Is There a Link Between Nightshade Vegetables and Lupus Flares?

Nightshade foods and vegetables are believed to impact nerve-muscle and digestive functions in animals and humans, presumably because of substances - called alkaloids - found in these foods.

Nightshade foods include potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, paprika, cayenne, among others. Lupus patients often ask whether there is a link between these foods and their lupus flares.

There is no scientific evidence that nightshade vegetables can cause lupus flares.  Lupus activity can vary among individuals, and while consumption of nightshade foods may have an impact on a certain individual's  normal functions, lupus may or may not have anything to do with it.

Consult your health provider if you think you have a problem with nightshades in relation to your lupus or think that they trigger your lupus flares.

Participants Sought for Lupus Research

Do you have lupus and would like to contribute to research on this disease?  A graduate student pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology is doing a study on the experience of symptoms with lupus. 

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