When Good Foods Are Bad for You

Tomatoes, Potatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant

Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant

Increased arthritis pain

According to Carol Forman Helerstein, PhD, a clinical nutritionist for Chefs Diet (www.chefsdiet.com), "While these vegetables contain many healthy and protective antioxidants, they are not a good food choice for arthritics." The reason? "They are all members of the nightshade family of vegetables, which contain a chemical called solanine," says Helerstein. Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison that's part of the plant's natural defense system. "All pain and all diseases, including heart disease, are related to an inflammation in the body. Arthritis is simply inflammation of the joints, and the chemicals in certain foods (especially tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant) cause a chemical response in the body, which is inflammation -- i.e., arthritis pain," says Helerstein.

According to Helerstein, "Everyone's body is different and there is not an exact science. Some individuals may be more sensitive than others to certain foods."

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder and editor of DietDetective.com, the health and fitness network, and author of The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible. Copyright 2008 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission from www.dietdetective.com, May 2008.