Clinical depression is a serious mental health condition affecting how you act, feel and think. Depression is characterized by sleep disturbances, appetite changes, headaches, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, difficulty concentrating, excessive crying, irritability, feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. The cause of depression includes environmental, psychological and physiological underpinnings. Physiological factors contributing to depression are chemical imbalances in the brain, known as neurotransmitters. Some nightshade vegetables contain toxins, which disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters.
Nightshade Vegetables
Nightshade vegetables belong to or are closely related to the Solanaceae family, including tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, Jerusalem cherries, chili peppers, chayote, cayenne pepper, gogi berries, ashwagandha, gooseberries, garden huckleberries, habanera, paprika and nipplefruit. A nightshade vegetable is technically a fruit, since it develops from a flower’s ovaries and bears seeds. Some nightshade vegetables may contain substances causing adverse side effects, such as alkaloids.
Alkaloids
Alkaloids are stimulants stronger than caffeine but weaker than adrenaline. The nightshade plants contain some species with toxic alkaloids, like tobacco, mandrake and the lethal datura species. The toxic alkaloids found in these plants include scopolamine, nicotine, solanine, atropine and hyoscyamine. Among nightshade vegetables, chili peppers contain the alkaloid capsaicin, while tomatoes may contain larvae of tomato hornworms with toxic alkaloids. Additionally, certain potatoes may contain solanine and other alkaloids. According to the University of California at Los Angeles, alkaloids can cause a myriad of side effects, including rapid heartbeat, an increase in blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, depression, headaches, anxiety and aggressiveness.
Solanine
The average individual consumes approximately 13 mg of solanine daily, according to research scientist Michael Lebowitz. Your body has difficulty excreting this alkaloid, and it can build up in your system. According to Lebowitz, alpha-solanine is a toxin of the nervous system and is often consumed in foods that contain other neurotoxins, like atropine and nicotine. Foods containing these alkaloids include green potatoes and tomatoes and sprouted potatoes, or also known as nightshade vegetables. Solanine causes a buildup of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, in the synapses, which can produce depressive symptoms, endocrine dysfunction and joint inflammation.
Acetylcholine
Several physiological theories exist to explain the cause of depression. One explanation is the cholinergic hypothesis, which suggests acetylcholine and norepinephrine, another neurotransmitter, work together to regulate emotions and mood. When an imbalance of either neurotransmitter occurs, an individual may present depressive symptoms. High levels of acetylcholine are linked with depression, as drugs or toxins increasing acetylcholine induce depression. Conversely, antidepressant medications decrease acetylcholine levels in your brain.
References
- Palomar College: Tomato, Tomatillo, Eggplant, Nipplefruit and Chayote
- Michael Lebowitz D.C.: Solanine Toxicity Syndrome
- Brain Research Reviews; Cholinergic Mechanism in Depression; Steven C. Dilsaver
- University of California-Los Angeles: Ma Huang, An Ancient Chinese Stimulant
- The Weston A. Price Foundation: Nightshades
- University of California – Berkley: Clinical Depression
