You might need to ditch the nightshades.
Tomatoes and tomato sauce are as American as apple pie.
But most people don’t realize that tomatoes belong to a group of vegetables
called nightshades, and that these foods can trigger inflammation in people
with arthritis.
The foods in this list are the summer favorites: tomato, eggplant,
peppers of all kinds. But also included is the potato, which is the most
commonly consumed vegetable in the US.
The latin name for this family of plants is Solanaceae, because they produce
an alkaloid compound called solanine. This compound is made by the plant
to repel bugs, and is thought to be the cause of the inflammation that some
people experience when eating these foods.
If you have arthritis, it is important that you find out if nightshades
are a trigger for your pain.
The best way to do this is to remove all nightshades for at least 2 weeks
and see if you feel better. Even if you aren’t sure if you are better,
pay close attention to how you feel when you reintroduce each of the
different vegetables.
Some people react to tomatoes and none of the others.
If you find you have joint pain the next day after eating the food,
then it is likely that it is triggering inflammation, and you should remove
this food from your daily diet as much as possible.
At Organic Pharmer, we are proud that we can offer alternatives for
our many clients that are tomato-free.