Nightshades (even potatoes) and leaky gut?

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Zizzle
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Nightshades (even potatoes) and leaky gut?

Post by Zizzle »

Here's an excellent overview of nightshades. I'm currently on a nightshade-free diet and have not re-introduced them, other than small amounts of potato starch, and some probable paprika here and there. Many people with RA notice a direct correlation between nightshade consumption (even traces) and immediate disease flares. Is anyone here very sensitive to nightshades? Jury's still out for me...
Some scientists have wondered whether glycoalkaloids could be one potential cause for “leaky gut” syndromes due to their ability to poke holes in cells:

“…glycoalkaloids, normally available while eating potatoes, embed themselves and disrupt epithelial barrier integrity in a dose-dependent fashion in both cell culture models and in sheets of mammalian intestine…animals with the genetic predisposition to develop IBD, demonstrated a greater degree of small intestinal epithelial barrier disruption and inflammation when their epithelium was exposed to the potato glycoalkaloids chaconine and solanine.”
http://diagnosisdiet.com/nightshades/
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Polly
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Post by Polly »

Hi Z,

The worst nightshade for me is potato. I can't tolerate it at all - in fact, it is the only food that now causes vomiting within an hour or two. Not to mention the dreaded D. This was confirmed by the MRT (and I had never suspected it). I can do a small amount of eggplant. Also, tomatoes. Peppers of any kind seem to be well-tolerated. Glad to hear of your progress on paleo - it seems that you are making major strides towards identifying your food offenders.

Love,

Polly
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Zizzle
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Post by Zizzle »

Polly,
I've always had trouble with eggplant, raw tomatoes and spicy chili peppers of all kinds. I've thought potato was safe, but this is enough for me to stay away. If anything, maybe allow some potato starch in GF baked goods? I imagine potatoes are peeled before making the starch??

I find this blog very interesting. The "Foods that Cause Hypothyroidism" post was eye opening! Now I understand the issue with cruciferous vegetables, which I eat constantly! I guess I should add seaweed flakes to my veggies!

http://diagnosisdiet.com/foods-and-hypothyroidism/

I'm in a slow race to clear my rash, prevent onset of muscle symptoms, get off prednisone, and AVOID methotrexate at all costs. If I could be on Plaquenil alone with diet changes, I'd be happy. I'm hopeful I can do this!!
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Post by Leah »

I seem to be fine with potatoes ( but didn't eat them for the first 6 months), but not so good with cooked peppers ( a little spice is ok now). Tomato in small doses, but the last time I tried tomato sauce, I flared for 3 weeks! I haven't tried eggplant simply because my husband doesn't like it, so why bother?

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Post by ldubois7 »

Good article! Potatoes were a 1+ on Enterolab, but I still can't tolerate them even after 8 months. I miss them, but not the digestive distress that comes with them! :)
Linda :)

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Post by sunny »

Just got entero lab results $ potatoes now a no-no. The potassium broth I make uses potato peelings. Is the problem in the peel as well as meat of tater?
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tex
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Post by tex »

Sunny wrote:Is the problem in the peel as well as meat of tater?
Yes, the stems, leaves, and peel contain most of the solanine and other alkaloids.

Tex
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

If you are sensitive to soy, the other reason to avoid using peelings is that many vegetables are sprayed with soy oil to make them last longer in air conditioned shops etc.

when cooking, i cut off about 0.5cm to minimise any soy contamination
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Post by sunny »

Tex, thanks again! Guess, the peelings are out.... maybe later in a year.... or 2.... won't plant any more taters next year...darn! I had Russian fingelings, blue, red, Yukon gold, & russetts.... just a few of each type but fun to unearth all summer as we wanted them.... DRATS!!
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Post by sunny »

Gabes Ryan.... these are my potatoes, grown in a potato sack filled with my composted soil and no sprays or fertilizer. I only buy organic now from a trussty source.
Thanx for the suggestion, I didn't know they spayed with soy!
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Post by tex »

Sunny,

The reaction may be against the starch in the potatoes, rather than the solanine (the nightshade-based chemical found in potatoes). There is a difference in the starch found in various types of potatoes, and some are much easier to digest than others. The amylose starch that's predominately found in russet potatoes is more difficult to digest than the amylopectin starch found in waxy potato varieties. If you will scroll down to post number 4 in the thread at the link below, you can see an explanation of the difference in starches found in various types of potatoes.

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... ch+amylose

I have a hunch that the EnteroLab test is based on amylose starch (russet potatoes — especially since the description specifically states "white potato"). This is just a wild guess, but there is a possibility that you might be able to tolerate some or all of the varieties that you named (other than the russets). IOW, if you wanted to test some of them, IMO the ones to try would be the ones that have the highest percentage of amylopectin starch (lowest percentage of amylose starch).

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by MBombardier »

I still eat tomato sauce from time to time. Within 24-48 hours, my lips break out. Apparently I have psoriasis on my lips and the nightshades exacerbate it.
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Post by Lesley »

I can't eat fresh tomatoes, nor peppers although the MRT says they are fine. They make me feel nauseated. I can eat some cooked tomato sauce in a sauce or something like that. Potatoes are fine (as per enterolab). I ONLY buy organic potatoes. I love eating the peel of baked potatoes. It never occurred to me that organic potatoes would be sprayed with soy. Oy! I need to check on this one.
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