Alpha-solanine is a glycol-alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants.
The ones that might practically affect us (much of this family we do not eat) are in:
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Paprika
- Tobacco
- Gogi berries
- Ashwagandha
The amount of solanine present in the above vary tremendously depending on growing conditions, time harvested, storage conditions, cooking techniques, etc. Much of the academic work can be credited to Dr. Norman Childers who has been researching nightshades for about 50 years, especially in farm animals.
Historically, most solanine containing foods were not considered edibles before the 1800’s (except in some parts of South America). Even foods like kim-chee did not have peppers in them 100 years ago, but just utilized a salt brine. Solanine containing foods were mainly used for witchcraft a few hundred years ago, not regular ingestion. Now it is rare people go a day or even a meal without some form of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc. Solanine’s are not water soluble, are not destroyed by cooking and are not broken down inside the body, but must be excreted as alpha-solanine.
Different people have different degrees of sensitivity to them, and different efficiencies in begin able to excrete them. How or in what way they will affect you will be a matter of genetics, as well as lifestyle and nutritional status. If you test positive for this problem, the probability is very high that at least 50% of your blood relatives may have it too, to varying degrees.
The average daily intake of alpha-solanine is approximately 13mg and the average daily excretion is 5% the first day and 1-2% daily thereafter with a half-life of about 1-2 months. Considering that is for one day’s dose, it is estimated that the average body burden is at least 50mg. It can be much higher in people who have a history of pouring salsa on about everything they eat. Alpha-solanine is stored in most organs (with special affinity for the thyroid gland) as well as most soft tissue including skeletal muscle.
Alpha-solanine is classified as a neurotoxin. Interestingly, most “foods” that contain alpha-solanine also contain at least 5 other neurotoxins including atropine and nicotine. Acute solanine poisoning can happen from ingesting green or sprouted potatoes or green tomatoes with symptoms including cramps, diarrhea, dizziness and sleepiness. In severe cases, partial paralysis and coma can result.
We are more concerned with “chronic poisoning”, what we are calling STS. Solanine acts as an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor (similar to Malathion, Parathion and other “nerve gases”) allowing acetylcholine to build up in the synapses (nerve junctions). In short, it messes with transmission of nerve impulses.
On a practical level, it can do the following in sensitive individuals:
- Act as an endocrine disruptor, especially to the thyroid
- Cause chronic joint pain, arthritis (all forms), joint inflammation – this is due to solanine’s ability to remove calcium from the bones and deposit it in any weak or genetically predisposed area of the body
- For the same reason it can be a major contributor to osteoporosis (since it removes calcium from the bones) and arteriosclerosis (it can deposit the calcium in the blood vessels)
- “Leaky gut” as well as Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Appendicitis
- Birth defects including spina bifida
- Depression (correcting it in one patient stopped strong suicidal tendencies)
- Migraines
- Can greatly interfere with calcium and vitamin D absorption, despite supplementation
From this brief description above you can see the potential of how problematic this can be.
If you are found to have this problem you will need to have complete avoidance from this family of foods. This could take weeks or months depending on your body. You should read labels carefully and have 100% avoidance for optimal results. If a label says “spices” and doesn’t say what kind, assume it has paprika or red pepper.
Some people can resume eating nightshades again, often at a lower amount per week. Others can never go back to eating them without severe pain, swelling, or other symptoms.