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["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

On 3/17/07, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:
> A year or three ago--time zips--one of the ladies here, Marie?,

I believe I am innocent in this regard. I grew up believing that if
you didn't have potatoes in the house, you were out of food. A friend
of mine -- she grew up in Germany -- is convinced that if she eats the
fruit of any member of the nightshade family she'lll be come immobile
from joint pain. She's been preaching to me for years about the
dangers of potatoes (and eggplant and peppers and tomatoes). A summer
without tomatoes would be tantamount to a summer without sun, as far
as I'm concerned. Besides, my joints don't give me all that many
twinges.

> offered some information on the potential health negatives from
> eating potatoes, especially without peeling to remove that green
> layer just under the skin, apparently caused when the sun shines
> bright on the skin.

Solanine, the alkaloid in potatoes, is poisonous, but you would have
to eat several pounds of potatoes to be affected. Evidently, some
potatoes grown in Peru can be quite poisonous, but we are pretty safe
in eating our domestic potatoes -- unless, of course, we eat till we
bust and choose only potatoes high in solanine.

Solanine poisoning hasn't been a major health problem that I've heard of.

If nightshade abstinence makes a difference, then stick with it, but
joint pain pretty much comes and goes in my experience. The more you
move the affected joint, the less trouble it gives you (until it's
worn out, of course).

Marie