TIL: Tomato Leaves Are Not Poisonous, They're Medicinal! by lily-da-vine

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· @lily-da-vine ·
$8.39
TIL: Tomato Leaves Are Not Poisonous, They're Medicinal!
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<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15380629_338547149857316_7205178647013349365_n.jpg?oh=b6b02abb1c6a654188e0450f488bdf4a&amp;oe=58AF8F78" width="960" height="540"/></p>
<p>	Today I learned that tomato leaves aren't actually poisonous! Like all vegetables, they contain alkaloids, but they aren't the toxic menace they've been put off as! &nbsp;Nicotine and cocaine(not the street form, which is cut with all sorts of things) are tropane alkaloids found in plants, and those are consumed by humans all over the planet, despite possible negative health effects. Many of these are toxic in high doses, for example if you eat an obnoxious amount of kale, there's a chance you'll experience some ill health as a result. &nbsp;We looked it up and there is no real evidence to say that tomato leaves are toxic, some people actually use them in their cooking. &nbsp;Evidently, it takes eating a pound and a half of these greens in a short amount of time for any problems due to toxicity occur, which is a lot of tomato greens.</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15421001_338546833190681_134699476237755186_n.jpg?oh=41a2e6261f836a14aec976b0fdf4c141&amp;oe=58FCE5BF" width="540" height="960"/></p>
<p>A volunteer cherry tomato seedling</p>
<p>	Many sources will tell you they are toxic and that they contain solamine, the toxic alkaloid in green potatoes. &nbsp;The truth is, tomatoes have their own alkaloid tomatine which is much less toxic. &nbsp;In certain applications, it's even considered medicinal, which makes this new information even crazier to me. &nbsp;Turns out the pungent smell I thought was to warn me away from eating the tomatoes, happens to be sought after as an herb for tomato based sauces. &nbsp;I've even found a tomato leaf pesto recipe, something I intend to try as soon as possible.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15380795_338546809857350_7196254255172761061_n.jpg?oh=6640a4761a6f6999bee5f9e963c3fbae&amp;oe=58BC33B5" width="960" height="540"/></p>
<p>	Tomatine is a glycoalkaloid, that is an alkaloid bonded with a sugar. &nbsp;It's poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, so for the most part it's expelled as waste. &nbsp;That's why it takes someone eating such a huge amount of the greens to experience toxicity. If you look into kale online, you'll find reports of vegans who went nuts on this green, only to make themselves ill due to alkaloids. &nbsp;It's almost like natures way of making sure we don't over graze, &nbsp;or consume too much of one kind of food. &nbsp;Our diets are meant to be diverse, and the existence of these alkaloids kinds of helps to prove that.</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15284924_338546876524010_8160811204189293597_n.jpg?oh=d51bac431164868a8884cacfc58c7e1c&amp;oe=58EDF701" width="960" height="540"/></p>
<p>	There's another tropine alkoloid in it that's called atropine, which is evidently responsible for a fairly common sensitivity to the solanacae family. &nbsp;For people sensitive to atropine, they can experience stomach discomforts when consuming any member of the solanacae family, including peppers, eggplants and potatoes. &nbsp;It's one of those &nbsp;things that effects everyone differently. &nbsp;I for one seem to thrive off of the solanacaes so I've never experienced discomfort I could relate to eating potatoes or tomatoes. &nbsp;I'd never even heard of this until recently, when a friend mentioned he thought he had a sensitivity. Apparently, when he cut out solanacae he stopped having stomach problems, suggesting he could be sensitive to atropine.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15317731_338547123190652_4366730604742751492_n.jpg?oh=012a3cd02c970afdce5c29d781f00b78&amp;oe=58F41044" width="960" height="540"/></p>
<p>	A common known cousin to tomatoes is belladona, considered a highly toxic, poisonous plant. &nbsp;I've taken natural headache medications that contain belladona in them that work. &nbsp;It's historically been used as a pain reliever and muscle relaxer. &nbsp;Something to consider is that most commercial over the counter medications are based off of something natural, consider aspirin as an example, derived from the willow family. Many of these medications are very potent and as a result should be taken in moderation, just like you can overdose on Tylenol. &nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15327248_338547386523959_5649800716673844675_n.jpg?oh=4ec151a97de1fbbee01c35d973bffd98&amp;oe=58ECE9F5" width="960" height="540"/></p>
<p>	The alkaloid tomatine has been proving in tests it's effectiveness as a cancer inhibitor. &nbsp;It's been shown to prevent and stop the growth of cancer cells and can even be helpful in killing cancers. &nbsp;The main cancers it's been proven to have an effect on are breast, colon, liver and stomach cancers. It's also a good drug for bad cholesterol, as it tends to bond with it as it travels through the body. &nbsp;Because tomatine doesn't get absorbed in the gut, it and the bad cholesterol get expelled from the body. &nbsp;Interesting, right?</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15350691_338547569857274_1053599835298171778_n.jpg?oh=75d03d4596ddc2bbd9ed48136a039e12&amp;oe=58ED51DF" width="960" height="540"/></p>
<p>	It's also a fungicide when steeped like a tea and sprayed on plants. &nbsp;It's essentially harvesting the defense mechanism built up within tomato leaves that makes them resistant to molds and giving those to a plant not capable of producing those compounds. &nbsp;Evidently if you crush the leaves and steep them in water, when used as a preventative measure, this can be very useful in the garden. I intend to try it myself with the new squash seeds I'm starting, so they're hopefully protected from the powdery mold that's been killing a lot of them so far. I'll share the whole process and my thoughts when I do.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15319285_338548026523895_937856592847027029_n.jpg?oh=1644dc0da6c9b54762d8333c61b97e95&amp;oe=58F66691" width="960" height="540"/></p>
<p>	So there you have it, just another thing that we've been holding on to for a long time with no scientific base behind it. &nbsp;While there are a lot of truly toxic alkaloids out there, tomatine is not one of them and that's what you'll find in tomato leaves for the most part. &nbsp;Just like every other vegetable, you don't want to eat nothing but these, but you no longer have to be afraid of them. &nbsp;Many people like chef Paul Bertolli, have been using tomato leaves in their tomato based sauces for a long time. &nbsp;It apparently adds a fresh vine picked tomato flavor to sauces, making them much more complex.</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15350515_338547946523903_5672728465804505656_n.jpg?oh=88575044a967f6f520555ef40d72f00b&amp;oe=58FB8DB4" width="540" height="960"/></p>
<p>	There's people whizzing it up into pesto with basil, cheese and olive oil. &nbsp;None of them are experiencing ill health effects, many have been doing this fairly consistently for more than 20 years. Something to consider is that people have been eating fried green tomatoes for a long time, yet those contain high amounts of tomatine as well. &nbsp;You don't hear stories of people dying from eating fried green tomatoes, do you?&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15267972_338547889857242_5836539737638007317_n.jpg?oh=2a32c3dfa0b2d6566c09500e1881c6df&amp;oe=58F230F4" width="540" height="960"/></p>
<p>	This one was pretty surprising to find out, but I'm glad I did. &nbsp;It's inspired me to really look into other foods deemed poisonous. &nbsp;I've found many plants considered poisonous are also considered highly medicinal by some cultures. &nbsp;To each his own, I suppose. I think I'd rather just learn the plants, the natural doses and handle any pharmaceutical needs I have through plants. Not only are they cheaper, but many of these natural remedies lack the harsh side effects that come with just about every pharmaceutical drug out there.&nbsp;</p>
<p>All photos are of my tomato plants, which happen to have the best view in Acapulco. Good views are good for tomatoes, too.</p>
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@nxtblg · (edited)
Does the frying of the green tomatoes (help to) break down some of the tomatine?
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@lily-da-vine ·
Tomatine is relatively benign. You can add tomato leaves to pesto, that's raw
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@angel76 ·
Excellent and very informative! &#128077;
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@gardening-trail ·
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vote details (90)
@voluntary ·
I like the idea of applying one plant's defence mechanism to other plants.  Lantana (locally regarded as a weed) is another plant with quite a distinctive smell and also not prone to insect attack - I've thought of using it as a natural insect repellent in the same way you described using tomato leaves.
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@haphazard-hstead ·
It looks like your tomatoes are doing a lot better now! You will have leaves to spare for sauce and pesto, for sure! For pesto, the ratio is about 1/3 cup to 2 cups of basil - and just make it like you normally do. That, and fried green tomatoes are great! I make green tomato mincemeat some years, too. It's really good. 

There are so many plants that really are edible, but that have fallen out of favor for one reason or another. Do you eat your pepper leaves, too? They are good in soup! And sweet potato leaves, too (not regular potatoes). I bet sweet potatoes would grow well for you.
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@lily-da-vine ·
Those tomatoes are my new plants, the others seem to have died off for the most part. I'll have to clear them out and grow something new in thier place. 
I've not eaten pepper leaves, but i figured they'd be useful. 
As for sweet potatoes, they probably would. I just wishi liked them more!
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@haphazard-hstead ·
Maybe you will like the sweet potato leaves, even if you don't like the potato part. Good luck with your tomatoes. You will figure out what grows well in your situation! Have you ever tried Jerusalem artichokes  or amaranth greens? I would be they would do well for your conditions. They both are so adaptable! And productive!
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@dwcp ·
$1.95
A very nice news. Now I will eat even tomato leaves as they ave a medicinal value.
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