Poisonous leaves in the garden: learn to identify them

In botany, plants are divided into families because they have similar characteristics. One of the well-known botanical families are the Solanaceae, which include tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, potatoes, tobacco and others.

One of the characteristics they have in common is that they all have the solanine alkaloid. It is a substance that helps plants protect themselves from possible diseases, attacks or pests. This alkaloid is present in greater concentration in the leaves and stem of these plants, and its presence in the fruit decreases as it matures.

Solanine is a substance that has toxic effects on the human body. It is known that, in high doses, it can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and can even be irritating for people with arthritis.

In the macrobiotic diet, nightshades are excluded from the feeding regimen. “Nightshade foods may subtly draw calcium from your bones and deposit it in your joints, kidneys, arteries, and other areas of the body where it doesn’t belong,” explains Norman F. Childers in his book A Diet to Stop Arthritis: The Nightshades and Ill Health.

What is recommended

Tomatoes: collect from the plant and eat the fruits when they are ripe.

Potatoes: do not leave them in the sun, as this increases the production of solanine. If they are green, it is an indication of a high content of this alkaloid, so you should avoid consuming them. In turn, avoid eating them sprouted, because they have the same characteristic.

Pepper and eggplant: avoid eating raw seeds, cooked lose much of the solanine.

In case of composting with worms, it is important to know that the solanine present in the leaves is also toxic to worms. The leaves can be left in the sun or cooked to reduce their toxic effect, or added to traditional compost.

Although plants have to be our medicine, they have powerful substances that, if not well managed, can be dangerous. It is essential to inform ourselves and make conscious and responsible decisions regarding the use of plants for our health.