Based on various postings from our discussion forum

I am new to macrobiotic living, and have found the transition encouraging, enjoyable, and almost effortless. One thing that I'm unclear about is nightshade vegetables. When I was vegetarian, spinach, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes were often my staples. What is it that makes these veggies unfavorable in macrobiotics?

Nightshades are very yin because of how fast, when and where they grow, structure, and the time of their activity. They contain toxins that destroy red blood cells and have been connected with a long laundry list of other problems; kidney stones, ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, breathing problems, digestive problems, skin problems, nerve problems/paralysis, and energy problems are some of the negatives. Macrobiotics also looks at what we eat in terms of its energy/activity because this energy is transferred to us when we eat it. This is why microwave cooking is not recommended or mechanical processing or cooking when you’re in a bad or fearful mood....it all transfers. Meat carries with it a lot of qualities that are not conducive to human behavior. Herd mentality, for example. People who eat a lot of chicken tend to act like chickens. Same thing goes for plants. The nightshades are antisocial, hang out together exclusively and are loners. In other words, there are also emotional implications. And there are more of the same type of characteristics. Extreme, out of balance eating greatly accentuates these effects. Under balanced conditions, the body can handle this within the scope of moderation. It’s better to stay away from nightshades during the healing phase of macrobiotics and then, as you widen your diet, you can gradually incorporate anything you want, testing to see how it makes you feel and making the adjustments accordingly. Tobacco is also a nightshade.

The following information was posted by Bruce Paine on the main cybermacro Forum 1/24/99: The word nightshade is the common name for the family Solanaceae. Products include potato and eggplant (Solanum spp.), and tomato (Lycopersicon). Other edible fruits from Physalis (cape gooseberry, strawberry tomato, jamberberry, sugar cherry, Chinese lantern etc., according to the species and variety), Cymphomandra (tamarillo), Capsicum (sweet and chili peppers), etc. Most produce poisonous alkaloids, and some are commercially important in this connection (Nicotiana, Hyoscyamus, Datura). Many cultivated ornamentals, e.g. Petunia, Lycium, Solanum, Cestrum, Solandra.    

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Nightshade and psoriasis
written by Fed Up, December 06, 2007

I have fallen upon this site by accident whilst researching psoriasis and finding out all the things you should NOT eat if you suffer from psoriasis. I was disheartened before but am completely depressed now. Didn't know anything about nightshade so thought I's research it and now cannot make head nor tail of what to eat and what not to eat. If anybody knows of anything in relation to nightshade and psoriasis or has tried this method and has seen an improvement in psoriasis please let me know by email also any other information on nightshades that is a bit more self explanitary would be greatly appreciated or even directed to a simply to understand website... Many thanks think I will have a lie down now my head hurts so much - information overload.

...
written by Cy Hutson, November 30, 2007

My tongue swells, I break out in a rash on my face that itches for a few hours,I get light headed and very cranky, but worst of all...I break out in LARGE PAINFUL hives that take at least a week to disapate. This is why I avoid potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Any questions?

Why eat toxic?
written by The Magpie, September 07, 2007

The Solanine in nightshades, and its effect on skin, nerves, and energy, are what concerns me. It doesn't hurt me any to cut these fruits out of my diet; it may be seriously hurting me to keep including them. If you know that something is toxic, why eat it? I am very sensitive to what I eat, and it reflects in both my mood and my appearance. If after eating pizza and nachos, you feel uncomfortable, cranky and greasy (which I do), you have to weigh whether the pizza is worth the aftermath. Same with nightshades.

Response to "WHAT?" comment
written by Patti, August 29, 2007

You would not think "this stuff is silly" if you were facing a debilitating disease that was caused FROM years of nightshade comsumption. If you aren't allergic to them, congratulations, but there are many many folks out there that are. Before you dismiss the issues with these vegetables, you should talk to some of the folks that have been affected by them and then re-evaluate your comments!

what?
written by blabla, August 16, 2007

I think this stuff is silly... I eat lots of things from the nightshade family and I'm healthy. They are also delicious.....if tomatoes are that poisonous shouldn't all italians be all dead by now?

Deadly Nightshades...Or are They?
written by Guest, July 24, 2007

I read an interesting article on the ManyGrains.com journal by Christina Pirello about nightshades. She discusses ways to reduce the negative effects of nightshades (sorry, except for potatoes). I made one of the recipes she created for the article and it was delicious!

...
written by John, January 31, 2007

THere is a great sumstitute for tomato sauce. Pressure cook carrots with beets. It should mainly be carrots. The beets just give it color. Pressure cook until soft, and mash up, adding whatever you want to make a good sauce for Italian dishes, etc. It is great. I cannot tell the difference. Beets are used in moderation in Macrobiotics, but you do not use much beet in this.

30 yrs old with pre cancer colon, was it due to Nightshade?
written by Sequoia, January 18, 2007

When I was 27 I started getting really sick, went to a Gastro specialist, and after several colonoscopies, many blood tests, weigh-ins...yada yada yada... they found pre-cancerous polyp in my colon (8 days b4 I turned 30) I am too young for this. My new husband suggested a friend who conducts Asyra treatments, on my third treatment an allergy to Nightshade Veggies popped up. I cut them and I am begining to feel 30 again.

Faux Tomatoes
written by elrond, March 31, 2006

It\'s expensive, but if you are making psuedo-Mexican food, or post-Marco-Polo Italian, you will be surprized how well this works.

Start with ume plums or paste, and mix with carrot juice or carrot pulp. The carrot supplies the bulk, while the ume gives it that funky alkalinity. Try not to notice how the orange color separates from the pink color.

If you\'re allowed by your condition, you can try making Persian stews with dried limes.(available where Iranian foods are found). It gives soups and stews that acid flavor and it gets even more tomato-y when you add the carrot-ume sauce.

And try nuka pickles (like daikon) as a substitute for particular fried eggplant recipes.

One note: never try tomato-type sauce with whole grain pasta; it will never be the same as Mom made, it will taste \'like too much fiber\' so just go Asian with whole wheat noodles. :grin

Night shades veggies
written by Guest, March 16, 2006

I am so sad about the fact I think nightshade veggies are affecting me. I have food sensitivities and they are all mostly in nightshade family. What about broccoli?

TWO KNEES GONE SOUTH @ 51YRS
written by Guest, March 03, 2006

:? NOT SURE WHAT TO EAT NOW. KNEES HURT SO I FIGURE I CAN GIVE UP POTATOES, BUT THAT NO TOMATOE STUFF BRINGS ME SORROW. OH! I AM DEFINITELY A LONER. WHAT ABOUT EXERCISE AND THIS NIGHTSHADE VEGGIES. I HERE KEEPING A FOOD DIARY FOR 90 DAYS WILL TELL YOU WHAT NIGHTSHADE CREEPS ARE KILLING YOUR KNEES AND JOINTS

my pain went away
written by Guest, February 04, 2006

For several years I had pain in my joints; it had gotten to the point that I could not roll over in bed without groaning. My daughter was insisting that I see a doctor. . . but I had avoided because I didn\'t want \"arthritis\" noted on my medical charts because of insurance implications. In 2004 I first read about \"nightshades\" and possible connection to arthritis. Potatoes and tomatoes and peppers are my very favorite foods; therefore, it was with great reluctance that I stopped eating them. But I did. And my pain is GONE. I miss those foods terribly, as it is limiting to no longer eat spaghetti, hot sauce, pizza, mashed potatoes, etcetcetc. BUT. . . the absence of pain has been really wonderful. Some of us are just more sensitive to foods than others. Those who are NOT so sensitive are lucky. . . but things can change in the body during the aging process, so please keep that in mind for future.

NIGHTSHADE TEST!
written by Guest, January 21, 2006

Does anyone out there have a substitute for tomatoes??? I want to make nightshade-free pasta sauce, salsas, ketsup and such. I was depressed to learn that tomatillos are a nightshade too, I was making big plans for them.
Anyone can get a 5-minute painless nutritional assessment that will ask your body if it really has issues with nightshades, also if you have issues with grains, dairy, meats, nuts, artificial sweeteners and more...I found it extremely helpful...it eliminated the guessing. I can now go on to find healthy replacements that work for MY body. I also found out that just breathing tobacco smoke (a nightshade) affects my blood sugar levels in a bad way, leading to weight gain and loss of energy...on top of the 2nd hand smoke! Interestingly, eggplant is commonly used in the tanning of leather...hmmm. the assessments are done by a company called VivaTru. It\'s called a VivaTouch assessment. It works using the principles of bioenergetic science, accupuncture, and lie detector tests. It sure is a lot more fun than getting bloodwork done! Anyway, it\'s one of the coolest things I\'ve seen in years.
Something else I heard about recently- E.M. (efficient microbes), taken internaly can really help you if your digestion is messed up. I know people who have really benefitted from it, when nothing else helped. Barley grass juice also is wonderful for many things, like digestion and pain. Hope that wasnt too much off the subject, I just know these things can make a big impact.
THANKS, BELLAVIVA.

I just don\'t get it
written by Guest, January 09, 2006

I can\'t eat meat. I don\'t eat dairy. Now I\'m being told alot of the vegetables I like are bad for me. What do I eat?????

potato
written by Guest, December 30, 2005

I have terrible arthrytis in all of my joints and lower back. I experienced feeling worse after eating potato. I avoid tomato due to acidity which I cannot handle. From all research I found interesting information\" if you like some food very very much, this could be your culprit.\" I do love potato!

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
written by Guest, December 29, 2005

I have been experiencing pain in my right knee for the past six months due to arthritis. I was told this week to avoid all night shade vegetables. If anyone is experiencing similar discomfort and has found a correlation between arithic pain and avoiding night shades vegetables, let me by sending an email to the above address.

Rose Margolis

Questionable
written by Guest, October 16, 2005

The only thing that swiss chard, beets, avocados, and artichokes (from Han\'s list) have in common with tomatos, eggplants and peppers is the class they are in (Magnoliopsida). How in the heck are these supposed to be nightshade vegetables? If you go by that commonality, you must also avoid sesame seeds, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, collards...

jalepeno peppers
written by Guest, October 03, 2005

Is it possible to get a throat infection from a allergic reaction to jalepeno peppers?

...
written by Guest, September 25, 2005

I am so glad I found this web site, as I have IBS and read an article in a doctor\'s column about a man who had been suffering with IBS for years, eliminated nightshade and what difference it made for him. Thank you! I will bookmark web site. Carol Fitztgerald West Covina, CA.

Chile Peppers
written by Guest, September 23, 2005

I do a lot of southwestern/mexican style cooking. Are the different types of chile peppers (ancho, chipolte, jalepeno) also considered nightshade? Thanks.

Good Veggie &/or Organic Pet Kibble
written by Guest, September 22, 2005

Paul Newman\'s company now has a good kibble for dogs and one for cats--mostly organic but it does have chicken--also some canned food--lots of different grains in it . Nature\'s Recipe also has a vegetarian dog kibble which comes in large bags--available at PetsMart. The Newmans\' is at Costco and Rosauer\'s in MT---dunno about elsewhere.

Nightshade Vegtables causing IBS
written by Guest, September 11, 2005

I have suffered Irratible Bowel Syndrome for many years. All the tests have been done, and still no solution except to give me medication that puts me in LALA land. I stopped all the meds except Imodium when necessary. I read an article today that nightshade veggies could be causing my problems. Anyone have the same problem?????

Nightshade Vegs
written by Guest, September 09, 2005

How about Red, Yellow and Orange Peppers....are these just fully ripe Green Peppers...Are they as bad as Green Peppers??? :sigh

Give it up and eat the enemy!
written by Guest, August 28, 2005

I was just reading some of the comments posted on this site in regard to nightshade veg. I agree with some of the writers who state anything in moderation is good. It is dangerous to attach ourselves to a set of beliefs without doing our own research. i.e. macrobiotics says do this, so I do this... ! I believe that every body is different and food choice is such a personal thing. It\'s wonderful that some people can eat a tomato (night veg) and tap into how that makes them feel. But to put that as a universial truth for a public... ! I agree with macrobiotic philosophy and for me that philosophy is about choice and having to live out the consequences of thoe (food) choices. But, the macroneurotic thing... life\'s just too short... So, get your ass down to your local green grocer and pig-out on a whole wack of those deadly nightshades... !!!

Veggie Lover
written by Guest, August 19, 2005

I always heard that broccoli and tomatoes were nightshades but never knew why they were bad. I love both!! Where can we find the absolute truth about the veggies that are true nightshades?

Cinnamon353
written by Guest, August 13, 2005

Anyone can be allergic to ANYTHING!
For example, there are some people who are allergic to wheat, soy, corn, etc..

In addition, nightshades are not \"bad\" because they cause allergic reactions in some people, they just need to be eliminated by some people. Some people can eat nightshade vegetables without any reactions. I have eaten nightshades in a balanced yin/yang diet, and I never had a reaction. I rotate my food choices; check how I feel after I eat ANYTHING; and eliminate any food substance that causes a negative reaction in my body.

allergic to red peppers
written by Guest, August 04, 2005

Hi,

just had a terrible experience with a roasted red pepper on a sandwich! turns out it caused my private parts to swell and burn, then caused aching pain in my body for 2 days, after that it went to my arms, wrists and hands and fingers, causing arthritic symptoms. Finally fading after 4 days...must have been the nightshade red pepper! Never again!

blisters on hands and fingers..
written by Guest, July 05, 2005

I ate tomatoes as in Spaghetti sauce 2 times in a week, and had tomatoes in my salad. I am highly allergic to NICKEL, told this to my family and they mentioned they mentioned the Night Shades Veggies, I never heard of this, but I was directed to your website, which is loaded with info. Thanks for all this info.

...
written by Guest, April 27, 2005

:p :p :p :p :p

Hmm...
written by Guest, April 22, 2005

I don\'t know about all this mumbo jumbo... :roll

Nigjtshade vegetables.
written by Guest, April 12, 2005

My medicines should you avoid if you are allergic to night shade vegetables

jeannie lagelbauer
written by Guest, April 09, 2005

:grin

Wrong but also right
written by Guest, April 01, 2005

While the list Han posted isn\'t all nightshades (spinach, swiss chard...), the foods listed on it should be avoided if you\'re sensitive.

Spinach and swiss chard absorb a great deal of nitrates from the soil, which account for the bitterness associated with them. If your tummy is sensitve it can react to those nitrates.

Also, they both contain oxalic acid,, which isn\'t good.

read more: http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/nightshade.htm

Happy Health!

Doc

Allergic reactions also
written by Guest, March 27, 2005

I began having excrutiating abdominal pain after consumming tomatoes. I tried iliminating them for a period of time. I ate potatoes, and had the same result. I was puzzled until I looked in a field book and saw the relationship to the vegetables. I even had exploratory surgery and my appendix was removed. I thought I was cured but alas not. This has gone on for over ten years. I cannot eat bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, or potatoes. However, I have no problem with sweet potatoes as they are in the squash family. I am also able to eat spinach, avacodo and others from the list above. My healer told me that the flower on the plant was the determinant. Nightshade turns into a poison in the intestines thus causing the swelling and pain. I wish there was a remedy I miss those vegetables. :cry

Nightshade Foods - Where is the complete
written by Guest, March 27, 2005

Does anyone know where to find the complete list??:x

...
written by Guest, March 25, 2005

:grin :p :roll :eek :upset :zzz :sigh :? :cry :x

all veggies can be OK, hel-LO!
written by Guest, March 24, 2005

i, too, am a vegetarian and macrobiotic fan but i eat all veggies in balance. as a recovering anorexic, it\'s things like sweet potatoes and yams that helped me overcome my amenorrhea (missed menstruation) that lasted more than a year. so it seems nonsense that a diet can exclude something as healthy, natural and \"whole\" as any veggie no matter what shade they are

Alot of this list is WRONG!!
written by Guest, March 10, 2005

This list is WAYYYY wrong! I know that spinch,beet,and some others on here are from the Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot family)!!! Where did you find this list and why did you post it?

Here\'s a list of some nightshades:

artichoke
asparagus
avacado
bamboo shoots
beet
curly dock
eggplant
erns ginseng
fennel
newzealand spinach
okra
peppers(green, red,...)
plantain
potato
purslane
sheperd\'s purse
sorrel
spinach
sweet potato
swiss chard
tomato
yams
zucchini

-Han

Read the Eat Right for Your Type book
written by Guest, February 25, 2005

There is a lot of information about nightshades in the book Eat Right for Your Type. I am a type A, and according to the information in the book, all of the nightshades are deadly for type A\'s, and it goes on to explain that tomatoes should not be consumed by people of any blood type. Unfortunately they are one of the hardest to remove from our diets since we were all raised eating tomatoes in abundance. You will never want to eat a tomato ever again after reading this book. Greens are usually readily available in any grocery store, so if you are having trouble finding acceptable veggies, try eating more greens :p

Nightshades and Mushrooms
written by Guest, February 23, 2005

I think you need to mention on this page that most mushrooms in the world are just as poisonous as nightshades. Only a few varieties are not known to be poisonous yet. Surely science will discover they are in the future. So I reccomend that anyone interested in preserving their health and living a long, healthy life should avoid all mushrooms for the same reason they avoid nightshades.

thats a proper list of nightshades
written by Guest, February 21, 2005

Sweet Potatos are very much in the nightshade order. The morning glory family is in the nightshade order. That list from Han is correct and the foods in it should be avoided.

It\'s good to go see a Naturopathic doctor and do a food sensitivity test. Then you\'ll be able to see if the veggies on that list are not good for you. But even if your body can tolerate them, they should be avoided.

...
written by Guest, February 20, 2005

:upset !!!!
Which vegetables can I eat?

Positive evidence
written by Guest, February 20, 2005

Sweet Potatoes aren’t in nightshade family, they are part of the morning glory family.
Personally, after researching this, I find nothing that leads me to believe that fully ripened fruits of the nightshade family are unsafe in average quantities and there is plenty of research on the great antioxidant value and nutritional value of this group, not to mention being tasty and versatile!

Facts
written by Guest, February 20, 2005

Many opinions, not many facts.
Beware of someone else\'s hangups

a quick list of nightshades
written by Guest, February 19, 2005

Here\'s a list of some nightshades:

artichoke
asparagus
avacado
bamboo shoots
beet
curly dock
eggplant
erns ginseng
fennel
newzealand spinach
okra
peppers(green, red,...)
plantain
potato
purslane
sheperd\'s purse
sorrel
spinach
sweet potato
swiss chard
tomato
yams
zucchini

-Han

...
written by Guest, February 12, 2005

i love hot peppers eggplant tomatoe and potatoes all nightshade vegatables and i am very much a loner i wonder if thats why im so attracted to them :eek

I am peri menapausal at age 47
written by Guest, February 10, 2005

I was told not to eat Nightshade Vegetables and see if my soreback and weight gain will stop, anyone know about the two going hand in hand? :eek :x

dont hate food
written by Guest, January 27, 2005

all foods have different atributes that lead to all things and these days many companies are putting additives into the fertilizer that has completly changed the plant

Night shade plants are no worse or better than any other plants

laurel s.
written by Guest, January 25, 2005

Many years ago, I read somewhere that nightshades are the only plants that grow at night. Belladona is a nightshade that animals graze will not on, and if you eat them it , it produces terrible halucinations.

Nightshade veggies and such
written by Guest, January 07, 2005

:p Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, tobacco

others: sacred datura/jimson weed, petunias, nierembergia,
butterfly flower(Schizanthus)

The nightshade family (Solanaceae) includes about
2000 species of herbs, shrubs, trees and vines. In
addition to many ornamentals, the family abounds
in plants with medicinal or poisonous properties,
and the potato, tomato, eggplant, peppers, tobacco
and others. (from Hortus).

:zzz

not miss the phantom arthritic messaging
written by Guest, January 07, 2005

:x My massage therapist told me to lay off the potatoes, tomatoes and squash to see if the stiffness in my neck subsists. :roll

I will miss my nightshades but I will no
written by Guest, January 07, 2005

:zzz :upset :eek :grin O.key dokey. Here\'s what I found in a gardening book about night shade veggies. Zip. Websters had better information. :cry Zip

Where are the answers?
written by Guest, January 06, 2005

Many of the questions posed in the comments are my questions too! Where do we find the answers????? Please, those of you know the answers, post them here. Thank you!!!

Not Night shade
written by Guest, December 28, 2004

If any one could provide a list of non nightshade for healing. Thank you
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Nightshade Vegetables No More
written by Guest, December 19, 2004

That is true, the header at the top of the page did contain nightshade vegetables, but no longer.

nightshades
written by Guest, December 16, 2004

it is ironic that nightshades are eschewed in macrobiotics, yet the picture at the top of this webpage shows a basket of veggies including a tomato and two peppers!

nightshades
written by Guest, December 16, 2004

it is ironic that nightshades are eschewed in macrobiotics, yet the picture at the top of this webpage shows a basket of veggies including a tomato and two peppers!

Helpful
written by Guest, November 21, 2004

Thanks

Feeding my dog
written by Guest, October 24, 2004

I have been cooking for my dog (70% meat, 20% vegetable, 5% grain) because she has cancer and requires a less invasive diet. I was told expressly by her doctor not to feed her nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplant; unfortunately I was not aware potatoes are a nightshade and have been feeding them to her in addition to cruciferous vegetazbles (cabbagge, broccoli, chard), squash, and occasionally legumes.

She fortunately doesn\'t have problems with arthritis, but I\'m very, very sorry that I didn\'t know about potatoes sooner; they\'re easy to cook and she likes them.

With the advent of winter, I\'ve developed some problems with the cold that are making me think I should modify my diet. I eat no animal products, but perhaps nightshade vegetables are giving me problems such as cracks in my hands that resist healing. Are nightshade vegetables unusually acid?

Night Shade Vegetables
written by Guest, October 13, 2004

What are night shade vegs? Where did they get there name? Why are they called \"night shade\" pl? Friend asked me to check on. I am completely unfamiliar and also want to know. Thanks :grin

nightshade struggle
written by Guest, September 21, 2004

I find it difficult to consume the appropriate amount of vegetables/nongrains when I eliminate tomatoes from my diet, because I still have not developed a taste (enjoyment) for most of the macrobiotic vegetables. While a vegetarians, those foods most excluded to em now, seemed to comprise the majority of my diet: tomatoes, mushroom, potatoes and accasional egg plant in baba ghanoush. Also, there seems to be so few vegetables available where I live that fit into the diet. :sigh

Nightshade Vegs
written by Guest, September 11, 2004

I have found that when we eat these foods in moderation, it is O.K. for most people. However, I found that even in moderation, my autistic son could not tolerate any NIGHTSHADE Veggies.

...
written by Guest, September 07, 2004

I hate nightshade vegetables, they ruin everything about food.

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