Does tomato contain nicotine?  That’s the truth

Recently, Network rumors of “Nicotine in tomatoes” have caused many people to panic. Experts said that the content of nicotine in tomatoes is “very small” and basically negligible. In fact, not only tomatoes but also many foods contain nicotine.

Date: Nicotine Content in Various Foods

Cauliflower: 16.8 ng of nicotine per gram of food; 1 microgram of nicotine per 59.5 grams.

Eggplant: Contains 100.0 nanograms of nicotine per gram of food; 1 microgram of nicotine per 10 grams.

Potatoes: 7.1 nanograms of nicotine per gram of food; 1 microgram of nicotine per 140 grams.

Green tomatoes: 42.8 ng of nicotine per gram of food; 1 microgram of nicotine per 23.4 grams.

Cooked tomatoes: 4.3 ng of nicotine per gram of food; 1 microgram of nicotine per 233.0 grams.

Tomato sauce: 52.0 nanograms of nicotine per gram of food; 1 microgram of nicotine per 19.2 grams.

One microgram of nicotine is equivalent to sitting in a room with a light smell of smoke for 3 hours. Each cigarette contains about 7 milligrams of nicotine, about 1 milligram of which is absorbed.

Taking eggplant as an example, the amount of nicotine contained in 10 kilograms of eggplant is equivalent to the amount absorbed by one cigarette. But in fact, the absorption rate of nicotine in the digestive tract is lower, and nicotine can be metabolized rapidly. So its impact is not close. (Data source is New England Journal of Medicine vol 329 p437)

Interesting Fact: Nicotine Food Found in 1852

"Actually, people have long found that other solanaceous plants contain nicotine besides tobacco," said Fan Zhihong, associate professor of nutrition and food safety at the Food College of China Agricultural University. Many species of solanaceous plants are loved by humans. And a large number of cultivation, such as eggplant, tomatoes and sweet peppers, darling peppers of condiments, potatoes that are used as staple foods by Europeans, and quails that are known for their health care are all under the Solanaceae. Even as early as 1852, it was discovered that rotten potatoes contained nicotine.

There are also recent studies showing that some mushrooms contain higher nicotine. The research data received by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proved that the concentration of nicotine in wild mushrooms such as boletus and truffles was as high as 0.5 mg/kg. However, further studies have found that nicotine is a natural metabolite of the fungus itself and is not a contaminated residue of the nicotine insecticide.

Exaggeration: Online reports exaggerate the harm of nicotine

Even if the content of nicotine in these vegetables is extremely low, there are always people who worry about “how to do if a small amount of toxic substances accumulate over a long period of time”. In fact, there is no need to worry, because the metabolic degradation of nicotine in the human body is very fast. Otherwise, there is no way to understand why smokers inhale so much smoke every day. If the daily smoking of nicotine is extracted and injected intravenously, the quantity far exceeds the lethal dose and can survive for several decades. It is precisely because nicotine is a small intake, and then quickly detoxification metabolism.

According to Li Guangping, a state-level public nutritionist, online reports exaggerated the harm of nicotine on the human body. In fact, even people who prefer certain vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers do not need to worry. Taking tomato as an example, the consumption of nicotine for tens of kilograms of tomatoes will cause harm to the human body. It is also true for raw tomatoes. .

Popular science: What exactly is nicotine?

Nicotine is a highly toxic ingredient. The content of nicotine in a cigarette is about 1 mg/kg. A lively horse can be killed by intravenous injection of 8 drops of nicotine; the nicotine contained in a cigarette is extracted and injected into mice to make it die. The taste of cigarettes will keep animals and insects away because they intuitively know that tobacco is toxic. However, nicotine is also a strong addictive ingredient. Smokers are so obsessed with smoke, mainly because of it. It is exciting and calm. It increases blood pressure and is harmful to the cardiovascular system.

In fact, if you hear a food containing some kind of toxic substance, do not panic immediately. To ask a few questions first:

1. How high is this toxic substance content? Is it possible to achieve a significant degree of harmful effects?

2. How much food does this food that contain such toxic substances can be eaten per day?

3. Can this toxic substance be decomposed during cooking?

4. Will this toxic substance accumulate in the body for a long period of time, or will it be quickly decomposed and eliminated?

5. Does this food contain other beneficial ingredients in addition to toxic substances?

6. What other foods did you eat in addition to this food?

7. Is your overall lifestyle healthy?