Should You Stop Eating Potatoes and Tomatoes?

Tomatoes, Potatoes, Peppers and EggPlant are all member of the nightshade family of plants and contain various poisons. Some say they are responsible for a number of health conditions

Deadly Nightshades or Delicious Veggies?

Beloved mainstays of the human diet across the globe, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants (aubergines) belong to a group plants known as the nightshade family, more formally, the Solanaceae in the order of Solanales. However, these seemingly delicious and nutritious plants harbor a hidden edge: they contain toxic compounds, notably solanine, a glycoalkaloid that serves as a natural defense against pests. Solanine is present in varying concentrations, particularly in green or sprouting potatoes, and unripe tomatoes, and can cause symptoms ranging from nausea and dizziness to, in rare cases, more severe neurological effects if consumed in large amounts. This chemical trait underscores the nightshades’ complex duality as both nourishing and potentially harmful. The current trend for eating potatoes with the peel on increases exposure to solanine. 

These culinary nightshades share a botanical lineage with their far more sinister cousins, belladonna (deadly nightshade) and mandrake, both infamous for their potent toxicity. Belladonna, with its glossy black berries, contains atropine and scopolamine, alkaloids that can induce delirium, paralysis, and death, earning it a place in historical poisonings and folklore. Mandrake, steeped in myth for its human-like roots, harbors similar alkaloids, once used in medicine but deadly in high doses. While potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants have been selectively bred to reduce toxicity, their shared ancestry with belladonna and mandrake reveals a spectrum of chemical potency within the Solanaceae family, linking the benign to the lethal.

The impact of edible nightshades on human health has sparked growing debate among experts. Some nutritionists and researchers suggest that compounds like solanine and other nightshade alkaloids may contribute to inflammation, joint pain, or digestive issues in sensitive individuals, particularly those with autoimmune conditions. Critics of this view argue that the evidence is largely anecdotal, and nightshades, rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, offer significant health benefits for most people. Studies remain inconclusive, but the controversy has led some to advocate for elimination diets to test for nightshade sensitivity, highlighting the need for personalized approaches to nutrition when navigating these chemically complex vegetables.

Do You Need to Stop Eating These Delicious Vegetables?

Tomatoes are a summer favorite whether you grow your own or seek them out at farmer’s markets, there’s nothing quite like a fresh, ripe tomato. Potatoes are not only a staple but also a comfort food. When it comes to a hearty, comforting plate of something wonderful, there’s not much that can compete with a dish of homemade mashed potatoes or a heaping helping of french fries. So do you need to stop eating them? This question is extremely difficult to answer. We each respond differently to different nutritional compounds. What nourishes one individual can poison another. If you are concerned, I recommend omitting these vegetables from your diet for a period of 3-6 months and see if you feel any different. Some say it cures random body pains, leg pains and inflammation while others report no difference. If you do decide to give it a try, omit all of them, not just one of them, for best effect. Yes, I know it will be hard to give up potatoes and tomatoes, but it might be worth 3 months of your life to see if it helps. (You might try it across the winter months when tomatoes don’t taste as good and can’t be found at farmers markets.) If you determine no difference, then simply start eating them again. If you in fact feel a difference, you can introduce the foods back into your diet one per month and see which ones trigger a negative response. Then you’ll know. 

Like Cures Like

In homeopathic preparation, substances that are poisonous in their natural form become dynamic healing substances with powerful curative effects. For example,

Belladonna and Mandragora, other members of the nightshade family, are both remedies that address intense, often dramatic symptoms. Belladonna is best known for its sudden, violent onset of symptoms, often with high fever, throbbing pain, red face, dilated pupils, and hypersensitivity to light, noise, and touch. It’s an excellent migraine remedy and is also useful for sunstroke. Emotionally, the person may appear delirious, fearful, or even hallucinatory, with vivid imaginations and intense, often irrational fears—especially of dogs, ghosts, or being pursued. Mandragora shares Belladonna's intensity but presents with more bizarre, dream-like states, dissociation, or alternating moods—calmness alternating with rage or despair. It may show in cases of severe exhaustion with profound nervous agitation or strange perceptions, and its physical sphere includes liver and digestive disturbances, as well as neurological disorders with spasms or motor dysfunctions.

Homeopathic potato (Solanum tuberosum) is indicated for conditions involving skin eruptions, digestive sluggishness, or circulatory stagnation, often with keynotes of heaviness, lethargy, and sensitivity to cold, reflecting the plant’s starchy, grounding nature. Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum), in contrast, is prescribed for states of low vitality, burning sensations, or homesickness, with keynotes including a sense of inner chill despite external warmth and a longing for stimulation, mirroring the fiery, pungent qualities of the pepper. 

All of the nightshades share common characteristics in which the person may appear delirious or suffer from hallucinations, with vivid imaginations and intense, often irrational fears—especially of dogs, ghosts, demons, or water. Mandragora in particular can feel possessed by demons or dream of being pursued by demonic figures. There is often violence in the picture or outrageous anger and some of these nightshade remedies are very effective for troubled children and youth, for ADHD and uncontrollable fear or anger rooted in a terrifying event or an abusive upbringing. 

Take a Step Towards Healing:

If you resonate to the above symptom pictures, or if you discover that you are in fact very sensitive to the nightshade foods, then a series of homeopathy will be very supportive in your recovery from any symptoms.  

To find out more you an book a free discovery session with me here.

Is Yuca the New Potato?

As a sort of addendum, I will just throw in here that during my own search for health, I came across Yuca. Yuca (cassava) has been touted as a delicious potato alternative. It makes outstandingly delicious fries and can be mashed and creamed like potato too. I discovered that while yuca does have some serious nutrition, it’s over twice as high in carbs as potatoes. Great for athletes and people with a fast metabolism, however, diabetics and carb watchers beware! Here’s a comparison of the nutrient profile for 6 ounces of raw, peeled potato vs the same amount of raw, peeled yuca:

Potatoes: 130 calories, 30 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein

Yuca: 260 calories, 63 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein

Both plants contain a healthy variety of vitamins and minerals. Yuca is richer in Vitamin C, magnesium and calcium and Potato is richer in B6, phosphorus and iron.