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Vegetables
Nightshade Vegetables: List, Benefits & Who Should Avoid Them
The full list of nightshade vegetables, fruits and spices, the foods that only sound like nightshades, what the research shows for joints, gut and skin, how to handle green potatoes, and a simple 3-week way to test them.
Evidence-based35 sources citedUpdated November 11, 2026
Nightshade vegetables at a glance
Nightshade vegetables are the edible plants of the potato family, mainly tomatoes, white potatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers and eggplant, and most people do fine with them.123
- Also nightshades: tomatillos, ground cherries, goji berries, ashwagandha, and spices made from dried peppers such as paprika and cayenne145
- Not nightshades: sweet potatoes, black pepper, okra and blueberries6789
- Nutrition: a cup of chopped red bell pepper has 212% of the daily value for vitamin C, and a baked potato with its skin has 20% for potassium101112
- Sensitivity: if joint pain persists, a 3-week trial without tomatoes, peppers and eggplant will tell you whether they matter for you3
- Handling: cut green patches and sprouts off potatoes, and throw out any that are green throughout or taste bitter13
Nightshade vegetables are the foods that come from the Solanaceae, or potato, family, which gives us tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers and eggplant.21 Most people do fine with them,3 and they bring a lot to the plate, from the vitamin C in a red bell pepper to the lycopene in a ripe tomato.1014
Why the worry, then? Every plant in the family makes its own natural defense compounds, and some people, often those with autoimmune disease or an irritated gut, feel better when nightshades come off the plate for a while, giving the gut time to heal.215 Symptoms that keep coming back are worth testing before you cut a whole family of vegetables for good, and the 3-week trial below shows whether they matter for you.3
What are nightshade plants?
Quick answer
Nightshade plants are the members of the Solanaceae family, which USDA calls the potato family, a group of more than 2,000 species.12 Only a handful end up in the kitchen, and the family also includes plants that aren't food, such as tobacco and deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna).1
Botanically, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are fruits, since they carry the plant's seeds, which is why you'll also see them called nightshade fruits, while with potatoes you eat the tuber that grows underground.13
The family has a long history in medicine as well as the kitchen: atropine and hyoscyamine, compounds long used in traditional medicine, come from nightshade plants.2 What ties the edible members together is their chemistry, because each one makes glycoalkaloids, natural compounds that help defend the plant against the insects and animals that would eat it,2 and the glycoalkaloid section below covers what they are and where they collect.
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- At least five colors of plants a day, and the foods to eat freely in each phase
- A 3-week nightshade trial if joint pain persists, and how to add foods back one at a time
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Open the free protocol →Nightshade foods list: vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs
Quick answer
The main nightshade vegetables are tomatoes, white potatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers and eggplant.21 Tomatillos, ground cherries, goji berries, pepino melons, the herb ashwagandha, and spices made from dried peppers, such as paprika, cayenne, chili powder and red pepper flakes, are nightshades too.14516
Plant names and family membership from the USDA PLANTS Database.11645
| Nightshade | Plant name | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|---|
Tomatoes | Solanum lycopersicum | Fresh, cherry and heirloom tomatoes; sauce, paste, ketchup and salsa |
White potatoes | Solanum tuberosum | Russet, red, gold, fingerling and purple potatoes; fries, chips and potato flour |
Bell peppers | Capsicum annuum | Green, yellow, orange and red peppers, fresh or roasted |
Hot peppers | Capsicum | Jalapeños, serranos, poblanos, cayenne and other chili peppers; hot sauce |
Pepper spices | Dried Capsicum | Paprika, cayenne, chili powder and red pepper flakes |
Eggplant | Solanum melongena | Globe, Japanese, white and other eggplants |
Tomatillos | Physalis philadelphica | Fresh tomatillos and salsa verde |
Ground cherries (goldenberries) | Physalis peruviana | Fresh or dried berries |
Goji berries | Lycium barbarum | Dried berries, juice and powders |
Pepino melon and tamarillo (tree tomato) | Solanum muricatum, Cyphomandra betacea | Fresh fruit |
Ashwagandha | Withania somnifera | Root powder, capsules and teas |
Peppers turn up in a lot of packaged food: spice blends such as chili powder, curry powder and taco seasoning, along with many sauces, salsas and seasoned snacks, can carry paprika or cayenne, so read labels if you're testing your response. Europe's food safety agency notes that potato starch, a common thickener, is likely low in glycoalkaloids.13
Foods that aren't nightshades
Several foods with nightshade-sounding names, or a family resemblance on the plate, belong to other plant families:
- Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), so they make an easy swap for white potatoes.6
- Black and white pepper: Black pepper and white pepper come from Piper nigrum, a vine in its own family (Piperaceae), unrelated to bell and chili peppers.7
- Okra: Okra belongs to the mallow family (Malvaceae).8
- Blueberries: Blueberries are in the heath family (Ericaceae).9
- Everyday vegetables, fruits and seasonings: Zucchini and other squash, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, garlic, celery and cumin aren't in the nightshade family either, and neither are grapes or melons such as cantaloupe.1
Are nightshade vegetables good for you?
Quick answer
Yes. Nightshades are nutrient-rich vegetables: a cup of chopped red bell pepper gives you 212% of the daily value for vitamin C, and a medium baked potato with its skin gives you 20% for potassium.101112 Tomatoes add lycopene too, about 3.2 milligrams in a medium raw tomato.14
Per serving, from USDA FoodData Central; % Daily Value uses FDA reference values.10171418111912
| Food | Serving | Calories | What stands out (% Daily Value) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red bell pepper, raw | 1 cup chopped (149 g) | 38.7 | Vitamin C 191 mg (212%), vitamin A 234 mcg (26%), vitamin B6 0.43 mg (26%), fiber 3.1 g (11%) |
| Red chili pepper, raw | 1 pepper (45 g) | 18 | Vitamin C 65 mg (72%) |
| Tomato, raw | 1 medium (123 g) | 22.1 | Lycopene 3.2 mg, vitamin C 16.9 mg (19%), potassium 292 mg (6%) |
| Tomato paste | 1 tablespoon (16 g) | 13.1 | Lycopene 4.6 mg |
| Potato, baked with skin | 1 medium (173 g) | 161 | Potassium 926 mg (20%), vitamin B6 0.54 mg (32%), vitamin C 16.6 mg (18%), fiber 3.8 g (14%) |
| Eggplant, raw | 1 cup cubes (82 g) | 20.5 | Fiber 2.46 g (9%), manganese 0.19 mg (8%) |
Tomatoes get better with cooking, because heat makes their lycopene more available to your body,20 and tomato paste is concentrated, with 4.6 milligrams of lycopene in a tablespoon.18 Simmer tomatoes into a sauce with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and you get both.
In order of evidence strength, nightshades bring dense nutrition for few calories, a trimmer waistline, a calmer inflammation response after a rich meal, lower death rates in regular chili eaters, and joint pain relief from capsaicin on the skin.
1
Dense nutrition for few calories
Strong evidenceUSDA composition dataA single serving carries a lot: a cup of chopped red bell pepper covers more than twice your daily vitamin C for under 40 calories, a baked potato with its skin gives you about a third of your vitamin B6 and a fifth of your potassium, and a cup of eggplant adds fiber for about 20 calories.10111912 Whole vegetables bring those nutrients together with their fiber and the carotenoid pigments, beta-carotene in red peppers and lycopene in tomatoes, that give them their color.1014
Study takeaway: a baked potato with its skin gives you about a third of your vitamin B6 and a fifth of your potassium.
2
A trimmer waistline
Moderate evidenceHuman studyReview of 11 randomized trials · people with overweight or obesityIn a 2026 review of 11 randomized trials in people with overweight or obesity who ate tomatoes, tomato products or tomato extracts, excluding isolated lycopene, waist circumference came down by 1.15 centimeters, a little under half an inch, compared with control groups, while weight and BMI didn't shift in a steady way.21 The benefit didn't rise with the lycopene dose, which the reviewers read as a sign that the whole tomato matters more than any one compound in it.21
Study takeaway: tomato products trimmed waist circumference by 1.15 centimeters in a review of 11 randomized trials.
3
A calmer inflammation response after a rich meal
Moderate evidenceHuman studyRandomized trial · 39 healthy men, each tried both mealsResearchers in Marseille, France, gave 39 healthy men the same high-fat meal on two days at least 3 weeks apart, once with 100 grams of tomato purée (about 10 milligrams of lycopene) and once without, in random order. Over the next 8 hours, the inflammatory signal TNF-alpha fell by 17.1 pg/mL after the tomato meal and rose by 30.8 after the plain meal. Two other inflammatory signals, IL-6 and IL-1 beta, also came out lower with tomato, while a fourth, CCL2, didn't differ between the meals. In biopsies of the men's fat tissue, TNF-alpha gene activity dropped 39.4% after the tomato meal.22
Study takeaway: adding tomato purée to a high-fat meal turned an 8-hour rise in TNF-alpha into a fall.
Tomato purée turned a rich meal's rise in TNF-alpha into a fall
4
Lower death rates in regular chili eaters
Moderate evidenceHuman studyPooled analysis of 4 cohort studies · 570,762 peopleA 2021 analysis pooled 4 large observational studies with 570,762 people, whose individual results varied widely, and one of the 4 counted black pepper together with chili. Across all 4, people who ate chili peppers regularly had a 25% lower risk of death from any cause than those who rarely or never did. In the 2 studies pooled for cardiovascular deaths, the risk was 26% lower, and in the 3 pooled for cancer deaths, it was 23% lower.23
Study takeaway: regular chili eaters had a 25% lower risk of death from any cause across 4 large cohort studies.
5
Joint pain relief from capsaicin on the skin
Emerging evidenceHuman studyReview of 8 placebo-controlled trials · 498 adults with osteoarthritisCapsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat, is also used in creams, gels and liquids for sore joints. A 2024 review pooled 8 trials in 498 adults with osteoarthritis who used capsaicin at strengths from 0.0125% to 5% or a placebo, and in each, neither the people nor the researchers knew who got what. Over follow-ups of up to 3 months, capsaicin relieved pain more than placebo, by a margin researchers consider large. Burning where it was applied was the main side effect, and though the reviewers rated the certainty of the evidence low to very low, they concluded capsaicin might be recommended for short-term osteoarthritis pain in people who don't tolerate pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen.24
Study takeaway: capsaicin applied to the skin relieved osteoarthritis pain more than placebo across 8 trials.
What are glycoalkaloids? Solanine, tomatine and potatoes
Quick answer
Glycoalkaloids are natural compounds nightshades make to defend themselves: solanine and chaconine in potatoes, tomatine in tomatoes, and solasonine and solamargine in eggplant.25 Food safety experts consider normal, properly handled potatoes no concern for everyday eating; the high levels come from green, sprouted or bitter-tasting potatoes.13
In potatoes, glycoalkaloids collect near the surface and in the parts that grow. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) compiled the published measurements in 2020: 2,000 to 7,300 milligrams per kilogram in sprouts, 300 to 640 in the thin skin, 150 to 168 in the thicker peel a peeler takes off, 12 to 100 in the flesh and 10 to 150 across the whole tuber, with 250 to 800 in potatoes that taste bitter.13 Normal potatoes usually run 20 to 100, and food agencies have long used 200 milligrams per kilogram of raw, unpeeled potato as a safety guide.13
A potato's glycoalkaloids concentrate in its sprouts and skin
At high enough doses, the main effects are on digestion: in EFSA's assessment, about 1 milligram of total potato glycoalkaloids per kilogram of body weight in a day was the lowest dose that brought on nausea, vomiting or diarrhea in people, and the agency found no evidence of health problems from eating potatoes regularly over time.13 Its estimates flagged a possible concern for the heaviest potato eaters, especially toddlers and young children, so the trimming steps below matter most for them.13
Ordinary kitchen steps lower the load further: peeling removes 25% to 75% of a potato's glycoalkaloids, boiling peeled potatoes removes 5% to 65%, and baking unpeeled potatoes in an oven or microwave removes 3% to 50%.13
Tomatoes make tomatine, which is highest in tiny young fruit and falls fast as the tomato grows: from 3,100 to 4,400 milligrams per kilogram in 4-day-old tomatoes to about 700 at 10 days and 3 to 6 by day 30, while the fruit was still green.13 Eggplant's glycoalkaloids are mainly solasonine and solamargine, and our eggplant guide covers how much a ripe one carries.25
Are green or sprouted potatoes safe to eat?
Trim them well, and throw out any that are green throughout or taste bitter.13 Light switches on both the green color, which is chlorophyll, and the potato's glycoalkaloid production, so a green patch marks a potato that has spent time in the light.13 Cut away green patches, eyes and sprouts generously, peel the potato, and store the rest in a cool, dark place. The leaves, flowers and sprouts of the potato plant aren't food: EFSA's data put flowers at 2,150 to 5,000 milligrams per kilogram and leaves at 230 to 1,000.13
Do nightshades contain nicotine?
Only trace amounts. In a lab analysis, fresh tomatoes, eggplant and peppers carried 2 to 7 micrograms of nicotine per kilogram, and the level in tomatoes fell as they ripened. The researchers estimated that people take in about 1.4 micrograms of nicotine a day from their diet.26
Do nightshades cause inflammation or joint pain?
Quick answer
For most people, no, and in a randomized trial of 39 healthy men who each tried both meals, tomato purée calmed the inflammation that follows a rich meal.322 Some people, often with autoimmune disease, do react, and the 3-week trial below shows whether you're one of them.153
A joint that keeps aching works like a check engine light, a sign that there's a root cause to find, and food is one of the first places to look. Chronic inflammation almost never has a single cause, though, which is why sugar, fried food and processed food come off the plate before any vegetable does.3
Where the research stands
Most of the human research on nightshades and inflammation comes from surveys and small diet studies that removed many foods at once. It includes a survey of 1,206 people with psoriasis and pilot studies of the autoimmune protocol diet in rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.272829 A controlled trial of a nightshade-free diet in 40 people with rheumatoid arthritis was registered in Iran in 2023, and its authors describe it as the first to test the question.30 Lab and mouse studies of potato glycoalkaloids point to one way a sensitive gut might react.3132
Are tomatoes bad for arthritis?
Not for most people. Tomatoes bring lycopene and vitamin C to an anti-inflammatory plate, though some people with rheumatoid arthritis do feel better without nightshades.1415
In a New Zealand pilot study, 9 adults with rheumatoid arthritis ate their usual diet for 4 weeks and then followed the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet for 8 weeks, which removes nightshades along with grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, alcohol, sugar and food additives. Their average score on RAPID3, a 10-point measure of disease activity, fell from 2.73 to 0.99, and their score for the disease's day-to-day impact fell from 3.13 to 1.02. By the end of the diet, both scores were significantly lower than during their own 4 weeks on their usual diet. Seven of the 9 improved, and across the group fatigue, pain and sleep got better.28
People knew what they were eating, and the group also lost weight, so the change can't be pinned on nightshades alone.28
For osteoarthritis, the family offers relief of its own in capsaicin applied to the skin, which eased joint pain more than placebo in the trials covered in the benefits section.24
Should you avoid nightshades if you have autoimmune disease?
Quick answer
Not automatically: with autoimmune disease, nightshades make symptoms worse for some people, though not for everybody.15 If you also have gut inflammation, set them aside while your gut heals, then test them one at a time.153
The human data come from psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis (covered above) and inflammatory bowel disease, and for skin they come from a large survey: researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, asked 1,206 members of the U.S. National Psoriasis Foundation about the diet changes they'd tried. Of the 297 who had cut nightshades, defined as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, paprika and white potatoes, 156 said their skin improved or cleared, 52.1% in the paper's table. That put nightshades with alcohol (53.8%) and gluten (53.4%) among the three changes most often credited with clearer skin, just ahead of junk food (50%).27 Asked which foods made their psoriasis worse, respondents named tomatoes third most often, after sugar and alcohol.27 The answers were self-reported, and the survey didn't record how long people avoided each food.27
About half of people with psoriasis who cut nightshades reported clearer skin
For inflammatory bowel disease, a pilot study at Scripps Clinic in California put 15 adults with active Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis on the autoimmune protocol diet: 6 weeks of elimination, nightshades included, then 5 weeks of maintenance. By week 6, 11 of the 15 (73%) were in remission by their symptom scores, and all 11 stayed in remission through week 11. The average symptom score for ulcerative colitis fell from 5.8 to 1.0 on the partial Mayo scale, and for Crohn's disease from 7 to 3.4 on the Harvey-Bradshaw index, both statistically significant drops. Of the 7 people who had a follow-up scope at week 11, 6 showed less inflammation in the gut lining. In the 6 people in remission who gave stool samples at the start and at week 11, fecal calprotectin, a marker of gut inflammation, fell from 471 to 112 micrograms per gram, though neither that drop nor the change in C-reactive protein was statistically significant.29 People knew what they were eating, there was no comparison group, and almost half were also taking biologic drugs.29 Our Crohn's disease diet and ulcerative colitis diet guides cover eating for each.
Why might a sensitive gut react to nightshades?
Researchers have a few clues, most of them from potatoes, and the steps below show how they fit together, with the kind of study behind each one:
1A built-in defense
Nightshades make glycoalkaloids to protect themselves, and in potatoes these compounds collect in the skin and sprouts.213
2A leakier cell layer
In lab tests on a layer of human intestinal cells, the potato glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine made the layer leakier as the dose rose.31
3An inflamed gut is more vulnerable
In lab tests on mouse intestine, a mix of the two disrupted the barrier in mice bred to develop bowel inflammation, and not in normal mice.31
4Fried skins added to the inflammation
In two mouse models of bowel inflammation, 20 days of fried potato skins raised inflammatory signals, more so with high-glycoalkaloid potatoes.32
5A possible link to symptoms
Researchers propose that the same compounds may activate mast cells, immune cells in the gut wall tied to the pain of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the inflammation of IBD; that idea hasn't been tested in people yet.2
If you have autoimmune disease along with leaky gut, set nightshades aside, along with raw vegetables and salads, and eat mostly soups and steamed, baked or other cooked vegetables while your gut heals.15 When potatoes come back, peel them, since peeling removes much of their glycoalkaloid load.13
Nightshade sensitivity vs. nightshade allergy
A nightshade allergy is an immune reaction to proteins in the food, while nightshade sensitivity is slower and harder to pin down. In an Italian allergy clinic, 32 of 96 adults who were already allergic to plant foods (33%) were also allergic to tomato, confirmed by their history and a skin prick test, and their tomato allergy was closely tied to profilin, a protein found across many plants.33 Nightshades can also cross-react with other allergens, so a reaction to one plant food can show up with another.2 If a nightshade makes your mouth itch or brings on hives or swelling, see the safety section below and the full list of food allergy symptoms.
Nightshade sensitivity, sometimes called nightshade intolerance, shows up as joint pain or stiffness, bloating and other gut changes, or skin flares that ease when nightshades come out and return when they go back in. An elimination-and-reintroduction trial is the most reliable way to test for it.3
Nightshades and acid reflux
Tomatoes and spicy peppers are also common reflux triggers.34 The Acid Reflux & GERD Protocol sets them aside for 30 days along with other common triggers, then brings them back one at a time, watching three days for symptoms before trying the next.34 Our GERD diet guide covers eating for reflux in more depth.
How to do a 3-week nightshade elimination trial
Quick answer
Take tomatoes, peppers (including paprika and cayenne) and eggplant out for 3 weeks, then add them back one at a time, waiting about 3 days after each to watch for symptoms.334 Start with the bigger levers first: sugar, fried food and processed food.3
Three weeks makes a fair test, since most people feel inflammation start to cool within three to four weeks of changing what they eat,3 and our elimination diet guide uses the same method for other foods.
Track your inflammation on a blood test
hs-CRP, a sensitive blood test for low-grade inflammation, gives you a number to set beside your symptom notes. The Anti-Inflammatory Reset takes an hs-CRP baseline at the start and retests it at day 30.3
Have results? Analyze them free →Your 3-week nightshade trial
Keep the rest of your eating steady while you test, so the only change is the one you're watching.
1
Start with the bigger levers
Take out sugar, fried food and processed food first. If joint pain, bloating or skin flares linger, move on to the nightshade trial.3
2
Take three foods out for 3 weeks
Remove tomatoes, peppers and eggplant in every form, including sauces, salsas, hot sauce, paprika, cayenne, chili powder and red pepper flakes.3 If gut symptoms are part of your picture, or you eat potatoes most days, take white potatoes out too. For the strictest version, also skip tomatillos, ground cherries, goji berries and ashwagandha supplements.
3
Track how you feel
Jot down joint pain or stiffness, bloating and digestion, skin and energy a few times a week, so you have something to compare against when foods come back.
4
Add them back one at a time
5
Let your body decide
A food that passes the 3-day test goes back on your plate. If one brings symptoms back, leave it out while the rest of your plan does its work, and try it again later.
Nightshade substitutes
Whether you're running the 3-week trial or have found a nightshade that doesn't agree with you, these swaps keep the flavor, heat and texture on your plate:
Swap tomato sauce for olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs, or a sauce made from roasted carrots and beets
Get heat and depth from black pepper, ginger, garlic, cumin and fresh herbs instead of chili, cayenne or paprika
Roast sweet potatoes, parsnips or winter squash where you'd use white potatoes, or mash cauliflower
Use zucchini, carrots, snap peas and mushrooms in stir-fries in place of bell peppers
For crunch on a salad or snack plate, reach for celery, radishes and cucumbers where you'd use raw pepper strips or cherry tomatoes
Build soups and stews on bone broth or coconut milk instead of tomatoes
Read labels on spice blends, sauces, dressings and seasoned snacks for paprika, cayenne or chili
Planning your nightshade trial?
Ask Dr. Axe AI; it answers from this library and cites its sources.
Who should avoid nightshades?
Quick answer
Nightshades are everyday foods for nearly everyone. Take care if you've had an allergic reaction to one, have autoimmune disease with gut inflammation, get reflux after tomatoes or spicy peppers, or are cooking potatoes that have turned green or sprouted.33153413
Interaction check: Low for tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant eaten as food. Goji is the exception in the family: in published case reports, goji juice and goji tea strengthened the effect of the blood thinner warfarin, so avoid them while you take it.35
Take extra care with nightshades if any of these apply:
If a nightshade has made your mouth itch or brought on hives or swelling, stop eating it and see an allergist
If any food brings on swelling in your throat, wheezing or faintness, call 911 right away
Autoimmune disease with gut inflammation: set nightshades aside while your gut heals, and keep taking any medication you've been prescribed15
Reflux: tomatoes and spicy peppers are common triggers, so test them one at a time34
Green, sprouted or bitter potatoes: follow the trimming steps in the green potato section above13
The bottom line
Should you eat nightshades?
For most people, yes, because tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant are nourishing, versatile vegetables: a cup of red bell pepper covers more than twice your daily vitamin C, a baked potato with its skin gives you a fifth of your potassium, and in a randomized trial of 39 men, tomato purée calmed the inflammation that follows a rich meal. Simmer your tomatoes in olive oil, cut any green spots and sprouts off your potatoes, and store potatoes in the dark.
If joint pain, bloating or skin flares keep coming back, especially with autoimmune disease, run a simple test instead of guessing. Take tomatoes, peppers and eggplant out for 3 weeks, bring them back one at a time, and let your own body show you what it handles well.
Get the free Anti-Inflammatory Reset
Four phases over 30 days, with at least five colors of plants a day, the 3-week nightshade trial and a 7-day anti-inflammatory meal plan. Have recent bloodwork? Analyze it free.
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Open the free protocol →Nightshade vegetables: frequently asked questions
What are nightshade vegetables?
Are nightshades bad for you?
Do nightshades cause inflammation?
Not for most people. In a randomized trial of 39 healthy men who each tried both meals, adding tomato purée to a high-fat meal lowered the inflammatory signal TNF-alpha over 8 hours instead of letting it rise.22
Are tomatoes bad for arthritis?
Are potatoes nightshades?
Yes. White potatoes, including red, gold, russet and purple varieties, are nightshades (Solanum tuberosum).1
Are sweet potatoes nightshades?
No. Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family, so they're a common swap during a nightshade trial.6
Are peppers nightshades?
Yes. Bell peppers and hot peppers such as jalapeños and cayenne are all Capsicum peppers in the nightshade family.1
Is black pepper a nightshade?
Is paprika a nightshade?
Yes. Paprika is made from dried Capsicum peppers, so it counts as a nightshade, along with cayenne, chili powder and red pepper flakes.1
Is okra a nightshade?
No. Okra belongs to the mallow family (Malvaceae).8
Is celery a nightshade?
No. Celery isn't in the nightshade family, and neither are carrots, radishes, cauliflower, squash or mushrooms.1
Are blueberries nightshades?
No. Blueberries are in the heath family (Ericaceae), so they stay on the menu during a nightshade trial.9
Is ashwagandha a nightshade?
Yes. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is in the nightshade family, so if you're running a strict nightshade trial, pause ashwagandha supplements along with the foods.5
Are green potatoes safe to eat?
What is solanine?
What are the symptoms of nightshade sensitivity?
Should you avoid nightshades if you have an autoimmune disease?
Freshness & method note
November 11, 2026 — Rewrote the page in full. The previous version, "Nightshade Vegetables and Fruits: Avoid or Include in Your Diet?", had no numbered references. This version adds USDA nutrition data for tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplant; the human research on nightshades in psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease; the European Food Safety Authority's 2020 assessment of potato glycoalkaloids, with handling steps for green and sprouted potatoes; and a 3-week elimination trial with one-at-a-time reintroduction in place of the earlier three-month elimination. It corrects the nightshade list: okra, sorrel and gooseberries were listed as nightshades and aren't (ground cherries, sometimes called cape gooseberries, are), goji berries are nightshades, and Solanum dulcamara is one species, bittersweet nightshade, rather than the family's name. It removes unsourced claims that glycoalkaloids build up in the body and release under stress, that nicotine is present in all parts of nightshade vegetables (lab measurements found trace amounts), that lycopene protects against six named cancers, and that potato starch in glues and medications carries the same compounds. It adds charts of the psoriasis survey, potato glycoalkaloids by plant part and the tomato meal trial, and a step diagram of the gut research.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Solanaceae Juss. (potato family). The PLANTS Database.
- Kuang R, Levinthal DJ, Ghaffari AA, Del Aguila de Rivers CR, Tansel A, Binion DG. Nightshade Vegetables: A Dietary Trigger for Worsening Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Dig Dis Sci. 2023;68(7):2853-2860. doi:10.1007/s10620-023-07955-9. PMID:37202602
- Axe J. The Anti-Inflammatory Reset: The 30-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com; 2026 ("A personal note," what to expect; "Top 5 ways inflammation takes over"; Phase 3, "Repair," elimination-and-reintroduction trial; FAQ, "What about nightshades?" and "Do I have to give up gluten or dairy?", p. 26).
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Lycium barbarum L. (goji, matrimony vine), Solanaceae. The PLANTS Database.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (ashwagandha), Solanaceae. The PLANTS Database.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. (sweet potato), Convolvulaceae. The PLANTS Database.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Piper nigrum L. (black pepper), Piperaceae. The PLANTS Database.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (okra), Malvaceae. The PLANTS Database.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Vaccinium L. (blueberry), Ericaceae. The PLANTS Database.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Peppers, sweet, red, raw. FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 170108. Published April 1, 2019.
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