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We are all familiar with the effects of tobacco. We also know about the carcinogens it contains. Few of us know that tobacco and the potato come from the same family, the nightshades. Most people understand that smoking once in awhile does not have any harmful effects on the human being. If one were to smoke, say once a month, it would be of no concern, with the exception of its potential addictive qualities.
The same holds true with any other member of the nightshade family. Limited use has almost of no effect n most people. Sure, you may want to put a little dash of Paprika (a nightshade) on some cottage cheese. Well, go ahead, but do not make potatoes a staple food. Long-term use can lead to dramatic disabilities. For some people even small dosages can have severe results.
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Nightshade plants are medicinal plants, which are a great benefit to us. Another example is the pop-py(not a nightshade), which gives us opium for pain relief drugs. It was not until the early part of the 17th century that nightshades began to be eaten as a food at all, with the exception of the Inca Indians of Peru as potatoes are native to Peru.
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The most commonly known of all neurotoxins and is most preva-lent in the nightshade plant tobacco. Nicotine has powerful pharmaco-logic effects (including increased heart rate, heart stroke volume, and oxygen consumption by the heart muscle) as well as powerful psychody-namic effects (such as euphoria, increased alertness, and a sense of relaxation) Nicotine is an agonist that binds with the same neuro-receptors that acetylcholine does. This does two things, first it blocks acetylcholine from being received, thus it interferes with proper neruo-transmission, and it simulates the nerve cell that receives it in a way that acetylcholine does not. This is one of the reasons it is able to give a calming feeling to the smoker. Nicotine also causes the release of other neuro-transmitters that affect mood, appetite, and memory. Dopamine is one of these, very useful for the ability to think, especially for problem solving thinking. Dopamine also stimulates the pleasure center of the brain, gives the “rush” or “high” of smoking. This “rush” is what reinforces the desire for smoking. All three of the foregoing reasons are why people smoke when under stress; it calms them down, gives plea-sure, and releases dopamine which allows the person to think about the problems that are stressing them in the first place.
Michael Fowler - Night Shade Free, Pain Free
Mike
