Vegetables from the potato family (Solanaceae), which includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, can be harmful to people with certain medical conditions.
Who are potatoes and tomatoes harmful to?
Potatoes and all vegetables from their family are harmful to people with autoimmune diseases, such as hypothyroidism, reports Dr. Yuliana Chechurina.
The expert adds that impaired bowel function is often observed in hypothyroidism.
By consuming vegetables from the potato family, people with this disease are at risk of getting substances that stimulate inflammation in the intestines. For example, such a substance can be solanine – a component that these plants produce to protect themselves from insects. In the body, solanine provokes disorders and allergic reactions.
In addition, potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables in the family contain lectins – protein compounds that cause inflammation of the intestinal walls and increase the risk of ulcers.
According to Juliana Chechurina, the listed vegetables are better replaced with zucchini, pumpkin, and turnips.
In turn, nutritionist Dr. Anna Belousova says that only unripe vegetables can have a negative effect on the body, as they contain more solanine. Regular consumption of unripe vegetables from the Potato family can worsen the function of the nervous system, the specialist adds.
Dr. Belousova recommends refusing to eat potatoes with a greenish tinge to the skin. Eggplant dishes should be consumed with caution by people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract and are prone to diarrhea. It is better to eat this vegetable without the skin.
