[senior citizen]

Ask anyone of Italian descent to give up cooking with the nightshades, and there goes most of the recipe box...........however, I have done the elimination diet and can truthfully say that without them in the meal plan, the arthritic pain is truly lessened.........the veggie I miss the most is eggplant like in eggplant parm.


http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2011/10/do-nightshades-cause-joint-pain.html
Do nightshades cause joint pain???? (link above)

Website "The Nourishing Gourmet" has some great simple recipes.......as I was browsing, I came across this question relating to the **nightshade family of veggies contributing to joint pain (in some people).....

**tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers.........she asks, "Has anyone else experienced a sensitivity to nightshades? Or, do you wonder if current stiffness and aches could be related? "


http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/link-between-nightshades-chronic-pain-and-inflammation
The link between nightshades, chronic pain and inflammation.....(link above)

Few people are familiar with the term nightshades, and many will be surprised to learn that consuming foods from this plant group may be contributing to their pain and inflammation. Nightshades belong to the Solanaceae family which includes over 2,000 species. They also include some of the most popular foods consumed today; such as tomatoes, potatoes, all types of peppers, and eggplant. Although not truly nightshades, blueberries, huckleberries, goji berries and ashwaganda all share the same inflammation-inducing alkaloids.

Below from NATURAL NEWS:
""(NaturalNews) We know vegetables are part of a healthy diet, but what about nightshade vegetables? Health research on these vegetables has focused on a group of substances called alkaloids which can impact nerve-muscle and digestive function in animals and humans. They may also compromise joint function. The alkaloids in nightshades are not only the basis for consideration of them as drugs, but also for understanding adverse reactions when they are eaten as food.""

""Nightshade is the common name used to describe over 2,800 species of plants. Lest the term "nightshade vegetable" conjures a stew with bat wings and toads, it's not that interesting. The reason for the name is they are grown in the shade of night.""

""Nightshade vegetables are in the Solanaceae family of plants. Among them are tomato, potato, eggplant, and peppers of all kinds, except black pepper. Tomatillos, tamarios, pepinos, pimentos, paprika, cayenne, and Tabasco sauce are also classified as nightshade foods.""

""Plants produce alkaloids primarily designed to help protect them from insects. But in a pharmacological sense the interest has been the drug-like alkaloids best known in mandrake, tobacco and belladonna (deadly nightshade.) Close examination reveals these alkaloids are chemical substances with strong physiological effects.""

""The active alkaloid in nightshades, solanine, is more familiar to us as nicotine.""

""The leaves of all food nightshades contain some level of nicotine, the addictive chemical found in tobacco. Called solanine in potatoes, tomatine in tomatoes, alpha-solanine in eggplants or solanadine in chillies and capsicums, nicotine by any other name is still a drug-like alkaloid that may compromise function in the bodies of sensitive individuals. There is no solid evidence showing an impact on the nervous system or joints, but it appears there are certain segments of the population that when nightshades are eliminated, a variety of physical conditions are alleviated.""

""One of the major problems attributed to nightshades is arthritis. In fact, one in three arthritics will react badly to nightshades. Some researchers believe that arthritis is often misdiagnosed in people who may in fact only be experiencing the effects of nightshade consumption.""

""Alkaloids appear to affect the metabolism of calcium. Though not yet understood how, nightshade foods may remove calcium from bones and deposit it in soft tissue, setting the stage for arthritis. For this reason, researchers have recommended that all individuals with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or other joint problems like gout eliminate nightshade foods from their diet.""

""While it is up to the individual whether or not to eliminate nightshade vegetables from your diet, if you have concerns, modifying certain foods in your diet can be a good idea. It just might help identify problem foods of all types, including nightshade vegetables.""