Could someone please explain what this is? I've seen it a couple of times on this forum, and even after researching it I am not exactly sure the definition. I think it has something to do with tomatoes.
Anyway, just curious.
Thanks-
Rebecca
nightshades?
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh, mbeezie
Hi,
Nightshades are a group of plants of the genus solanum, and most of the parts of these plants are poisonous to humans. This group of plants is known for containing a diverse range of alkaloids, which can be desirable, toxic, or both, though they presumably evolved because they reduce the tendency of animals to eat the plants. Many of them have certain parts that are edible, however, such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, chilis, (peppers), etc., and the group also includes plants used for other purposes, such as tobacco, belladonna, etc.
In potatoes, for example the leaves, stems, roots, etc., contain the alkaloid,solanine, which is toxic, but the tubers, (the part sold in grocery stores), are safe to eat, so long as no green coloration is visible. The green coloration is not solanine, it's chlorophyll, but solanine is activated by sunlight, and the presence of the chlorophyll indicates that the solanine was probably activated when the color change took place. Peeling the potato will usually make it safe, in that event, but if the flesh of the potato is also green, in places, it should not be eaten. Some people are more sensitive to nightshades, than others. The primary alkaloid in tobacco, for example, is nicotine. In belladonna, it's tropane, which is related to atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, and these are the most powerful known anticholinergics in existence. Here's a comprehensive listing of the plants in this genus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum
Tex
Nightshades are a group of plants of the genus solanum, and most of the parts of these plants are poisonous to humans. This group of plants is known for containing a diverse range of alkaloids, which can be desirable, toxic, or both, though they presumably evolved because they reduce the tendency of animals to eat the plants. Many of them have certain parts that are edible, however, such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, chilis, (peppers), etc., and the group also includes plants used for other purposes, such as tobacco, belladonna, etc.
In potatoes, for example the leaves, stems, roots, etc., contain the alkaloid,solanine, which is toxic, but the tubers, (the part sold in grocery stores), are safe to eat, so long as no green coloration is visible. The green coloration is not solanine, it's chlorophyll, but solanine is activated by sunlight, and the presence of the chlorophyll indicates that the solanine was probably activated when the color change took place. Peeling the potato will usually make it safe, in that event, but if the flesh of the potato is also green, in places, it should not be eaten. Some people are more sensitive to nightshades, than others. The primary alkaloid in tobacco, for example, is nicotine. In belladonna, it's tropane, which is related to atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, and these are the most powerful known anticholinergics in existence. Here's a comprehensive listing of the plants in this genus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum
Tex
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.