Eggplant seeds (and they have many) contain nicotinoid alkaloids, which are responsible for the slightly bitter taste of the purple berry. The concentration of nicotine itself is about 100 nanograms per gram of eggplant, compared with 2 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette. So, if you’re willing to eat 20 000 grams of eggplant (around 20 eggplants) for breakfast, you could skip your morning cigarette. Of course, eggplants aren’t alone in containing nicotine: tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes do too! There is an allegation floating around that these "nightshade" vegetables (so-called because they can grow in shade), vegetables should be shunned, particularly by arthritis sufferers, because they cause inflammation. There is no scientific evidence for this and avoiding these vegetables unnecessarily restricts diets. It should be mentioned that "deadly nightshade," also known as belladonna, is quite distinct from the nightshade vegetables and should be avoided due to its potentially dangerous content of atropine. Incidentally, the name "belladonna" means "beautiful woman" in Italian; Roman ladies treated their eyes with the juice of the plant's berries to dilate their pupils which supposedly made them look more beautiful.
