#like breaking out in hives or having random ass aches and pains

[cartoon-skeleton]

I slept in a weird position on an air mattress at my friend’s house last night and I’ve been dealing with this annoying and persistent ache in my rib all day as a consequence, and I was freaking out about it to my dad because it won’t go away with ibuprofen, and he said “oh that shit will just start happening to you once you hit your early twenties” ☹️

[shy-violet-soul]

The Pint-sized Protection Squad

Title: The Pint-sized Protection Squad Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (female) Synopsis:  Bucky Barnes, Alpha & Winter Soldier, thought he knew what scary was.  Then, he came face-to-face with his Omega’s protection squad… Word count: 1800-ish Warnings: tooth-rotting/stomach-aching fluff of the highest degree. A/N: @ursulaismymiddlename reblogged this idea and the idea wouldn’t let me go.  So, I wrote this instead of doing my real job.  It might be garbage, but I had fun plunking it down!

Liked it? There’s a sequel over HERE!

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  When you approached him with the idea to start a daycare for the alpha/beta/omega kids in the neighborhood, he said ‘no’.  The idea of strangers coming and going around his Omega just about gave him hives.

“Bucky, let me explain.  Some parents are starting to complain about them being in with non-a/b/o kids.  They’re wanting to ban them.”  Then, she did it. The eyes thing, and the hand thing.  One little hand resting against his chest while those y/e/c eyes blinked up at him, and Bucky wavered.  “Just picture them, hun.  All those little alphas and omegas, just pushed aside.”  She peeked up at him from beneath thick lashes before delivering the final blow.  “Breaks my heart to think about if they were our pups…”

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  When his superiorly-strategist-skilled Omega shot down all his protestations, he gave in and said ‘yes’.  While you picked out paint colors, tiny furniture, and craft ideas, he frantically begged Tony and Steve to help him protect her.  The first floor of their three-story apartment was thoughtfully converted for the project, complete with a separate front door.  Vetting processes were carefully constructed, security measures meticulously enacted, FRIDAY installed.  And on meet & greet night, Bucky tried hard to ignore his cotton-mouth anxiety at the strangers gathered around his Omega.  

Watching her made it easier.  Seated in a blue overstuffed chair covered with butterflies, she talked animatedly with an Alpha and Omega pair of mothers and a Beta dad.  The moms’ little Omega girl sat cuddled in her lap, and the dad’s little Alpha boy leaned against her, tucked under her other arm.  Both children looked up at her like she hung the moon.  Bucky knew the feeling well.  Seeing the delight beaming from her in huge smiles, Bucky knew this was a perfect fit for his girl.

That didn’t stop him from scenting the heck out of her before she opened the doors the first day.

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  Growling low under his breath every time an Alpha came in to drop off their pup was just a friendly hello.  An assertive hello.  Okay, it was a warning that she was HIS.  So, while the Alpha moms or dads in question side-eyed him warily, Y/N just laughed and smacked a kiss to his chin as she signed in the little pups and handed out morning snacks.

She refused to let him sit with them and glower at the kids all day, so he stayed glued to the security camera footage instead.  After a month of watching her work her magic with the little ones, and zero problems with the parents, Bucky started to relax.

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  Asking his Omega to wear a body camera and bio-sensors that fed into his phone when he went on the first mission after opening the daycare wasn’t overkill in the slightest.  When Y/N refused, he 100% supported that.  The fact that Wanda showed up to “help” her in the daycare while he was gone was random coincidence.  

Ur lucky ur cute & she brought kifla cookies. eating them all, BTW.  A fond grin touched his face as he read her text.  God, he loved this woman.  A picture of she and Wanda surrounded by the children, mouths stuffed full of the cinnamon-sugary treat, chirped through next, pulling a chuckle from him.  

Three months passed, and Bucky had to agree that the daycare was an unarguable success.  He’d even decreased his security footage viewing to just a glance now and then, confident in the Stark technology and FRIDAY vigilance at work.  One particular fall day, Bucky sat at the kitchen table methodically field cleaning his guns.  Michael Kamen soundtracks filtered from his phone, a pleasant background to his task.  A faint whiff caught his attention - geranium and lemon.  Your scent, but with a hit of something different.  Something sweet and warm...Heat.  You were going into heat.

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  The fact that the door now hung from only one loose hinge was completely irrelevant.

Alarm pounded through him as he raced down the stairs.  Your heat was early, so you were caught defenseless against the nausea, cramps, and dizziness.  When Bucky burst into the daycare floor, a mish-mash of scents smacked him in the face.  Sweet orange, strawberry, black licorice, chocolate, cinnamon red-hots - it smelled like a melting candy store, and Bucky couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on.  He turned the corner into the play room, and there you were.  Curled up on the floor, leaning weakly against the blue butterfly chair, you had an arm wrapped around your middle as the first wave of cramps hit you.  Overcome with the need to get to you, Bucky charged forward…and was met with immediate resistance.

Four little alphas, three boys and one girl, lined up in front of Y/N protectively.  Indignant glares gave him pause while a blonde little Beta girl with adorable freckles stood up on the blue chair and pointed at him accusingly.

“Alpha!” came the warning.  One of the little alphas, a tow headed youngster that reminded him too much of a little Steven Rogers, lowered his head and barreled towards him.  Before Bucky could blink, the pup slammed his foot into Bucky’s shin.  A grunt left him as Bucky put an arm out to hold his attacker off.  Bucky couldn’t hold in the squawk of pain as another Alpha, this one a three-foot tall munchkin with gorgeous black eyes and a lightning bolt shaved into his temple fade, ricocheted a Duplo Lego brick off his temple.  Stumbling away from the unexpected assault, Bucky tripped over a toy train and fell hard, right on his ass.  Turmoiling emotions avalanched through him as Bucky tried to decide between crabwalking back from the threat or protecting his Omega.  

“Stop!”  The cry, weak as it was, froze the whole group.  Bucky’s head swiveled in Y/N’s direction, and his heart thumped hard.

His Omega was being well protected, after all.

A teensy little redhead Omega with brilliant blue eyes had her arms wrapped around Y/N’s neck, holding her face smooshed under her tiny chin while Y/N tried to pull back a breath.  Trying to let Miss Y/N scent her for comfort, like a good Omega would.  The other Omega, a chubby little doll with curly brown pigtails and dimples, tenderly stroked Y/N’s hair, as she murmured, “Don’t you worry, Miss Y/N!  Your Alpha will be here soon and give you hugs.  Do you need an Elsa band-aid?”  Little “Steve” and Lightning Bolt were flanked by a warrior princess in a pink tshirt emblazoned with “this little mermaid is a hot mess”, and a boy with purple Hulk pants and an Iron Man hoodie.  The row of tiny Alphas were churning out angry, fearful, candy-scented pheromones like a factory while the two Omegas waffled between scared and soothing scents.

You had your very own pint-sized protection squad.

Warrior Princess took a step forward, eyes squinted threateningly.

“State your business, Alpha!”

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  Seven small children who didn’t equal his body mass didn’t intimidate him in the least.

“I-I...Y/N, she - I - she’s my Alpha.  I mean, Omega.  I’m her Alpha,” he stuttered out.

“Yes,” you managed to croak out, groaning as another cramp waved through you.  Little Red looked at Dimples, alarmed.

“Maybe she needs a drink!”  Dimples scampered off in the direction of the kitchen, back in an instant with a leaking unicorn sippy cup which she shoved in your face.  Lightning Bolt stepped up next to Warrior Princess, fists on his hips.

“You her Alpha?  Prove it!”

“Prove it?”

“Yeah!  What’s her favorite bug?”

Completely flummoxed, Bucky had to think for a second, shaking his head a bit as your increasing heat-scent crowded his brain.

“Lightning bug.”  The four little Alphas looked at each other, gathering around and whispering.

“Is that the one whose bottom lights up?”

“Yup, that’s it.”

Iron Man Hoodie turned around, eyes narrowed suspiciously as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Alright, you may pass.”

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  He didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  He scrambled to your side, scooping you into his arms and pressing your face to his throat.  When your skin met his, you both sighed in relief as he pulled you fully into his lap, Little Red squashed somewhere in the mix.  He felt your breath wash against him when you sighed, your fingers grasping his shirt as his presence soothed the pain for the moment.  The soothing purr that you loved rumbled from his chest, vibrating into you as his calming scent of rosemary and sandalwood filled the room.

“Hhmmm,” the contented hum as Dimples suddenly pressed herself to his back.  A bright little chuckle had him lifting his elbow as Little Red climbed out from between them.

“He’s purring like a big cat!”

And just like that, five of the pups had found some way to plaster themselves on or around him and Y/N.  Murmurs of satisfaction groaned here and there as they all breathed in his calming scent.  Thoroughly bemused, Bucky tried to pay attention as Warrior Princess and little “Steve” tried to train him on Alpha stuff.

“If you’re gonna protect your Omega, you’ve gotta have a mean face.  Like this!”  Warrior Princess schooled her face into a properly intimidating scowl.

“Yeah!  And that purr is legit, but you gotta scare off other Alphas with a really scary growl.  Here, listen!” Little “Steve” growled with ferocity.  “Now, you do it.  Show us your mean face and your growl!”

Bucky ‘legit’ didn’t know what the hell to do.  You huffed a chuckle against his collarbone, and Bucky dipped his chin down to look at you.

“Yeah, Bucky.  Show us your mean face.”  Rolling his eyes at you, Bucky screwed his features into an exaggerated glower, a thunderous snarl rumbling from him.  Warrior Princess clapped her hands, beaming a proud smile at him.

“That was real good!  But next time, show more teeth with your face, and then you’ll be really scary.”

With that, she flounced over and curled up against Y/N’s back, sandwiched between Lightning Bolt and Freckles, the Beta.  Bucky felt his heart thump hard again.

Bucky Barnes was a reasonable man.  With Y/N in his lap, and pint-sized pups squished up against his back, her back, around his arms, etc., he knew this daycare had always been a fantastic idea.

[hxlding-on-blog]

hey so youve watched the guy who didnt like musicals right? (if you havent, you should!) well theres this song called 'not your seed' and i was wondering how would peter feel if may was in that situation?

Random Asks || ANONYMOUS

“May?” 

His little girl steps out from the shadows of the school theatre, body obviously moving against her own will and yet there was no attempts in holding it back. Peter steps closer, though she speaks again and he suddenly can’t move anymore. The infection had spread all over New York by now but Peter hoped- he prayed- that she would ( by some miraculous chance ) be able to escape. That she’d run from the grasp of the disease that swept throughout the city, but no amount of sheer willpower could’ve stopped this.

“It’s all your fault.” She steps closer, pointing towards her father, eyes lifeless and cold; there was something in Peter that shattered, that tore apart and fell to the floor, his body shaking as she continued to speak in a familiar voice and yet the tone was clearly not his daughter. It took everything in Peter not to cry and, even then, tears slipped past; it didn’t take long before he was bawling and tried his best to reach out to her. “That’s the last thought I had before they broke down the door.“

“I’m not your girl anymore. I’m not that tween that you drove here for. I’m not your girl anymore. I overtook her body with an infectious spore.” Her voice was harmonious, each pitch perfect and in tune with sounds that made up a backing track, the spider pacing around May as he attempted to asses the situation. Without hitch in her song, she continued to sing; tears continued to flow down her father’s face but she didn’t stop, body moving in accordance to her lyrics. “You left me out of your sight for one second- and look what happens- Nightmare time! It’s worse than you could imagine- not sex and not drugs. Just aliens invading minds!”

As she continued to dance something akin to a musical number, Peter helplessly paced about some more, wanting to speak up and yet holding back as he hoped that maybe- just maybe- she could fight back against the will of the creature infecting her. But nothing about her changed as she continued onwards.“No more family vacays together‘cause your only daughter’s under the weather, and if you actually paid attention to me- You’d see- I’m not your seed!”

“May, what’s going on?” He attempted to speak out, hands reaching towards her but unable to touch; he was afraid he’d do something harsh, or scare her, or make things worse. But what that did was give the infection more means of control, still in control of her. And Peter shuffled awkwardly, placing his hands on her shoulders, attempting to shake her out of the grasp of that mind controlling creature. “I’m not your angsty teen!”

“May, I-I’m here to take you home.” There’s a moment Peter restrains himself, not wanting to waste his time on a fruitless task, but there was a section within him that said she could make it. That she could fight against this, that she could win; there was another part that said she’d never get through it. He had hope in his heart that May could come out victorious, but the creature showed no signs of relenting. “No matter what you believe, the apple’s fallen far from the tree.”

“It’s not my fault anymore. No more curfews to be late for. It’s not my fault anymore- no more being worried and waiting by the door.” She hunches over, as if about to throw up, but she instead continues to sing; Peter moves to catch her if she were to fall but, when notes come out instead of an infectious mass, Peter recoils and stares with wide eyes, unable to help. “Did you know that I wanted to live with you?”

As if on command, two other teens reveal themselves from the dark- her girlfriend and her best friend. The hive mind of the creature infecting them all connects to the sounds in the atmosphere, singing backup, Peter’s pacing quickening and attempting to reach out- yet again- to his little girl.

“Look what happens, nightmare time!” 

“And when you needed to fight, you gave him that too-” It was like she was taunting him, showing him what he’d lost, what he’d never gain back, what he’d held so precious and dear only to never see again. The fight they’d had earlier in the morning was now an aching stab to his chest; he shouldn’t have spoken up about anything but, maybe, his attempts at stopping her from going out on a dangerous mission caused this. If he hadn’t fought with her, maybe he wouldn’t have lost her like everyone else in his life. “Did you know dad let Kate sleep over?”

“What?” His split with Eddie was for the best; at least, for Eddie. It ached him down to his soul to do that but, if it meant nobody would harm either him or V, it sufficed. It meant May’s weekends were spent with them but, since the divorce, he’d felt this underlying gut instinct that May preferred Eddie over him. He wasn’t in this for competition- he loved them all dearly- but something hurt about hearing of what Eddie did that Peter didn’t. It made him feel like he wasn’t doing enough. “And you’re wrong about Kate- She’s a hardcore stoner.”

He knew for a fact at this point that the creature was spouting lies to get to him, though it still stung; as her father, it was his duty to keep her safe. It was his duty to keep her away from the horrible aspects of humanity. The mere idea that he had failed had his stomach churning and hands turning into fists. This isn’t his daughter, he knew that well, but he couldn’t bring himself to accept that truth. “You’re lying!” 

“And if you wonder what led your daughter astray- Well daddy wasn’t here to save- Not your seed!”

“Not your seed.”

“May, whatever I said this morning, I’m sorry-”

“I’m not your perfect teen!”

“Perfect teen-”

“You can break out of it- I know-I know you can!” No amount of convincing would stop Peter, would tell him he had nothing to save; he needed to be shown and his faith was dwindling by the second. Despite his attempts- shaking her, speaking, pacing around- she wouldn’t snap out of it. She couldn’t. But Peter wasn’t about to give up- she had to still be there, he knew it. “I’m fucking seventeen! At least, I was before you left me.”

A gut-churning voice told him to leave, to give up, that the meagre attempts would not be worth it. His daughter was gone; whatever infected her, it wasn’t going to let go, but neither was Peter. She stands quietly, an awkward silence, before she spoke again. She stood in a spotlight, as if planned, but he knew well it was the creature doing what it did best. “M-May?”

“Why does it hurt to love you? Why am I in pain? Why does it hurt to know you? You let me down again.  If I turned my insides out, would you even know that I was there? Why does it hurt to love you… Why does it hurt to love…”

And for a split second, he believes the change in tone is a cry of help from his daughter, a sign that she’s still alive in there, a momentary flash of hope! Before the pillar is smashed down again and her body quickens up in its movements again, only to regain composure as a mind-controlled musical character. “I’m not your seed!

“Not your girl, not your girl-”

“Now maybe you’ll listen to me!”

“Listen to me, listen to me-”

“I’m sure you’d let me bleed!”

“Let me bleed-” 

“Now your daughter’s not a girl no more!”

“Girl no more, girl no more-”

“Not at all your seed!”

Again, it’s silent for a brief moment, Peter sniffling the only sound in the room. And yet, he doesn’t reach out anymore. Instead, he stares blankly at May, attempting to collect his thoughts. He can’t do this- he can’t live in a world without his daughter- this was not his daughter. The second a note left her mouth, she was never his daughter. And yet, he couldn’t do anything about it- she was infected, she was gone, and it was Peter’s fault again.

Everything was Peter’s fault- her first gunshot wound, his divorce, her infection with the creature affecting all of New York.

Peter’s. Fault.

“I’m not your girl anymore.”

[jesseneufeld]

Are Nightshades Bad for You?

If you’ve spent any amount of time here on Mark’s Daily Apple, you know we love our vegetables. Plant foods are powerhouses of nutrients and antioxidant action. They’re the backbone of a solid Primal diet, and the main event in my signature Big Ass Salad. But the issue of nightshades has come up quite a bit over the years. Nightshade vegetables, which are vegetables that belong to the Solanaceae family of plants, include a long list of veggies and spices: eggplant, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, pimentos, paprika, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, etc. (Black pepper isn’t a part of this list.)

I do eat a lot of these foods, but they’re not for everyone. In this article, we’ll dig into why some people simply can’t do nightshades, and how to tell whether you should eat them or not.

Stay on track, even on the go! Instantly download your Primal and Keto Guide to Dining Out

What Are Nightshades?

Nightshade vegetables are the vegetables that grow from plants in the Solanaceae family, which Solanaceae family includes thousands of plants. Only a handful are used for food.

Nightshade Foods

Some of the more common nightshade foods include:

Peppers – hot, bell, sweet, etc.

Cape gooseberry, or ground cherry

Eggplant

Goji berry

Paprika

Pimento

White potato (sweet potatoes don’t count)

Tomato

Tomatillo

This is not an exhaustive list, so if you have a nightshade allergy or intolerance, consult a dietician for a comprehensive list of foods to avoid. Nicotine is a non-food consumable that is included in the nightshade category.

Nightshade Vegetables vs. Deadly Nightshade

Aren’t nightshades those plants (many with alluring little berries) our camp counselors told us never ever to go near? Let’s clear that up first.

The answer is: quite possibly. The kinds of nightshade plants growing wild in the woods can be highly toxic. Some can kill you if you ingest them. Others have psychotropic properties. Simply put, deadly nightshade is poisonous.

Inherent in this power is pharmaceutical potential. Nightshades contain alkaloids, which are chemical substances that have one or more circular structures containing nitrogen, and cause a substantial change in humans. Some natural healers may use very tiny amounts of specific nightshades therapeutically for a range of ails. Because they’re highly toxic, this is not a time for self-experimentation. You could make yourself sick, cause permanent damage to your body, or even die if you use them incorrectly. Always work with a qualified practitioner.

Why Are Nightshades Bad?

Nightshades aren’t bad for everyone. Nightshades contain alkaloids, which are harmful to some humans and innocuous to others. Whether they bother you or not depends on your epigenetics, or how nightshades interact with your genes. People who have problems with nightshades sometimes do not produce the enzymes that break them down.

Nightshade allergy or Intolerance

You can be either allergic to nightshades or intolerant to them, each of which come with different symptoms.

Nightshade Allergy Symptoms

Nightshade allergy symptoms look like the symptoms of allergies to other foods and substances:

Inflammation

Itching

Hives

Skin rashes or flare ups

Aches and pains

Nausea

Vomiting

Nightshade Intolerance Symptoms

The symptoms of nightshade intolerance are usually digestive in nature, including:

Abdominal discomfort

Gas

Bloating

Diarrhea

Indigestion, or heartburn

GERD

Nausea

But what does this mean for the tomato salad I always serve for summer barbecues? Should I give up eggplant parmigiana? No peppers or hot sauce? I thought spicy food was good for me! Before you raid your kitchen and gardens, let’s stop and take a closer look here.

First off, nightshade foods contain a tiny fraction of the alkaloid levels found in other toxic nightshade plants. If nightshades presented a significant health threat to humans, we would’ve stopped eating them a long time ago or died off from the inability to learn from our neighbor’s experience. Even when nightshade foods are common ingredients in specific ethnic diets (peppers in parts of Latin America or tomatoes in Italy, to give some basic examples), the population as a whole in those parts doesn’t seem to suffer ill effects.

Are Nightshades Bad for You? Answer: It Depends

So, what gives? Are nightshade vegetables evil, or are they okay to eat? Our simple answer: eat them and enjoy them in moderation if you don’t feel any ill effects. Most experts accept that some people are much more sensitive to them than others. Nightshades, in those with this sensitivity, have been associated with symptoms like stomach discomfort, digestive difficulties, joint pain, and muscle tremors.

Sometimes, medical professionals will advise those with certain conditions like GERD, gout, or arthritis to avoid nightshades and see if it alleviates symptoms.

If you don’t have these conditions but are concerned, it’s a good idea to take a full 2-4 weeks off from nightshade foods and see if you feel any differently. Some of us have mild enough reactions that we may not feel the difference until we set our own “control” scenario for comparison.

Finally, if sensitivity doesn’t seem to be a problem, but you’d like to take some reasonable precautions, know that cooking nightshade foods can break down a portion of the alkaloids in nightshades. Yet another reason to avoid potatoes: sprouted potatoes and potatoes turning green have higher levels of alkaloids than they have while fresh.

The bottom line: humans are built to eat a widely varied diet. As much as we love our tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, we wouldn’t recommend making them the sole or primary vegetables in your diet. Variety offers the best in nutrient-rich and low-risk nourishment, and it keeps things interesting. What are your thoughts on nightshades? Do you choose to embrace or avoid them? What influences your decision?

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[lauramalchowblog]

Are Nightshades Bad for You?

If you’ve spent any amount of time here on Mark’s Daily Apple, you know we love our vegetables. Plant foods are powerhouses of nutrients and antioxidant action. They’re the backbone of a solid Primal diet, and the main event in my signature Big Ass Salad. But the issue of nightshades has come up quite a bit over the years. Nightshade vegetables, which are vegetables that belong to the Solanaceae family of plants, include a long list of veggies and spices: eggplant, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, pimentos, paprika, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, etc. (Black pepper isn’t a part of this list.)

I do eat a lot of these foods, but they’re not for everyone. In this article, we’ll dig into why some people simply can’t do nightshades, and how to tell whether you should eat them or not.

Stay on track, even on the go! Instantly download your Primal and Keto Guide to Dining Out

What Are Nightshades?

Nightshade vegetables are the vegetables that grow from plants in the Solanaceae family, which Solanaceae family includes thousands of plants. Only a handful are used for food.

Nightshade Foods

Some of the more common nightshade foods include:

Peppers – hot, bell, sweet, etc.

Cape gooseberry, or ground cherry

Eggplant

Goji berry

Paprika

Pimento

White potato (sweet potatoes don’t count)

Tomato

Tomatillo

This is not an exhaustive list, so if you have a nightshade allergy or intolerance, consult a dietician for a comprehensive list of foods to avoid. Nicotine is a non-food consumable that is included in the nightshade category.

Nightshade Vegetables vs. Deadly Nightshade

Aren’t nightshades those plants (many with alluring little berries) our camp counselors told us never ever to go near? Let’s clear that up first.

The answer is: quite possibly. The kinds of nightshade plants growing wild in the woods can be highly toxic. Some can kill you if you ingest them. Others have psychotropic properties. Simply put, deadly nightshade is poisonous.

Inherent in this power is pharmaceutical potential. Nightshades contain alkaloids, which are chemical substances that have one or more circular structures containing nitrogen, and cause a substantial change in humans. Some natural healers may use very tiny amounts of specific nightshades therapeutically for a range of ails. Because they’re highly toxic, this is not a time for self-experimentation. You could make yourself sick, cause permanent damage to your body, or even die if you use them incorrectly. Always work with a qualified practitioner.

Why Are Nightshades Bad?

Nightshades aren’t bad for everyone. Nightshades contain alkaloids, which are harmful to some humans and innocuous to others. Whether they bother you or not depends on your epigenetics, or how nightshades interact with your genes. People who have problems with nightshades sometimes do not produce the enzymes that break them down.

Nightshade allergy or Intolerance

You can be either allergic to nightshades or intolerant to them, each of which come with different symptoms.

Nightshade Allergy Symptoms

Nightshade allergy symptoms look like the symptoms of allergies to other foods and substances:

Inflammation

Itching

Hives

Skin rashes or flare ups

Aches and pains

Nausea

Vomiting

Nightshade Intolerance Symptoms

The symptoms of nightshade intolerance are usually digestive in nature, including:

Abdominal discomfort

Gas

Bloating

Diarrhea

Indigestion, or heartburn

GERD

Nausea

But what does this mean for the tomato salad I always serve for summer barbecues? Should I give up eggplant parmigiana? No peppers or hot sauce? I thought spicy food was good for me! Before you raid your kitchen and gardens, let’s stop and take a closer look here.

First off, nightshade foods contain a tiny fraction of the alkaloid levels found in other toxic nightshade plants. If nightshades presented a significant health threat to humans, we would’ve stopped eating them a long time ago or died off from the inability to learn from our neighbor’s experience. Even when nightshade foods are common ingredients in specific ethnic diets (peppers in parts of Latin America or tomatoes in Italy, to give some basic examples), the population as a whole in those parts doesn’t seem to suffer ill effects.

Are Nightshades Bad for You? Answer: It Depends

So, what gives? Are nightshade vegetables evil, or are they okay to eat? Our simple answer: eat them and enjoy them in moderation if you don’t feel any ill effects. Most experts accept that some people are much more sensitive to them than others. Nightshades, in those with this sensitivity, have been associated with symptoms like stomach discomfort, digestive difficulties, joint pain, and muscle tremors.

Sometimes, medical professionals will advise those with certain conditions like GERD, gout, or arthritis to avoid nightshades and see if it alleviates symptoms.

If you don’t have these conditions but are concerned, it’s a good idea to take a full 2-4 weeks off from nightshade foods and see if you feel any differently. Some of us have mild enough reactions that we may not feel the difference until we set our own “control” scenario for comparison.

Finally, if sensitivity doesn’t seem to be a problem, but you’d like to take some reasonable precautions, know that cooking nightshade foods can break down a portion of the alkaloids in nightshades. Yet another reason to avoid potatoes: sprouted potatoes and potatoes turning green have higher levels of alkaloids than they have while fresh.

The bottom line: humans are built to eat a widely varied diet. As much as we love our tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, we wouldn’t recommend making them the sole or primary vegetables in your diet. Variety offers the best in nutrient-rich and low-risk nourishment, and it keeps things interesting. What are your thoughts on nightshades? Do you choose to embrace or avoid them? What influences your decision?

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