All About Nightshades and Why Those with Autoimmune Disease Should Avoid Them

All About Nightshades and Why Those with Autoimmune Disease Should Avoid Them

Most folks are lucky enough to be able to enjoy nature’s many tasty and amazing fruits and vegetables. Some fruits and vegetables, however, are known to cause mild to severe discomfort in the people who are just trying to enjoy them.  

For many people, nightshades prove to be pretty harmless. Unfortunately, when it comes to those of us who are lucky enough to struggle with autoimmune disease (Hi!), nightshades are not our friend.  In fact, nightshades can pose quite the serious threat. 

To better understand the downside of eating nightshades, let’s discuss what nightshade vegetables are, why they are bad, and how those of us with autoimmune disease can live a life where we don’t even miss them.

What the Heck are Nightshades?

Chances are that you have eaten chili peppers, bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, or potatoes. They are loaded with all types of helpful micronutrients and are a healthy option for most people.  

But for some of us (hello again!), the chemicals they contain can aggravate and wreak havoc on our systems. In addition to the already named offenders, other nightshades include:

• Ashwagandha
• Cape Gooseberries (but not regular gooseberries)
• Eggplant
• Goji berries
• Paprika
• Pimentos
• Tomatillos
• White potatoes

Fear not as our friend the sweet potato is still on the table along with his cousin, the yam.

What are these Dangerous Chemicals?

The chemicals in nightshades that tend to do this damage are lectins, saponins, and capsaicin. These bad boys tend to cause negative effects in people who suffer from autoimmune disease. 

For instance:

• Lectins, which are sometimes referred to as antinutrients, can increase intestinal permeability and effect the body’s ability to absorb other nutrients.


• Saponins, like lectins, can also contribute to a leaky gut and have even been known to trigger an immune response in the body.


• Capsaicin has been shown to cause irritation of mucosal tissues and membranes.

These chemicals will do their worst to amplify an autoimmune response. Those who suffer from autoimmune disease might experience some disastrous effects thanks to one of these chemicals. Due to this overstimulation, your antibodies may begin to mistake other proteins that are similar to your DNA sequences as the enemy. In short, this means eating nightshades may result in antibodies attacking your own tissues. Nightshades can also do a number of symptoms such as inflammation.

Though nightshades do not contain large amounts of these crummy chemicals, it does not take much to do damage. You may be surprised to find that cutting nightshades out of your diet can reveal that you’ve been experiencing various allergies or even low-level poisoning. The stress and strain from lectins, saponins, and capsaicin will certainly have an effect on your quality of life.

If you suffer from autoimmune disease, your doctor will likely advise that you avoid or severely limit nightshades. After a period of strict elimination, your doctor may then advise that you slowly add them back. But, and there’s always a but, not many of us who suffer from autoimmune disease end up finding success when deciding to add nightshades back into our diet.

Operation Nightshade Elimination

The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol is a temporary elimination diet. You will sometimes see it referred to as “Paleo AIP,” “the AIP,” or just “AIP.” Its purpose is to help reduce inflammation in the body, reset the immune system, and reduce the permeability associated with a leaky gut. This diet and lifestyle protocol does wonders when it comes to managing and reversing symptoms caused by autoimmune diseases.

Along with nightshades, the AIP also temporarily eliminates other potential inflammatory trigger foods for a minimum of 30 days. These include eggs, gluten, grains, dairy, legumes, nuts, seeds, alcohol, coffee, processed foods, industrial GMO vegetable oils (such as canola, corn, and soy oil), sugar substitutes (such as xylitol, monk fruit, stevia), and chemical food additives (such as guar gum, citric acid, MSG, etc). It may sound like quite the undertaking, but it is very doable.

I recommend keeping a journal to track your symptoms, what foods you have eliminated, and how you feel when you add them back. If you find that nightshades trigger a flare for you, then it is time to consider eliminating them for good.

Keep it Up!

As with many of the experiences that come along with autoimmune disease, experiencing relief from your symptoms thanks to the elimination of nightshades may take some time. It may even take up to a year before you can truly feel the effects. 

That is why it is important to stick with the plan to ensure resolution of any long-term issues.

Wait…I can never have Tomatoes Again?

It is possible that nightshades may not be a part of your diet going forward. I’ve personally been fortunate to reintroduce white potatoes with skin on (a stage 4 AIP reintro), mild chilis (like pepperoncini and Hatch), cayenne powder in small amounts, tomatoes, and bell peppers. It took some time and even addressing multiple underlying issues (like candida, parasitic infection, SIBO, and low gut bacteria) before I was to reintroduce these in various forms of cooking preparation.

So don’t completely give up if you find that nightshades are intolerable for you upon reintroduction! It may be that you only currently do not tolerate them, and that a little extra TLC is involved with your gut and immune system. (Of course, if you have an actual food allergy rather than an intolerance, please avoid that food altogether!)

It is a must that you continue to listen to your body. After all, improving both your health and your quality of life is one of my goals, and it should be one of yours, too. The good, er, delicious news is that I have created a number of nightshade-free recipe options.

Don’t you worry about missing out on ketchup, barbecue sauce, and chili. I got you:

AIP Sheet Pan Loaded Parsnip Nachos

AIP No-Cook Not-Tomato Sauce

Not-Tomato Fennel Soup

Spicy Fries with Ranch

No-Cook AIP Ketchup

Instant Pot Shrimp Etouffee

Pumpkin “Cheesy” Chili Mac

No-Cook AIP BBQ Sauce

Instant Pot AIP Brisket