Nightshade & Arthritis
Arthritis is a painful illness that affects over 46 million people. The nightshade family of plants can worsen the symptoms of arthritis, along with other illnesses of the digestive tract and nervous system.
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What is Arthritis?
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Arthritis is an overarching term that describes more than 100 individual illnesses. In general, arthritis is an inflammatory auto-immune disease that most commonly affects the joints. It can result in severe pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints.
Nightshade
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Nightshade plants belong to the Solanaceae plant family. The nightshade plants all contain steroid alkaloids, which are biochemicals that can affect human health.
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Joint Health
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The steroid alkaloids in nightshade plants can affect the joints. It can increase inflammation, cause irritation in joints, and decrease calcium deposits in the bones. Ingesting nightshade plants can cause arthritis flare ups or worsen an existing condition.
Avoiding Nightshade
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Consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, whether you have arthritis or not. Some physicians may suggest eliminating nightshade from your diet for up to one month to see if your symptoms improve.
Examples
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Examples of the nightshade family include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers. Tobacco is also a nightshade, so anyone trying to avoid nightshade should stop smoking.
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References
- Photo Credit weathered hands image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
