Nightshade vegetables and your vagus nerve
For the most of us? Nightshades are not a HUGE issue.
They’re something to consider if you are in chronic stress, or have some genetic vulnerabilities. And if you can’t figure out what is going on with your stress, blood sugar or mood swings you may want to consider the effect of nightshade vegetables on your vagus nerve.
If you’re in a chronic stress state, you might find you rely on these foods - or perhaps not rely, but they affect you negatively. You can tell when you eat or drink them that your stress gets worse (however that expresses itself physically). Or maybe you eat them and feel like you can function again, and you struggle without them.
You’ll notice if you consume the same foods when you’re in a regulated state, they probably won’t impact you as much - they’ll just be food.
On top of that, some genetic vulnerabilities might mean you can only handle a small amount of nightshades.
Removing nightshades and/or the additional stimulants can make you feel EXHAUSTED, some even say they feel like they’re withdrawing from a drug. That’s how you know it’s not just a food for you - you are using food as your energy drug!
Nightshade vegetables include:
Tomato
White potato
Capsicum/peppers
Paprika
Eggplant
Goji berries
Withania / ashwaganda
Let’s look at the two aspects of this issue - genetics and stress in some more detail.
Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)
BChE is a cholinergic system enzyme that acts on the autonomic nervous system (ie vagus nerve). It is considered a bio-scavenger, and is essential for:
Inactivating certain compounds in nightshades
Recovery from certain types of anaesthesia
Inactivating immune response
Protecting against nerve agents, snake toxins, and other AChE inhibitors
Modulating the hunger hormone ghrelin
Some people, depending on their genetic make-up of BChE, might find it difficult to break down nightshades which triggers inflammation. This is why it is removed in autoimmune diets.
Low BChE has been linked to high ghrelin - meaning you eat more and store more fat
Low BChE is linked to lower vagal-mediated immune activity - meaning your immune system is lowered
Glycoalkaloids & Adrenal Stimulation
Your adrenal glands produce cortisol ( the stress hormone), ideally in optimal amounts through the day and as a normal part of the circadian rhythm. In times of chronic stress cortisol remains elevated.
To maintain high cortisol, we often crave foods that stimulate more cortisol release like:
Caffeine
Alcohol
Chocolate
Sugar
Nightshades
Over time your body can become reliant on these foods to function. It can be subtle - one minute you love a coffee because you love it, next minute you need a coffee to get through the day! The problem is the stress.
A healthy, regulated nervous system (a system that is not stuck in high stress/high cortisol patterns), won't have any issue with these foods in moderation. But reliance on these stimulants can make your nervous system more dysregulated!
Are nightshade vegetables affecting you?
Remove for a month and see how you feel
Work on your nervous system during this month
Reintroduce and notice what your body does
You could have a stress issue, or a BChE issue. The only way to truly find out is to try it and see.
Once you’re through the first week of elimination, it is onwards and upwards. Stick it out for a month (at least).
Personally, I like to remove nightshades when I’m having a rough period such as sleep deprivation, or high stress, or when I recognise that I’m craving them way too much.
Once you’re through the month off? Try introducing one at a time, and see how you feel. If you haven’t altered your nervous system state, you might not see the change you’re looking for. But if you notice subtle changes, that’s the sign to dig deeper (if you dare!)
You can play around with how much you can tolerate. See if you can handle cooked vs raw, vs over-ripe etc. We all have a different tolerance threshold and I can’t give you any black and white rules to follow here.
But if you feel good off them? DO WHAT FEELS GOOD!
Get in touch and let me know how you go with nightshades and your vagus nerve.
