What is the deal with Nightshades?
What is the deal with Nightshades? When I hear the word nightshade, I immediately think of poisonous plants used by evil witches in fairy tales from long ago! Belladonna, of course, comes to mind mostly, not to be confused with the incredible album, “Belladonna”, released by the good witch, Stevie Nicks, in 1981. Anyway, nightshades aren’t exactly poisonous but can be harmful to some. They encompass a whole entire family of flowering plants and you probably eat some daily. Some of the most popular being tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. Why are nightshades ‘bad’ for you? Nightshades contain several chemical compounds that can have negative effects. The worse ones are glycoalkaloids, capsaicin, calcitriol, nicotine, and saponins. These compounds are part of an amazing self defense system protecting the plant from predators, unfortunately they can also have a negative response in our bodies resulting in inflammation and other problems. For example glycoalkaloids, have been shown to cause leaky gut and overall inflammation in the gastrointestinal system. They also block valuable enzymes resulting in overstimulation of the nervous system causing anxiety. One 2005 study showed that it took 24 hours for this compound to be eliminated from the body, so if you’re eating nightshades daily, there’s a possibility of toxic overload. Capsaicin has been linked to respiratory issues and because some measure quite high in the Scoville scale, they can irritate bodily tissues and the stomach lining. Calcitriol, when consumed in high amounts, can result in calcium deposits in soft tissue, heart and kidney. Saponins has been shown to interfere with the cellular membrane, actually creating holes in the membrane which diminishes cellular function. Lastly, all nightshades contain nicotine, which can make some foods potentially addictive. Also nicotine has been known to interfere with healing of wounds. All the medical jargon and studies aside, when we discuss elimination diets overall, it’s true, the heavy hitters are gluten, dairy, corn and eggs. Nightshades tend to be less of a problem, but if you are experiencing inflammation or digestive issues, it’s worth looking into. The best way to find out is by avoiding all nightshades for at least 3 weeks then eating them twice a day for 2 days and assessing, how do you feel? At Tao to Wellness, we offer a total detox and elimination diet program and include nightshades on that list, you can do the program anytime, but every Spring, we lead a group together and it’s super fun! Here is a complete list of nightshades Ashwagandha BBQ sauce Capsicums Cayenne pepper Chili Pepper Flakes Chili powder Chinese Five-Spice Powder Curry Powder Curry spice powder Eggplants Goji berries (also known as Wolfberries and found in Chinese herbal formulas) Gooseberries Hot Sauce Ketchup Paprika spice Peppers (including bell peppers, sweet peppers, chili peppers, jalapeños) Pimentos Potatoes (does not include sweet potatoes or yams) Red Pepper Red Pepper Flakes Sorrel Steak Seasoning Tomatillos Tomatoes Let’s end this on a good note, SWEET POTATOES and BLACK PEPPER are not nightshades, so continue to enjoy! If you are interested in joining us for the next detox and elimination diet in the Spring, check out our Detox page for more details or reach out to Christina at christina@berkeley-acupuncture.com.
Revitalize Your Body with Tao to Wellness: Embrace Spring Cleaning!
SPRING CLEANING for your body at Tao to Wellness! SPRING is the BEST time of year for a complete detoxification program. Why? Two reasons… In Spring, the Liver and Gall Bladder energy is at it’s highest making it easier to purge these organs on an energetic and physical level. It’s easier! There are a plentitude of fruits and vegetables available to help support total detoxification while you are avoiding allergenic foods during the active faze of the complete program. The Facts: At Tao to Wellness, we tell our patients that everyone (with the exception of children and the elderly) should consider a detoxification program once per year. We all have toxins and 75% of us do NOT have symptoms. You don’t need to have Western pathological symptoms (cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver disease) of toxicity in the Liver in order to cleanse it. Every one of us has some degree of toxicity in our Livers. Just by driving on the freeways, living near the train, eating meats that are not organic and hormone fed or imbibing a nice glass of Cabernet Franc at the end of our work day… We’ve all got them! If we consider what a toxic Liver looks like in Chinese Medicine, the term would be stagnation, which everyone has to some degree. What that might look like symptomatically are any of the following: headaches, neck and upper back pain, PMS, trouble sleeping, high blood pressure, migraines, menstrual cramps, depression, irritability, anger or high stress issues. But like we said before, you don’t need to have any symptoms to have a toxic Liver. Let’s look at 3 tiers or Liver/Gall Bladder support: At the very least, drink a nice large glass of Lemon Water every morning. Chinese medicine promotes sour tasting food as conducive to liver health. The warm lemon water stimulates a sluggish liver, great as a “Good Morning” to your Liver. Consider supplementation for overall protection: Alpha lipoic acid (ALA): ALA, especially R-ALA, has been used to treat serious liver diseases. It is a natural substance that is the “rate-limiting factor for the production of energy from carbohydrates.” In other words, without alpha lipoic acid we could not obtain energy from the food we eat and we could not stay alive. Andrew Weil recommends the following dosage: Currently there are no established daily doses for supplementation. However, oral alpha-lipoic acid is reported to be well tolerated in doses up to 600 milligrams per day, and 200-300 mg a day is frequently used in Europe as a therapeutic adjunct in treating diabetic neuropathy. As a general antioxidant, a dosage of 20 to 50 mg daily is commonly recommended. Alpha-lipoic acid can be purchased in dosages ranging 30 mg to 100 mg tablets. Talk with your doctor about how much alpha-lipoic acid you should take, and follow package directions. Milk thistle and dandelion root: These two natural herbs are commonly used to protect and cleanse the liver. Milk thistle is the protector, and dandelion root is the cleanser. They can be taken separately, but many liver supplements contain both. These herbs can be taken regularly over time with or without obvious liver issues. B complex: All the Bs are helpful, especially B12, which has been used to help hepatitis patients. There are three types of B12: cyanocobalamin, hydroxycabalamin, and methylcobalamin. Of these three, experts agree that methylcobalamin is the most beneficial in sublingual form. We do carry the above products at Tao to Wellness… products that we LOVE and trust, stop by anytime and pick up some for your Spring Cleaning. Want more? The total Tao to Wellness Spring Cleaning program: You got it! We commonly prescribe a complete 2-3 week (depending on the patient) program. The program consists of omitting potential allergenic foods from your diet while supplementing with non-allergenic, protein shakes that are only available through licensed practitioners and other supplements to aid in the detoxification process. Talk with Megan or Nikole with questions about options and what would be best for you. Happy Spring from all of us at Tao to Wellness!
