tomato/potato are obvious. But what else should I avoid? The best list I’ve found is at the World’s Healthiest Foods. I find the name ironic, but it is helping me get healthier.
The most famous food members of the nightshade family include potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), many species of sweet and hot peppers (all species of Capsicum, including Capsicum annum), and eggplant (Solanum melongena). Less well know, but equally genuine nightshade foods include ground cherries (all species of Physalis), tomatillos (Physallis ixocapra), garden huckleberry (Solanum melanocerasum), tamarillos (Cyphomandra betacea), pepinos (Solanum muricatum), and naranjillas (Solanum quitoense). Pimentos (also called pimientos) belong to the nightshade family, and usually come from the pepper plant Capsicum annum. Pimento cheese and pimento-stuffed olives are therefore examples of foods that should be classified as containing nightshade components. Although the sweet potato, whose scientific name is Ipomoea batatas, belongs to the same plant order as the nightshades (Polemoniales), it does not belong to the Solanaceae family found in this order, but to a different plant family called Convolvulaceae.
Nightshade spices
The seasoning paprika is also derived from Capsicum annum, the common red pepper, and the seasoning cayenne comes from another nightshade, Capsicum frutenscens. Tabasco sauce, which contains large amounts of Capsicum annum, should also be considered as a nightshade food. It may be helpful to note here that black pepper, which belongs to the Piperaceae family, is not a member of the nightshade foods.
Other relevant posts:
Discussion of solanine in nightshades and how it isn’t really an allergy. But it acts like one. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And an allergy by any other name hurts.
A collection of internet comments on nightshades that were relevant to me or my family.
Night Shade Allergies, my post with the most comments, I think.
Any links for recipe ingredients substitutions?
Thanks
Thanks! Good to know information. I’d have thought a much bigger list of foods to be in the night shades group! Does anybody know of any others?
There is also a mention of several squash being part of the Nightshade family/group – I’ve been on a quest to find a decently complete list of nightshades as I’m a huge squash fan but my wife, as of recently finding out, can not have.
Thx for the link, haven’t yet stumbled upon it yet.
This is complete a list as I can find.
I will tell you from experience with my mother that many foods which are pollinated by bees seem to have cross-allergy. There is an African apple, but mom can’t have grape jelly anymore because they use apple pectin and that’s enough to close her throat off.
If you find a more complete list, I would be interested in having a link supplied.
I am enjoying s radish as a good “substitute” for sweet red pepper. Has some bite + crunch.
I have two distinct allergies related to nightshades. Both were devellopped later in my life. First was when I was 26. Gradually over a period of 6 months my skin became covered with sores common to people who have a variaty of allergies. By the time it covered about half of my body I went to see an auravedic doctor. He said my body was unable to process something and was sending it to my skin the strongest organ. He told me to stay away from particularly acidic foods like coffe and hot spices. Two weeks later my sores began to all go away! Bless that man for healing me. If I eat hot peppers the sores gradually begin to come back.
Then when I was 33 another reaction began to assail me. My nose started to become irratated. I would wake up in the morning and my nose smelled like it was litterally rotting from the inside! My mucus membranes became cracked and bloody with hard material always forming. This went on for 3 years until finally I started realising it was related to foods I was eating. Potatoes became an obvious culprit. Then I did some research and discovered that people are commonly allergic to nightshades although with different listed reactions. I then eliminated all nightshades from my diet and the world smells beautiful again! Nightshades as food donot contain much nutrients anyway so good riddance! Eat healthy and feel healthy!
…Goji Berries…add to the list : /
This is not a list of nightshades, but… I discovered that my mother and I also have an intolerance for high phenol foods. If you share that, then you will have more issues.
See
Nightshades are High Phenol.
When I was in my 60’s I started having terrible pains in my wrists,knees and ankles.After driving my car for an hour I could hardly get out of it.Couldn’t stand up.I started researching this in a healthbook by Gary Null. He mentioned arthritis being caused in some people,by the nightshade vegetables.I ate big salads everyday with lots of tomatoes and bell pepper.I stopped immeadiately and all the pain left.I am 79 now and still have no pain of this type.I can have a small amount of tomatoe or potatoe once a month with no reaction.I rarely eat them.I was glad someone mentioned Goji berry,as it is becoming popular to drink.We must say no.
I’m severely reactive to solanine, and discovered a couple of years ago (the hard way) that the list includes several foods I never suspected: globe artichokes, okra, and blueberries.
I periodically search the Internet for mention of solanine allergy, which is how I found your blog. It certainly seems to be a rare condition. No one else in my family has it (so far).
send to Deb
Is it true that blueberries are a night shade ?
They are not nightshades.
They do, however, have high solanine concentrations. Some people who have reactions to nightshades are having reactions to the solanine in them. For them, blueberries are bad.
I am one of those.
Add licorice and rooibos which is hidden in many tea blends for those of us who are allergic to nightshade and beans(legumes).
I mash cauliflower instead of potatoes now, use pesto instead of tomato sauce on pasta. It works!
If I eat the wrong thing I get terribly sick for up to 6days.