A NOTE ON NIGHTSHADES
I finally caved in to the pressure (a lone toddler with big eyes and a great way with words) and ‘did’ Halloween yesterday. Weirdly, the big supermarkets had already put away their Halloween decorations and had stopped selling pumpkins, so we ended up carving some bell peppers instead. They are just so colourful and vibrant that they can’t fail to meet a two-year-old’s expectations, especially as they come in all the colours of Autumn leaves!
Bell peppers and the other nightshades however, have a bit of a bad reputation in Ayurveda. The term nightshade refers to peppers (bell and hot/chilli), tomatoes, aubergine/eggplant and white potatoes (but not courgette/zucchini, cucumber or marrows, or indeed sweet potatoes). In traditional Ayurvedic texts, these veggies are sometimes referred to as ‘inappropriate’ for human consumption. I remember when I first learned this whilst training, I was pretty confused as potatoes and tomatoes in particular are something that a lot of us eat almost every day, especially as in general they are considered so good for us (think of the anti-aging properties of tomatoes for example, the general reliable, hearty reputation of potatoes, or the fact that goji and blueberries- also on the nightshade list- are widely considered ‘superfoods’ because of the antioxidents they contain).
However, Ayurveda considers nightshades to be both ‘Rajasic’ and ‘Tamasic’ which basically means that they provoke all three doshas. This could be in the form of heating (Pitta), dehydrating (Vata) or indeed causing the build up of too much moisture (Kapha).
Those with on-going skin issues (eczema, psoriasis), bloating, arthritis, stress, anxiety, migraines, osteoporosis, gout, and inflammatory conditions such as IBS may decide that cutting down on their nightshade consumption may improve how they feel. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal at all, but in my opinion it’s worth a try cutting down on the amount of tomatoes, potatoes and peppers you eat if any of the above conditions apply.
I have found that I don’t tend to bloat as much as I used to as a result of eating far fewer tomatoes in my diet, and this in general makes me feel better about myself. Interestingly, women are much more likely to find bloating an issue than men because of fluctuating hormone levels in the menstrual cycle, whereas if men are a bit bloaty, it tends to be more food-related. So, men, definitely worth a try if bloating is something that bothers you (or IBS or acid reflux for that matter).
If you do want to carry on eating nightshades (it’s almost impossible not to in the U.K. at least, plus they are yummy!), then as with everything in Ayurveda, make sure that they are cooked well and eaten in moderation. This may mean rethinking your favourite tomato-based salad, or perhaps not scoffing an entire punnet of blueberries and calling it lunch, but it’s worth a try! The other big thing to remember is to try not to eat nightshades with dairy. This is a particularly difficult one in a country like the U.K. where cheese and tomato is most definitely ‘a thing’, as is melted cheese with potato. But again, these are all just suggestions if you feel that nightshades may affect you in some way.
I’m off to slow-roast these peppers in rock salt and rapeseed oil with some cumin and black mustard seeds which both mitigate their toxic effect. Before I go though, another couple of fun facts for you- 1)Ayurveda considers nightshades to be addictive, and also 2) tobacco is the leaf of a nightshade. Just something to think about!