Eliminating Nightshades?
MyriiStorm
Posts: 609 Member
I was poking around Pedram Shojai's website (The Urban Monk) and his "7 Day reboot" program. One of the things he recommends doing is eliminating nightshades for the 7 days (up to a few weeks). Apparently, they can cause inflammation in some folks, and those people benefit from avoiding them.
Has anyone here had experience with eliminating nightshades? Inflammation hasn't really been a problem for me, so I'm not sure if I should bother with the nightshades thing. I don't eat a lot of them anyway, just the occasional tomatoes and bell peppers in a salad. What is your experience?
Has anyone here had experience with eliminating nightshades? Inflammation hasn't really been a problem for me, so I'm not sure if I should bother with the nightshades thing. I don't eat a lot of them anyway, just the occasional tomatoes and bell peppers in a salad. What is your experience?
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Only nightshade family member I have banned in my diet is white potato.
I eat small amounts of tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant. I get a slight flush in my cheeks if I overdo on any of those, but if I only consume them in small amounts, I notice no problems.1 -
I keep wondering about trying this. I've done a few standard Whole30s but the other versions (low FODMAPS, no nightshades, AIP, etc) have had me curious. No symptoms I'm trying to alleviate, I just like the idea of getting everything dialed in just right.
@MyriiStorm from my understanding, even if you don't necessarily have obvious symptoms that could be attributed to inflammation, one of the advantages of doing an elimination cycle (and I think it might take more than 7 days) is that you might have some benefit you don't even realize, like better sleep or improved nutrient uptake or something else that isn't as tangible as getting rid of bloating or indigestion.3 -
@kirkor that's a good point. And it certainly won't hurt me to eliminate them for a few weeks.1
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Did an elimination diet a few years ago (candida diet, no dairy, no nightshades)... once I had gotten rid of the candida overgrowth in my gut, I no longer had issues with dairy or nightshades.. I do however have serious problems with gluten (a different elimination diet). Try it for a month and see if you have any differences noted. One week isn't really enough. I still don't use potatoes much.
Ugh, got waylaid by an alarm call at the credit union in the next town. All good though.2 -
I had never heard of this before and even had to look up what a nightshade is. After some reading, though, I think I need to share this with my wife. She does have some autoimmune disease (fibromyalgia and early arthritis) with lots of joint pain. As a vegetarian, tomatoes and potatoes are both high concentration foods in her diet.
For me, fortunately, I have no such issues. I can do without most of what is on the list, but going without peppers would make life hardly worth living. Between seasonings and hot sauces made from peppers and peppers themselves, most of my meals contain some form of pepper. Given the inflammation scores on my recent blood work, I feel confident I am in the majority who benefit from the the anti-inflammatory effects of peppers.2 -
Has anyone ever heard of someone being affected by some nightshades and not others? My stomach can't tolerate raw tomatoes or raw bell peppers (sometimes undercooked as well), but pototoes seemed okay before this WOE. Also have trouble with avocado. Strange?0
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Has anyone ever heard of someone being affected by some nightshades and not others? My stomach can't tolerate raw tomatoes or raw bell peppers (sometimes undercooked as well), but pototoes seemed okay before this WOE. Also have trouble with avocado. Strange?
Based on this article, the glycoalkaloids, which can cause the irritation, are different in different nightshades. Based on my reading of this, the answer to your question would be yes.
http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/nightshades/1 -
Very interesting....Thanks for the link!0
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I've read a lot on this but am unable to give up my tomatoes and peppers.0
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I eat very little nightshades. I have fibromyalgia, and nightshades cause inflammation and pain. I have lost 51 pounds since August 5th by keeping my carbs between 50-75. Nightshades tend to be higher in carbs than green leafy vegetables.4
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I eat very little nightshades. I have fibromyalgia, and nightshades cause inflammation and pain. I have lost 51 pounds since August 5th by keeping my carbs between 50-75. Nightshades tend to be higher in carbs than green leafy vegetables.
Congrats on your progress! (And welcome.)0 -
Has anyone ever heard of someone being affected by some nightshades and not others? My stomach can't tolerate raw tomatoes or raw bell peppers (sometimes undercooked as well), but pototoes seemed okay before this WOE. Also have trouble with avocado. Strange?
Confounding variable could be oligosaccharide content too; FODMAP diet is used to alleviate this issue. The problem with high FODMAP foods is that they are often quite random which vegetables/fruits do & do not contain significant amounts of FODMAPs. Yes, not all nightshades have high FODMAPs; some can be tolerable
On a random/interesting side note, nightshades are actually beneficial for those with family History of parkinson's disease.2 -
Has anyone ever heard of someone being affected by some nightshades and not others? My stomach can't tolerate raw tomatoes or raw bell peppers (sometimes undercooked as well), but pototoes seemed okay before this WOE. Also have trouble with avocado. Strange?
Confounding variable could be oligosaccharide content too; FODMAP diet is used to alleviate this issue. The problem with high FODMAP foods is that they are often quite random which vegetables/fruits do & do not contain significant amounts of FODMAPs. Yes, not all nightshades have high FODMAPs; some can be tolerable
On a random/interesting side note, nightshades are actually beneficial for those with family History of parkinson's disease.
Thanks for sharing that tidbit on Parkinson's @VKetoV. I had 2 family members on my mom's side (aunt and cousin) with Parkinson's. And then there is me with this damned Dystonia...0 -
I eat very little nightshades. I have fibromyalgia, and nightshades cause inflammation and pain. I have lost 51 pounds since August 5th by keeping my carbs between 50-75. Nightshades tend to be higher in carbs than green leafy vegetables.
Well that sent me down the rabbit hole, I had no idea! My husband has fibromyalgia...looks like we'll be toying with eliminating nightshades. Thank you!2 -
I eliminated nightshades a while back to help relieve my psoriasis and osteoarthritis. I was eating a lot more tomato than I realized!! Since eliminating them, I have practically cured my psoriasis and my osteoarthritis symptoms and inflammation are better. I would suggest trying the elimination for a month as opposed to seven days also. A response could be seen that quickly, but a month is a better measurement in my opinion.3
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Just to clarify, Pedram Shojai isn't recommending people eliminate nightshades for only 7 days. He says it takes longer to notice any differences. The program is called the "7 Day Reboot" because it is 7 different aspects of lifestyle changes he advocates making and/or improving, and he introduces one per day for 7 days.
I apologize that I wasn't more clear about that before.
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My relief with my dx'd fibromyalgia only came with a strict GF diet. After that was tested out and after I got candida in my gut under control there were no problems with nightshades. My joint pain (technically it's not the joints but the tendon attachments that sense the fibropain) is close to nil but if I get glutened inadvertently I can't move due to this pain for a week. Nightshades make no difference in my diet now which makes me very happy as I like peppers and cooked tomatoes a lot.
I post a lot of info and studies from MedScape on fibromyalgia on an FM forum here. I'll get the link for anyone who's interested. I don't post anecdotal stuff just recognized published scientific studies in the medical journals. It's a med professional ongoing education site. Sorry, I'm on my tablet and I'm not sure how to copy and paste for the link. It's easy to find in the group "Fitness With Fibromyalgia".0 -
canadjineh wrote: »My relief with my dx'd fibromyalgia only came with a strict GF diet. After that was tested out and after I got candida in my gut under control there were no problems with nightshades. My joint pain (technically it's not the joints but the tendon attachments that sense the fibropain) is close to nil but if I get glutened inadvertently I can't move due to this pain for a week. Nightshades make no difference in my diet now which makes me very happy as I like peppers and cooked tomatoes a lot.
I post a lot of info and studies from MedScape on fibromyalgia on an FM forum here. I'll get the link for anyone who's interested. I don't post anecdotal stuff just recognized published scientific studies in the medical journals. It's a med professional ongoing education site. Sorry, I'm on my tablet and I'm not sure how to copy and paste for the link. It's easy to find in the group "Fitness With Fibromyalgia".
GF has helped tremendously and my husband has been GF for nearly 3 years now. I noticed he was feeling better when he joined me in LC and I'm wondering if that has to do with dropping potatoes - which were added more frequently once he couldn't have bread/pasta. He does love hot sauce/salsa though. So if eliminating nightshades helps he's going to be sad.0 -
I think elimination diets are great if done properly. A lot of "you should avoid this" type of stuff comes from studies that showed a small population that reacted differently to that particular food. Remember every body is individual and therefore your diet will be too. Seek to find your optimal performance. Good luck!6
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I think elimination diets are great if done properly. A lot of "you should avoid this" type of stuff comes from studies that showed a small population that reacted differently to that particular food. Remember every body is individual and therefore your diet will be too. Seek to find your optimal performance. Good luck!
ditto0
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