.”
For a complete list of Nightshades Fruits, Vegetables and Spices:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/367949-list-of-nightshade-vegetables-fruits/
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/
Sources:
John Iams
Dr Childers
Garret Smith
Nightshade fruits and vegetables belong to the family of Solanaceae plants of the Solanum genus. This group of plants contains more than 2,500 species that are widely used as food and medicine, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Some people have a sensitivity to nightshade plants and are unable…
