[:en]Nightshade Vegetables Cause Inflammation?[:]

[:en]Good news for ketchup and French fry lovers! The news floating around the Internet with the claim that nightshade vegetables is an inflammatory agent is everywhere. But this news is fortunately false. The nightshade family include potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. Tomatoes are technically fruits, but we will let that one slide for now. The nightshade vegetables are common vegetables used in the kitchen as soups, sauces, and stir-fries that are made around the world. They are sometimes referred to as “deadly” vegetables— deadly because potatoes can form a green toxin. However, the theory behind the claim on inflammation is that a chemical in nightshades called, solanum, leads to inflammation. Although recent work shows that this chemical may have some anti-inflammatory effects, there is no evidence that it’s true in humans. In fact, many say following a nightshade-free diet can relieve arthritis pain—a type of inflammation in the joints. But this claim is false in unsupported research.

By choosing not to eat any foods from the nightshade family, you may miss out on the taste and nutrition that these fruits and vegetables provide. There are many benefits that come when we eat these fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes are used in pasta sauces and are high in lycopene—a highly researched antioxidant. Potatoes and eggplant are great sources of soluble fibre. Peppers add flavour to food and are also a good source of Vitamin C. So enjoy your nightshade vegetables without the worries of them causing harm to your body![:]