4 ms·

It's obligatory to note this when it comes up: tomatoes are in the nightshade [1] family. The greens and fruits of many nightshades are poisonous. The obvious

by retrac 3y ago

It's obligatory to note this when it comes up: tomatoes are in the nightshade [1] family. The greens and fruits of many nightshades are poisonous. The obvious kinship is probably best demonstrated visually. The common tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gc5_tomatoes.jpg https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gc5_tomatoes.jpg The currant tomato, also edible and close wild relative of the tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium): https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Botanisk_tidsskrift_(17645191178).jpg https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Botanisk_tidsskrif... Belladonna, toxic (Atropa belladonna): https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atropa_belladonna_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-018.jpg https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atropa_belladonna_... Datura, toxic (Datura stramonium): https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Datura_stramonium_%E2%80%94_Flora_Batava_%E2%80%94_Volume_v2.jpg https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Datura_stramonium_... Mandrake greens and flowers, toxic (Mandragora autumnalis): https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mandragora_autumnalis_055.jpg https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mandragora_autumna... Mandrake fruit, toxic: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mandragora_autumnalis_-_ripe_fruit.jpg https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mandragora_autumna... I have only a layman's interest in botany so I lack the vocabulary to describe it well. But a tomato plant has the overall structure of a datura plant, bushy, similar stalks, similar pattern. The leaves look a lot like belladonna, datura or mandrake. The flowers look like diminutive mandrake flowers. The fruit looks a lot like mandrake fruit. If I had never heard of tomatoes, the close family resemblance would make me very reluctant to eat one. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae

pvaldes 3y ago
Solanum pimpinellifolium looks really cool
anon291 3y ago
The snakeberry (also a nightshade) -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_dulcamara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_dulcamara -- has fruits that look almost identical to a tomato, and while not deadly... incredibly uncomfortable and bitter. I came across these on a trek in the woods, and thought they were wild tomatoes at first. Fruit looks identical. But of course, I knew never to eat a nightshade. It's not surprising that Europeans thought tomatoes were poisonous. Nightshades are no joke.
the_third_wave 3y ago
More Nightshades: Aubergine (or 'Eggplant'), Solanum melongena [1]. It is edible but does contain a relatively high amount of Nicotine just like its relative: Tobacco (Lat. Nicotiana) [1] - also a Nightshade and probably the one with the largest body count of them all. Chili pepper (Lat. Capsicum) [3] which also belong to the Nightshade family. Quite a large and useable family even if some of its members are better left alone... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_pepper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_pepper
tomohawk 3y ago
Yes, and while many people can eat them just fine, many others experience health issues when eating tomatoes or other nightshades. The connection between eating the tomatoes and the health issues is not very obvious, and many people suffer for years before figuring it out. A family member had arthritic pain which got quite a bit better when they went gluten free, but it wasn't until they got off of certain plant families that things cleared up.
- Schinken_ 3y ago
  This. I always had very bad skin and seemingly random outbreaks of my dermatitis. Also breathing issues (asthma related) would appear in tandem. I figured it out when peeling some potatoes and my skin started itching horribly. Turned red and all. Tried to avoid potatoes and it's a night and day difference for my overall health. Also: Sweetpotatoes are not potatoes :)
- CobaltFire 3y ago
  This is me. I stopped gluten a few years ago, and about a year ago stopped eating nightshades and my autoimmune conditions massively eased. Based on a comment here I tried eliminating mammal products to see if Neu5gc was a possible culprit and that seems to have helped as well. Really wish I could eat normal food, but I’ll deal with the limited diet if it means I’m not miserable and in pain every day.
- genter 3y ago
  Tomatoes and other nightshades have lectins in them, (along with wheat).
  - hombre_fatal 3y ago
    Lectins can also act as antioxidants. They are deactivated by cooking. And they are present in foods that improve health outcomes. Low doses are probably good for us. So far it seems the fear of lectins is an orthorexia related to those who use terms like toxins and antinutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600777/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600777/
brnaftr361 3y ago
Potatoes are also nightshades, and they're also capable of producing toxins. Any green patches will likely contain chaconine and solanine.
- gs17 3y ago
  Potatoes also make actual tomato-like fruit that is very toxic.

by retrac 3y ago

pvaldes 3y ago

Solanum pimpinellifolium looks really cool

anon291 3y ago

The snakeberry (also a nightshade) -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_dulcamara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_dulcamara -- has fruits that look almost identical to a tomato, and while not deadly... incredibly uncomfortable and bitter. I came across these on a trek in the woods, and thought they were wild tomatoes at first. Fruit looks identical. But of course, I knew never to eat a nightshade. It's not surprising that Europeans thought tomatoes were poisonous. Nightshades are no joke.

the_third_wave 3y ago

More Nightshades: Aubergine (or 'Eggplant'), Solanum melongena [1]. It is edible but does contain a relatively high amount of Nicotine just like its relative: Tobacco (Lat. Nicotiana) [1] - also a Nightshade and probably the one with the largest body count of them all. Chili pepper (Lat. Capsicum) [3] which also belong to the Nightshade family. Quite a large and useable family even if some of its members are better left alone... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_pepper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_pepper

tomohawk 3y ago

Yes, and while many people can eat them just fine, many others experience health issues when eating tomatoes or other nightshades. The connection between eating the tomatoes and the health issues is not very obvious, and many people suffer for years before figuring it out. A family member had arthritic pain which got quite a bit better when they went gluten free, but it wasn't until they got off of certain plant families that things cleared up.

Schinken_ 3y ago
This. I always had very bad skin and seemingly random outbreaks of my dermatitis. Also breathing issues (asthma related) would appear in tandem. I figured it out when peeling some potatoes and my skin started itching horribly. Turned red and all. Tried to avoid potatoes and it's a night and day difference for my overall health. Also: Sweetpotatoes are not potatoes :)
CobaltFire 3y ago
This is me. I stopped gluten a few years ago, and about a year ago stopped eating nightshades and my autoimmune conditions massively eased. Based on a comment here I tried eliminating mammal products to see if Neu5gc was a possible culprit and that seems to have helped as well. Really wish I could eat normal food, but I’ll deal with the limited diet if it means I’m not miserable and in pain every day.
genter 3y ago
Tomatoes and other nightshades have lectins in them, (along with wheat).
- hombre_fatal 3y ago
  Lectins can also act as antioxidants. They are deactivated by cooking. And they are present in foods that improve health outcomes. Low doses are probably good for us. So far it seems the fear of lectins is an orthorexia related to those who use terms like toxins and antinutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600777/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600777/

brnaftr361 3y ago

Potatoes are also nightshades, and they're also capable of producing toxins. Any green patches will likely contain chaconine and solanine.

gs17 3y ago
Potatoes also make actual tomato-like fruit that is very toxic.