Nightshade Diet & Arthritis

Arthritis is a painful and sometimes debilitating group of autoimmune diseases including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. Major symptoms are inflammation of the joints, pain, and stiffness. One theory of treatment is that eliminating foods from the nightshade family from the diet provides relief.

Nightshades

The nightshades group of plants includes about 1,500 species. Most parts of the nightshade plant are inedible or poisonous such as the fruit, leaves, or roots. However, several species are cultivated worldwide for human consumption. Nightshades have been used in folk medicine for centuries to treat all manner of illness.

Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers (red, yellow, green) and potatoes are all members of the nightshade family. Paprika, the rusty red spice used frequently in spice blends, is also a nightshade. It is believed that nightshade plants aggravate the inflammation that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints of arthritis sufferers.

Alternative Medicine

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nightshade diet for arthritis is considered complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). That means it has not been scientifically proven to be effective, even though there may be many anecdotal stories of success. While the nightshade diet is not believed to be harmful in any way, it has not been studied in-depth.

There are several ways of treating arthritis with conventional or modern medicine. People who have had little success with these methods may with to add to, or complement, their current regimen. They may feel CAM treatments are more natural or healthy for them.

Diet

You should be diagnosed by a properly trained medical physician and work with him or her on a treatment plan that works for you. Discuss your desire to participate in a nightshade-free diet and keep track of your symptoms to determine if this is a helpful measure for you. Be careful when eliminating foods from your diet--you may not get enough important minerals or vitamins if you do this. Again, speak with your doctor about a healthful eating plan.