Tomatoes and the nightshade debate

pancakerunner

I have been reading a lot into nightshades and inflammatory foods and of course tomatoes are on the list of "foods to avoid."

This leads to the question: do you eat tomatoes? If any of you have cut out tomatoes from your diet, have you seen improvements in your health?

girlwithcurls2

I have no problem with tomatoes. I also have no inflammation issues. Maybe I'm not your target audience. I've been known to grow over 20 tomato plants in my garden just because I love them so much and so many ways.

sarko15

I don't worry at all about inflammation (inflammation is an important bodily process for healing and anti-inflammation "diets" are just another craze, imho). I'm sure there are some people who could benefit from less, but I don't see any reason to remove inflammatory foods just because. Tomatoes are delicious and any diet that makes you feel guilty is probably not worth your time

lemurcat2

Yes, I eat tomatoes. I don't see any reason to assume I have a health issue that cutting out tomatoes would help. I think a lot of the obsession with inflammation is just the fad of the day, and from what I've read pretty much all fruits and veg are good for the kind of inflammation that's actually a problem (related to heart disease). If I had an autoimmune disease my answer might be different, as there inflammation of a different type would be an issue.

cwolfman13

Tomatoes are a primary source of lycopene which improves inflammation...there's nothing wrong with tomatoes or any nightshade vegetable. I don't buy the whole anti-inflammatory diet hoopla...and there is no evidence that nightshade vegetables cause inflammation.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321745.php

maureenkhilde

Mmm I love tomatoes, must admit yellow ones personal favorite. I do no buy into the whole tomatoes are bad for us. But for some people with acid reflux, one of my brothers no longer can tolerate things like spaghetti sauce, or any type of canned tomatoes. It causes pain.

puffbrat

I had a few years of having to cut back on eating tomatoes among other foods due to a medical condition. Cutting back on those foods was hugely important to preventing flare-ups or reducing the severity. Thankfully that condition has resolved (not sure yet if temporarily or permanently) and I am back to very happily eating lots of tomatoes.

AnnPT77

I eat tomatoes regularly (not quite daily, but pretty close), in decent quantities, plus other nightshades, especially eggplant and peppers. I've never experimented with completely avoiding them, but don't have any symptoms of systemic inflammation (as far as I'm aware) . . . now that I'm at a healthy weight.

Fuzzipeg

Tomatoes are high in salicylates which can be an issue for some getting in the way of good nutrition. The natural Salicylate in foods is closely related to the active ingredient in the not so humble aspirin. Most fruits and Veg use salicylate to protect themselves from moulds and mildews. An Australian Hospital (RPA) produces a very useful list, herbs and spices being off the scale from a sensitive persons perspective. It seems our lungs for example, our alveoli are closely related to fungi and can react to salicylate in the atmosphere - in pollen, house hold cleaners and perfumes to name only a few problem environmental areas. High salicylate levels aggravated my osteoarthritis, on days I forgot to take my pre exercise pain relief, I had not pain! Such a body is less well able to eliminate these natural substance from their bodies than most other average person. Recent science points to pancreatic deficiencies as well as some digestive enzyme issues. To generalise a reliance on antibiotics and other medications can be implicated.

There are several other natural substances which can also be problematical to the few for instance Oxalates and Histamine - is caused by a natural process of decomposition - foods being past their best, some can only eat the freshest of meats or meals freshly cooked and others nothing processed. Some of us who are less able to eliminate Histamine which builds into inflammation can be deficient in B6 and vit c reduces the bodies ability to make the DAO histaminase enzyme which eliminates the job for the vast majority. There are fewer issues with the second enzyme which also eliminates histamine.

Inflammation can be experienced in a multitude of different unhealthy reactions. I believe, (its true of myself), its only when one's health is truly compromised that someone is forced to try to track down the cause of their inflammation. I think inflammation is probably a catch all sort of word now, which is why it is dismissed by the many really healthy people. Long may they stay so, ill health should be avoided at all costs. Inflammation is usually not an issue for most people so turning to an anti-inflammatory diet will be of no assistance to them. Inflammation can become a real problem when the body is put under undue stress of excess or deficiencies in nutrition restricting the bodies ability to achieve its expected elimination process adequately.

Health problems associated with Ageing are now being spoken of as "inflammaging". As the body ages, particularly when its been subject to excesses or deficiencies of vitamins and minerals even carbohydrates least often proteins and healthy fats which stress the body because it is less able to create the essential enzymes any healthy body needs to eliminate inflammation.

Most of my health issues stem from Salicylate Intolerance and Histamine Intolerance. For the record I have never liked tomatoes, hated tomato soup. I speak as one of a tiny but growing minority.

ThatJuJitsuWoman

I’ve never cut tomatoes out of my diet, but I eat a lot more of them in summer than in winter because my Dad’s garden is full of them.

I haven’t noticed any changes in my health between tomato season and the rest of the year.

LyndaBSS

I eat at least one tomato every day. I must admit, as with other fruits and vegetables that I love, I don't research them to see if they are harmful to me.

lemurcat2

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I eat tomatoes regularly (not quite daily, but pretty close), in decent quantities, plus other nightshades, especially eggplant and peppers. I've never experimented with completely avoiding them, but don't have any symptoms of systemic inflammation (as far as I'm aware) . . . now that I'm at a healthy weight.

Of the plants in my garden (all of which are still producing), a pretty good proportion are various tomatoes and various peppers, as well as some eggplant -- only realized just now that I seem to be a nightshade person.

lynn_glenmont

pancakerunner wrote: »

I have been reading a lot into nightshades and inflammatory foods and of course tomatoes are on the list of "foods to avoid."

This leads to the question: do you eat tomatoes? If any of you have cut out tomatoes from your diet, have you seen improvements in your health?

I eat tomatoes mainly in season. I haven't noticed any correlated improvement in my health when the fall comes and I stop.

corinasue1143

I have some autoimmune issues. I eat somewhat, but not dedicated to an anti inflammatory diet. I can’t tell tomatoes hurt. I eat them, but not nearly as much as when I used to grow them. One of the best things in the world is a warm tomato you pick off your vine in your own back yard and eat right then and there. I have definitely done my share of this in the past.

VegjoyP

I have autoimmune conditons and have been away from them a long time, ironically until this week. I got sundried tomatoes in olive oil
I was craving them a lot so I got a jar to go with olive tapanade and Trader Joes Vegan pesto. I like them but probably won't buy them again for a while. Im not using much,.they feel too acidic for me. The olive oil seems to reduce the inflammatory factor.

paperpudding

Yes I eat tomatoes - not a lot, a few slices here and there, probably adds up to one or two tomatoes a week.

I have no issues connected to tomato eating so no plans to change my intake.

I do know people for whom tomatoes are a gout trigger - not sure if this is common
I do not get gout so not relevant to me.

Clairin

Here's a great link, if you scroll way down past all the nutrition benefits of tomatoes, this article discusses why tomatoes create a sensitivity for some people: https://draxe.com/nutrition/vegetables/tomato-nutrition/
My grandfather with arthritis and who is on warfarin recently developed a nasty skin rash. His consumption of tomatoes at breakfast was singled out to be the cause.
Personally I always seek to remove seeds or eat without the skin as these are very hard to digest or indigestible in the case of their seeds.

paperpudding

Oh Ive never done that.

They just get sliced and eaten - in a sandwich or something for me, not a fan of eating them alone myself.
Except sometimes the little cherry tomatoes.

But never de-skinned them first or removed the seeds.

That would be such a messy and fiddly job..

Fuzzipeg

Please may I ask those who disagree with my comment above what it is that they disagree with?

I ask because I realise your life experience is very different to my own. I will try to look back in later, UK time. Thank you.

staticsplit

I'm one of the ones with a sensitivity. I've never liked raw tomatoes (the texture isn't for me) unless they've been broken down a bit with balsamic vinegar (e.g. bruschetta). If I slice raw tomatoes my skin breaks out in a rash and I expect if I ate too many raw ones they'd give me a stomach ache. However, once they're cooked or broken down, I'm fine with them.

My mother in law quasi-avoids nightshades due to her arthritis, but she's not sure how much of an effect it actually has.

Clairin

paperpudding wrote: »

Oh Ive never done that.

They just get sliced and eaten - in a sandwich or something for me, not a fan of eating them alone myself.
Except sometimes the little cherry tomatoes.

But never de-skinned them first or removed the seeds.

That would be such a messy and fiddly job..

Hi, yes de skinning definitely fiddly so mostly don't bother. However canned tomatoes are peeled typically so that works out well. Id pretty much always d.e seed though just push out the seeds with my thumb :-)

NovusDies

I think if you look hard enough you can find a reason to avoid everything. Some of the best clickbait articles on the internets will try to scare you about some common thing with which you are "poisoning" yourself.

nooshi713

I don’t believe the whole notion that nightshades are bad.

azironasun

I love tomatoes and eat at least one a day. I've found my main source of inflammation is carbs. Cutting way down on refined flour and sugar products helps tremendously.

lemurcat2

Technically, tomatoes are primarily carbs.

earlnabby

I eat a lot of tomatoes. Fresh in season, canned or sauce in soups and stews, and occasionally fresh out of season. Right now I am drowning in tomatoes from my garden. I have never had an issue with them, and neither has anyone I know with one exception, my Mom. Like me, she grew and ate a lot of tomatoes in season. She started feeling a bit sluggish so saw her doctor. Knowing Mom, one of the first questions he asked was if her tomatoes were starting to ripen and if she was eating more than normal. Turns out that the high concentration of vitamin K in tomatoes was interfering with her blood thinner. She had to limit herself to 1 small or 1/2 large per day.

pancakerunner

Love these replies!

Safari_Gal_

pancakerunner wrote: »

I have been reading a lot into nightshades and inflammatory foods and of course tomatoes are on the list of "foods to avoid."

This leads to the question: do you eat tomatoes? If any of you have cut out tomatoes from your diet, have you seen improvements in your health?

@pancakerunner - now you tell me! It’s sauce making time!

pancakerunner

Safari_Gal_ wrote: »

pancakerunner wrote: »

I have been reading a lot into nightshades and inflammatory foods and of course tomatoes are on the list of "foods to avoid."

This leads to the question: do you eat tomatoes? If any of you have cut out tomatoes from your diet, have you seen improvements in your health?

@pancakerunner - now you tell me! It’s sauce making time!

@Safari_Gal_ yes! Personally I love tomatoes! Just curious where everyone stands. Love a good caprese or salsa 😬

paperpudding

earlnabby wrote: »

I eat a lot of tomatoes. Fresh in season, canned or sauce in soups and stews, and occasionally fresh out of season. Right now I am drowning in tomatoes from my garden. I have never had an issue with them, and neither has anyone I know with one exception, my Mom. Like me, she grew and ate a lot of tomatoes in season. She started feeling a bit sluggish so saw her doctor. Knowing Mom, one of the first questions he asked was if her tomatoes were starting to ripen and if she was eating more than normal. Turns out that the high concentration of vitamin K in tomatoes was interfering with her blood thinner. She had to limit herself to 1 small or 1/2 large per day.

This will be an issue for anyone on Warfarin type blood thinners and applies to all foods high in Vitamin K - leafy greens generally the biggest culprits - brocccoli, asparagus,cabbage etc

paperpudding

Clairin wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

Oh Ive never done that.

They just get sliced and eaten - in a sandwich or something for me, not a fan of eating them alone myself.
Except sometimes the little cherry tomatoes.

But never de-skinned them first or removed the seeds.

That would be such a messy and fiddly job..

Hi, yes de skinning definitely fiddly so mostly don't bother. However canned tomatoes are peeled typically so that works out well. Id pretty much always d.e seed though just push out the seeds with my thumb :-)

Ah, ok.

yes tinned tomatoes are generally peeled, I do not eat them so didnt think of that

I do use cans of diced crushed tomatoes in recipes like spaghetti bolognaise, chilli con carne and the like.

But as far as eating actual tomatoes, it is always the fresh ones for me - which just get eaten skin, seeds and all.