Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, sweet and hot peppers (but not
black pepper), and chili-based spices (including paprika) all
come from plants which are members of the nightshade
family.Nightshades can be problematic for many people due to
their lectin, saponin and/or capsaicin content.They tend to be
even more problematic for those with autoimmune disease and of
all the foods restricted in the autoimmune protocol, are
probably the least likely to be successfully reintroduced,
especially tomatoes and chilies. There are over 2000 plant
species in the nightshade family, the vast majority of which are
inedible and many are highly poisonous (like deadly nightshade
and jimsomweed).Tobacco is also a nightshade, and is known to
cause heart, lung, and circulatory problems as well as cancer
and other health problems (clearly some of this has to do with
the other toxins in tobacco products derived from the
processing). Of the edible species in the nightshade family,
poisoning can actually occur with excessive consumption