Do Nightshade Vegetables Cause Chronic Pain or GERD?

Why some people have issues with nightshade vegetables and how they can contribute to problems with GERD, chronic pain, and other autoimmune diseases.

It is almost foodie sacrilege to suggest that a group of colorful, antioxidant-rich vegetables ubiquitous within the Western diet might not be as healthy as the natural food community paints them to be.

This is exactly what this article is going to attempt to do – wade you through the process of considering whether nightshade vegetables might, in fact, be worsening your health symptoms even if they are grown organically in nutrient-dense soil.

Hopefully not, as nightshade veggies are delicious! But, it makes sense to investigate the possibility especially if you have issues with chronic pain, arthritis, or GERD among other challenges.

First, let’s examine exactly what the nightshades are and what health problems they sometimes exacerbate for those who are sensitive.

What are the Nightshade Vegetables?

Nightshades are members of a large family of plants called Solanaceae.  The plants to consider as potentially problematic are the nightshade vegetables that are widely used in the Western diet primarily including:

• White potatoes
• Eggplant
• Peppers (not peppercorns)
• Paprika
• Pimentos

In addition, the nightshade family includes a few fruits as well:

• Tomatoes
• Goji berries
• Ground cherries
• Cape gooseberries
• Garden huckleberries

Health Problems from Nightshade Sensitivity

It really is hard to imagine that these delicious and antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits might, in fact, be worsening some very serious health challenges even if they are not the true cause of the problem.

Here are some of the most common health problems that consumption of nightshades can worsen:

• Weather change sensitivity
• Muscle pain and tightness
• Osteoarthritis
• GERD
• Bone spurs
• Kidney stones
• Gall bladder problems
• Insomnia
• Stiffness in the morning or after sitting for extended periods
• Joint pain and cracking

Why does nightshade sensitivity contribute to these health challenges? The problem stems from several chemicals in nightshades, one that will undoubtedly shock you as it did me.

Nicotine

Believe it or not, all nightshades contain nicotine, the addictive stimulant also found in the tobacco plant.

This is why many folks crave nightshade vegetables and fruits and find it hard to eliminate them from the diet in an attempt to see if symptoms will improve.

My grandmother was addicted to tomatoes, so much so that it seemed hard for her to go a single day without slicing one up and eating it just like an apple. She also suffered from osteoarthritis. I’ve often wondered if she actually suffered from nightshade sensitivity.

Nicotine is known to inhibit proper healing such as a rotator cuff tear or knee injury. If you have an injury that doesn’t seem to be healing fast enough, the elimination of nightshades for a time may help things along. (1)

Solanine

Solanine is a poison found in nightshade vegetables, particularly potatoes and eggplant.

This substance is naturally produced by the plant as a defense against insects, disease, and animals.

Exposure to light increases solanine production. In potatoes, this helps prevent them from being eaten if they are out of the ground.

This process turns the potato green under the skin. If your potatoes look green when you peel them or have sprouted, be sure to discard them as they are likely too high in solanine for safe consumption.

Frying or boiling potatoes effectively reduces (but does not eliminate) solanine in potatoes as it moves out of the potatoes into the cooking oil or water. Note that boiling would be preferable, as frying potatoes creates acrylamide, another toxin.

Microwaving or baking potatoes does not seem to reduce solanine levels appreciably.

People sensitive to poisoning with solanine typically experience gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Burning in the throat
• Headache and/or dizziness

The reason solanine is considered poisonous is that it inhibits the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which can prolong muscle contractions.

One commonly observed result is stiffness in the morning or after sitting for extended periods of time.

Some holistic physicians are so concerned about the solanine levels in potatoes and eggplants that they advise pregnant women to avoid them. This is due to research linking the potato blight in Ireland with birth defects in subsequent years (2). 

Potato blight causes a higher than normal production of solanine by the potato plant.

Soft Tissue Calcification

Calcinosis is a condition that involves calcification of the soft tissues.  Nightshades can contribute to this condition because they contain calcitriol, a very powerful hormone, possibly the most powerful in the human body.  

The purpose of calcitriol is to signal the intestines to absorb calcium from the food that has been consumed. This is, of course, a critical function and necessary to maintain proper bone density.

It just gets problematic when there is too much calcitriol for the body to deal with via normal channels.

The kidneys very tightly regulate calcitriol production because too much from any source leads to high blood calcium, also known as hypercalcemia.

When hypercalcemia occurs, the body attempts to bring everything back into balance as quickly as possible. This is because a mineral imbalance in the blood such as what occurs with high blood calcium can negatively affect heart health.

The fastest way for this to be accomplished is by depositing the excess calcium into the soft tissues, overriding kidney control of the process.

These tiny calcium deposits can really add up over time and trigger calcinosis.  

The calcium deposits can occur in a wide variety of soft tissues including tendons, cartilage, kidneys, skin, or blood vessels (coronary artery disease).

Bypassing the kidney’s control over calcitriol levels which involves the emergency measure of depositing excess calcium in the soft tissues is a very serious situation to have occurred over long periods of time.

Overconsumption of nightshade vegetables or fruits can contribute to the calcification process. Because the process is so gradual over long periods of time, many people may not notice the connection.

If you suffer from osteoarthritis, bone spurs or other calcification of the soft tissues including skin, elimination of nightshades from the diet can potentially help to reduce pain and discomfort.

Excess Calcitriol Symptoms

Here are some other symptoms that can occur from excess calcitriol from any source (nightshades, injections, or supplements):

• weakness
• insomnia
• nausea
• dry mouth
• constipation
• muscle pain
• bone pain
• metallic taste in the mouth
• gall bladder problems
• fatty stools
• jaundice
• psychosis (rare)

How to Avoid Nightshades in the Diet

If after reading the above, you think it might be worth a shot to eliminate nightshades for a short period of time to see if things improve, know that it will be a trickier task than you might initially expect.

Nightshades are everywhere in the Western diet!  

If you think this isn’t possible as the conventional American diet doesn’t tend to involve many vegetables, I have one word for you:

Ketchup.

Need I say more?

Another nightshade to watch out for is paprika as it is used in many flavorings and hidden under “spices” on food labels.  

If you are trying to avoid nightshades for a time to see if symptoms improve, particularly for arthritis pain, you will likely need to avoid any food that lists “spices” on the ingredients list.

How Long to Avoid to See if Symptoms Improve

Garrett Smith, a Naturopathic MD, suggests going completely off nightshades for a minimum of 6 weeks to see if pain symptoms subside (2).  

Many people will notice an improvement in their osteoarthritic pain or other symptoms; in some cases, it may disappear completely.

If no appreciable improvement is noticed after that period of time, Dr. Smith recommends what he calls a “nightshades party day” with nightshades consumed at every meal for a 24 hour period.  

An example would be salsa and eggs for breakfast, tomato and eggplant for lunch, potatoes for dinner.

Eat it all and eat a lot.

Then, stop eating them again and watch symptoms over the next two days as there can be a delayed reaction.

Importance of Vitamin K2

An interesting question to ponder is why are some people more sensitive to nightshades than others?

Dr. Smith suggests that nutrient deficiencies, as well as genetics, play a role in all of this. For instance, being magnesium or Vitamin D deficient renders one more susceptible to calcinosis.

However, the efficiency with which the liver and kidneys detoxify plays a big role as well and this is based on one’s heritage and vital organ health at birth.

One nutrient to strongly consider supplementing with if calcification issues are a problem is Vitamin K2. 

Research shows that both the plant and animal forms of K2 can actually reverse calcification of the coronary arteries (3). 

In research on rats, K2 prevented calcification of the soft tissues when excessive Vitamin D2 was supplemented in the diet (4).

Preventing Negative Effects

If you love your nightshades and don’t want to experience any negative effects from eating them frequently, be sure to consume adequate Vitamin K2.  

The food that is by far the highest in K2 is natto. Next are goose liver, emu oil, brie and gouda cheese, and grass-fed butter.

In addition, supplementing with Vitamin K2 can prove helpful. Most people are deficient even those with no nightshade issues.

This is the nonGMO K2 supplement we take in our family on a daily basis.

Other whole food sources of K2 include grass-fed butter oil and emu oil liquid or capsules.  

Ghee made from grassfed butter also contains a good amount

Taking chances with calcification anywhere in the body is a big risk whether or not someone chooses to eat nightshades.

In particular, if there are calcification issues genetically within your family already even with no symptoms appearing at the present time, adequate intake of Vitamin K2 is quite possibly the most positive preventative step you can take.

References

Nicotine Delays Tendon to Bone Healing in Rats
Problems from these Popular Foods Exposed to the Light of Day
Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox
Effect of vitamin K2 on experimental calcinosis induced by vitamin D2 in rat soft tissue
List of Nightshade Vegetables and Fruits
When Plants Bite Back

More Information

The Latest Scoop on the Benefits of Vitamin K2
Vitamin D Deficiency Signs Most People Miss
Macrobiotic Diet and Extreme Vitamin Deficiency
Think Raw Veggies are Best?  Think Again