Why Vegetables Are Bad For A Leaky Gut

We’re taught from childhood to always eat our vegetables. It turns out that some gastrointestinal and digestive health issues require the avoidance of some of our beloved veggies. When it comes to leaky gut syndrome, vegetables belonging to the Nightshade family are best to be limited if not avoided completely. For some people dealing with leaky gut nightshade vegetables cause inflammation and can aggravate chronic illnesses even though they’re good for you.

Vegetables Belonging To The Nightshade Family

  • Tomatoes
  • Tomatillo
  • Red & White Potatoes
  • Eggplant
  • Bell Peppers
  • Chili Peppers
  • Paprika
  • Goji Berries
  • Ashwagandha

  • For people with leaky gut, nightshade vegetables are known to cause inflammation, as well as causing flare ups of joint issues, digestive symptoms, and inflammatory diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), joint issues, digestive issues, autoimmune diseases.It is the alkaloid that naturally occur in the nightshade vegetables that further aggravate the intestinal lining and it can worsen inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 


    Lectins are a protein found in nightshade plants that can add to the damage done to the intestinal barrier causing or worsening leaky gut syndrome. Lectins are also found in beans and corn so those are two more veggies to keep off your plate. This protein binds to the cells that line the intestines and they disrupt the tight junctions between the intestinal cells which also contributes to leaky gut.


    It is good to know what you can, can’t, should, and shouldn’t eat when dealing with any health issue that can be triggered or affected by foods, beverages, and/or ingredients. Not only do you have to avoid set foods but you also have to avoid foods that contain specific ingredients as well. For instance, someone with leaky gut should avoid tomatoes and every food that contains tomato-based products along with foods that only have a little bit of tomato. 


    Intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome often affects people and it remains undiagnosed. This is because digestive health and gastrointestinal symptoms are all relatively similar to one another, making it difficult to diagnose, as well as, finding the root cause. It can take some time to get the proper diagnosis and to find the most effective natural leaky gut treatment that works best for each individual. Leaky gut antibiotics will manage any excess bacteria, leaky gut probiotics will help balance out the beneficial gut bacteria, and the right leaky gut diet will all play an essential role in an effective outcome. Avoiding foods that trigger symptoms is important because the more the condition is triggered the harder it is going to be to heal. Our gut houses over half of our immune system and we need our immune response to be in top shape in order to defend us from germs and things that can cause harm. Treating our gut can treat our entire body.