Have you removed eggplants from your diet because you thought they were inflammatory?
Good news! The theory that nightshades are inflammatory has been reversed.
Decades-old mouse research showed that solanine, the lectin in nightshades, damaged the gut lining and increased intestinal inflammation in colitis. However, ten studies over the past decade have shown the exact opposite. The research, all in mice, has repeatedly demonstrated that solanine reduces inflammation and intestinal permeability and even has anti-tumor properties!
Nutritional science is riddled with misinformation, partially because the research changes and partially because nuances are missed.
Could nightshades exacerbate inflammation in people with autoimmune diseases like RA? Due to molecular mimicry, it is mechanistically possible that food components such as lectins can bind to human tissue and stimulate an autoimmune flare-up. However, there is no research to support this on solanine, but there is for wheatgerm agglutinin (the lectin part of wheat). Nightshades being inflammatory seems to be folklore.
Why eat eggplants? They taste good and are part of a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diet. They are also rich in phytonutrients, like chlorogenic and caffeic acids, which have antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. My favorite eggplant dishes are Sicilian caponata, @ottolenghi roasted eggplant and rich baba ganoush. Expand your palette and try eggplant again! You might be surprised how much you enjoy it.
PS. You can decrease the bitterness of eggplant by salting them for 30 minutes, using baby eggplants, or removing their skin (which is the bitter part), although that’s where the anthocyanins are.
