I lovahed eggplant parmesean and ate it twice a month – at least. Then one day, I reacted to eggplant very badly. My former husband brought home eggplant to make another beautiful parmesean dish and I had a sudden SEVERE reaction to the organic item being on my counter. I fainted. Boom! Down I went.
The question is why? Why would I have such a profound reaction? The answer is simple but Ill explain in a moment.
So, 3 years ago I missed eating eggplant but refused to buy them from a store. Instead, I grew them in my garden. Three varieties. I thought that perhaps, if I grew them, they would be clean and healthy for me.
At harvest time, I wanted to gather seeds so I pulled a few to cut open, deseed and then can the meat of the plant.
I grabbed my knife, cutting board, bowls, etc and began to open the fruit and deseed. Suddenly, my mouth was on fire. My hands were burning. My throat, nose, everything was burning coal hot. I called to Tracy as I threw everything in a bag to get it the eggplant away from me so I could wash up.
He took everything away to toss out and wash while I jumped in the shower to get any residue off of me and to open up my lungs. I felt faint. My throat was swelling. Fire lit my face and respiratory system right on up.
The truth fact is, eggplant is toxic for several different reasons. Why we eat it is because the monsters that run this world are invested in our suffering, our poor health and in some ways, our deaths.
Lets take a look at eggplants beyond the exclamation that its a nightshade. There's more to it than that.
To begin, eggplant contains several distinct allergenic proteins and compounds rather than just a single allergen, with the highest concentration of these allergens found in the skin and the seeds.
Depending on whether you have a true food allergy, environmental cross-reactivity, or a chemical sensitivity, the reaction is typically triggered by one of these following components: ⬇️
First off, have you ever heard of Sola m 1 (Profilin)? This is a prominent pan-allergen found heavily concentrated in eggplant seeds. It is frequently linked to Oral Allergy Syndrome. Because it cross-reacts with birch pollen, grass pollen, and other fruits, it can cause your mouth or throat to itch after eating raw or lightly cooked eggplant.
This is why I was on fire deseeding the fruit. I am allergic to profilin.
What about Polyphenol Oxidase? This is a 64-kDa defense enzyme in the eggplant that is heavily concentrated in the peel. It has been identified as a major culprit in systemic IgE-mediated food allergies.
Make sure to check foods to see if this chemical is added or in the item naturally.
How about Lipid Transfer Proteins (aka LTPs)?
These are highly stable proteins found in the peel that resist heat and stomach acid. Because they do not break down easily during cooking, they are more likely to cause severe, systemic allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
So its evident, the skin and seeds are toxic. It was when I cut to grab the seeds, I turned to fire. But we are all different.
These are known allergens that can cause people to faint or go into anaphylaxis so please be aware.
Now lets talk sensitivities and intolerances found in non-protein compounds. Sometimes, people experience a reaction to eggplant that isn't a true protein allergy, but rather a chemical sensitivity. Its found in having a high histamine content.
Eggplant naturally contains high levels of histamine and acts as a histamine liberator. If you have a histamine intolerance, eating eggplant can mimic an allergic reaction causing hives, headaches, sneezing, or itchy eyes without your immune system actually producing food-specific antibodies.
I, myself, am histamine sensitive. Hypersensitive to be exact. Eggplants are high in histamine chemicals.
