Nightshades are rich in nutrients, but not all of us are good friends with them. Some of us could go through serious health issues when we consume nightshades. As a coffee drinker, you can’t help but ask.
Is coffee a nightshade? No, coffee is not a nightshade as it does not belong to the Solanaceae family. Coffee does come with a couple of alkaloids, caffeine, and trigonelline. Just like nightshades, coffee is not a good fit for people with autoimmune diseases as it increases stress levels and disrupts sleeping patterns.
What Is A Nightshade?
Nightshades belong to the family of plants called Solanaceae.
Nightshades can be shrubs, trees, vines, spices, weeds, ornamental plants, agricultural crops, and epiphytes.
These plants contain alkaloids which are organic compounds with at least one nitrogen atom. Some of the nightshades species are highly toxic so consumption of them can be fatal.
Having said that, we consume some edible nightshade vegetables regularly. Some of the popular ones are
- Potato
- Tomato
- Eggplant
- Bell Pepper
- Chilli Pepper
- Tobacco
- Sweet potato
and more.
Are Nightshades Safe?
Nightshade vegetables are generally safe for consumption. They are rich in nutrients like Vitamins, Fiber, and Carbohydrates.
Nightshade vegetables will come with their unique nutrients. For example, tomatoes are rich in Vitamins A and C, and an antioxidant called Lycopene. White potato, another example, is a rich source of carbs, potassium, Vitamin B6, and other nutrients. Black peppers come with Vitamin C and Capsaicin.
The presence of alkaloid compounds in nightshade vegetables is the main reason why many people deem them harmful for consumption for a certain group of people. In most countries, nightshade food is staple without any issues.
People with Autoimmune diseases should avoid nightshades as they can cause health problems. You might even have sensitivities (nightshade intolerance) and be allergic to some or most of the regular nightshade plants.
If this sounds like you, don’t consume any nightshade plants before talking to a doctor first.
Why Is Coffee Not A Nightshade?
Coffee is not one of the nightshade plants as it doesn’t belong to the Solanaceae family.
Coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family and Coffea genus. You can find around 120 species of coffee plants of which Coffee Arabica (Arabica) and Coffea Canephora (Robusta) are prominent.
For some reason (discussed below), people doubt that coffee is a deadly nightshade plant. In the following section, let’s see how coffee compares with nightshades.
How Does Coffee Compare with Nightshades?
The main reason why people are wary of nightshades is because of the presence of alkaloids in them.
Does coffee have any alkaloids?
It does.
Coffee contains generous amounts of caffeine, an alkaloid. You can also find trigonelline which is another type of alkaloid.
The presence of these alkaloids is the reason why coffee is assumed as nightshade by some people.
Even though coffee is not a nightshade plant, it is still not a great fit for people with autoimmune diseases (leaky gut, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, joint pain, inflammation and others). This is mainly because coffee comes with Caffeine that can increase the stress level and can disrupt sleep that is very important for people with autoimmune diseases.
Is Coffee a Nightshade? – Wrap Up
We hope we answered your question.
No, coffee is not from the nightshade family, but it does come with alkaloids that can do some damage to the sensitive group of people with autoimmune disease or nightshade allergy.
If you belong to that group, stay away from coffee. If not, don’t worry about anything and keep working on that cup of joe.