Day 140 - Tomatoes

“Tomatoes were first brought to Europe from Mexico by Cortez and were first cultivated for food in Naples. The English regarded them as poisonous until the 1700s. They were introduced in America as an ornamental garden plant in 1808, but were not eaten as they were believed to cause stomach cancer and appendicitis.

The botanical name for tomatoes ‘Lycopersicon’ means ‘wolf peach’ and refers to the association between werewolves, witchcraft and nightshades.

Then, in 1820, Colonel Robert Johnson defied the advice of his physicians (”You will foam and froth at the mouth and double over”) and ate tomatoes on the steps of Salem Courthouse, New Jersey, in front of a crowd of 2000 witnesses, the local sheriff waiting to arrest him for suicide. He survived and people began slowly to accept tomatoes as food.

In the US and Northern Europe they really took off as food with the introduction of canning and canned soups and then rose again with the expansion of consumption of pizza and pasta in the past 30 years.

However, the chemical and energetic qualities of tomatoes (and other nightshades) produce extreme, expansive effects which can expand and weaken the bones, joints, teeth, gums, and all body organs, especially for those who are sensitive and allergic to them.

In a study published in the Journal of the International Academy of Preventive Medicine, of the 5000 arthritis sufferers who eliminated Nightshade, seventy percent reported relief from aches, pains, and disfigurement.”*

*http://www.organicfoodee.com/inspiration/craig/nightshadefoods/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KWZ/is_5_4/ai_111734421/

Being half Italian, tomatoes are a requirement for most of my dishes. I have now had to exclude pasta al sugo from my diet and, very sadly, pizza.

I haven’t found it particularly difficult to give up nightshade foods for their taste per se, rather have been struggling with replacing my usual dishes with other equally tasty ones. I have, however, been introduced to a number of intriguing recipes and previously unexplored foods (such as sweet potatoes - see Day 136 - Potatoes).

Despite these minor complaints, I would do anything to make my headache go away, and if this involves simply giving up a few foods (which I have now discovered are very unhealthy anyway) then so be it.

Day 136 - Potatoes

“Traditionally potatoes were kept in paper sacks and sold unwashed. This practice protected them from direct sunlight. The modern practice of washing potatoes and packing them in plastic bags allows light to affect the potato and stimulate its production of solanine, the nightshade alkaloid that, in nature, sickens animals that might dig up potatoes for food.

The solanine in potatoes is 4 times greater in the skin than in the rest of the potato. The fatal dose of solanine for an adult is 200-250 mg depending on body weight. Potatoes should not contain more than 20 mg of solanine per 100g, so it would take at least 1 Kg of potatoes (2.2 lbs) to be fatal. Potato peels have been found to contain up to 180 mg of solanine per 100g, so a person consuming 150-200g of deep fried potato peels with a high solanine content could be at considerable risk.

Interestingly, in one study conducted with hamsters who were fed the sprouted portions of potatoes, increased alkaloid content did not seem to impact the nerves or joints nearly as much as the digestive system itself.

The researchers focused on damage to the stomach and intestines when trying to understand the problems caused by ingestion of potato sprout material, and concluded that there were reasons to avoid this material based on digestive system evidence alone.

A bitter taste in potatoes after the potatoes have been cooked is usually a good indication that excessive amounts of alkaloids are present.”*

*http://www.organicfoodee.com/inspiration/craig/nightshadefoods/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=62

I got my MRI brain scan results: all clear. I am somewhat relieved, although still worried as no one seems to know what is causing the headache.

In the meantime, I have been avoiding potatoes, as well as other nightshades (see Day 124 - Nightshade Foods), avec rigeur for the past few days, and have thereby completely eliminated my intake of alkaloids (any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds of plant origin that have pronounced physiological actions on humans*).

I have replaced my normal intake of potatoes with sweet potatoes, which are not classified as nightshade foods, rather fall under the “morning glory” category.

I have thus discovered the huge health benefits associated with sweet potatoes. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest ranks sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables.

Despite the change of diet, the unfathomable headache is still present. On Saturday night I had a really strong attack. I couldn’t sleep all night. I thought my head was going to explode. It pounded on both sides, with an indescribable intensity that I genuinely thought it was going to burst.

I had to sit up in bed to try and alleviate the pain a bit (it slightly diminishes when sitting upright or standing).

As I now know, no painkillers make the pain subside. The only form of consolation was to give vent to the pain and vexation burning inside me through wretched tears.

*Apple dictionary definition

Day 124 - Nightshade Foods

"Potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, tamarios, pepinos, pimentos, paprika, cayenne, and Tabasco sauce are classified as nightshade foods.

In the diet of Europe and Asia, only one nightshade food was eaten until recent times: the aubergine or eggplant. Then, in the 1600s and 1700s food and drug crops based on nightshades were imported from the Americas and for the past 400 years have penetrated and become ubiquitous in the Western diet. These include tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes and chili peppers.

Nightshades all contain nicotine in some form, although it may be named solanine (potatoes), tomatine (tomatoes), alpha-solanine (aubergine) or solanadine (chillies and capsicums).

A particular group of substances in these foods, called alkaloids, can impact nerve-muscle function and digestive function in animals and humans, and may also be able to compromise joint function.

Plants produce alkaloids as a regular part of their biochemical activity, and these alkaloids are primarily designed to help protect the plants from insects that would otherwise eat them.

It is now apparent that there are groups of people who cannot tolerate nightshades in their diets, wish to avoid them anyway or find that eliminating them helps alleviate a variety of mental, emotional and physical problems."*

*http://www.organicfoodee.com/inspiration/craig/nightshadefoods
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=62

I saw the kinesiologist again today. There hasn’t been much improvement since the first appointment. But I know it all takes time.

All I can do is wait (and hope).

The kinesiologist muscle tested me for food intolerances as he believes these may well be a contributing factor to my headache.

He told me to avoid tomatoes, potatoes, and, generally, all nightshade foods. I didn’t know all these foods (including aubergines and chillis) all fell into the same ominous sounding category as they all grow at night (hence the name nightshades), and, very interestingly, they all contain traces of nicotine (tobacco is also a nightshade). Ever had a really strong craving for a cheese and tomato pizza? Or a curry?

I looked back at my food diary that I kept in The Gambia and noticed that I was eating nightshades on a daily basis - with spicy chicken and tomatoes as one of The Gambia’s main dishes, it was hard to steer clear of many nightshade vegetables.

My new task is to continue taking my supplements and to rigorously exclude nightshades from my diet.