So what's up with Nightshades anyway?

In yesterday's post I commented on how I had already cheated on my elimination diet by eating tomato. Tomatoes are part of the night shade family and are not included in an elimination diet. Why would a food as healthy as a tomato be eliminated from a diet you ask? Tomatoes are classified as nightshade foods. A particular group of substances in these foods, called alkaloids, can impact nerve-muscle function and digestive function in animals and humans, and may also be able to compromise joint function. Because the amount of alkaloids is very low in nightshade foods when compared with other nightshade plants, health problems from nightshade foods may only occur in individuals who are especially sensitive to these alkaloid substances. You can lower the alkaloid content of foods 40-50% by cooking them. For individuals who are not sensitive to these foods I would recommend keeping them in your diet as they are low in calories and high in nutrients.

Here's a list of common night shade foods
- potatoes
- tomatoes
- many sweet and hot peppers
- egg plant
- cherries
- tomatillos
- garden huckleberry
- pimentos
- paprika
- red pepper
- cayenne