In response to:
[Bess Rhoades has left a new comment on your post "Why I'm a Fan of Copper":
Dr. A- I do not know how to enter a question on this blog, so this is the best I could do. Could you please address what you believe about nightshade vegetable allergies- and their possible role in inflammatory process and perhaps even arthrities in certain individuals. I thought this was far fetched until I began reading. This article in particular caught my interest:
Thank you]
Looking at your reference.
Paragraph 1: Claiming sensitivity to these plants without delineating a causal pathophysiology is always concerning to me and makes the content lack credibility.
Paragraph 3: If you have as claimed a sensitivity to a certain food, I don’t think it would be harmful to avoid them for a month or two, and monitor the improvement or lack thereof. I doubt with pretty good logic and science that nightshade plants "cause" heartburn. They may exacerbate symptoms but don’t cause relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, as far as I know at this time. (One of these days I will write up the causes of alluded to relaxation).
Paragraph 5: Potatoes causing dropsy. Anytime a human relies on a high carbohydrate low protein diet in tandem with a deficiency of other important nutrients, expect there to be body swelling.
I stopped reading after paragraph 6 as the author's arguments and evidence presentation were excessively weak and lacking in logic and definite pathophysiological cause, not to mention heavily infused with loose associations being put forth as evidence. Also the author, although listing references, didn’t associate them with the facts being quoted and therefore very difficult to verify his studies/articles/references.
Notes: Tomatoes have evidence of being anticancer.
In summary I would say that it's possible some people may have increased sensitivities to certain foods, but I would hesitate to say that 'nightshade' plants are dangerous as a group.
DA
