Are Tomato Plants Poisonous?
Tomato plants are not poisonous. The leaves, stem, and green unripe fruit of the tomato plant contain small amounts of the toxic compound solanine, which can cause stomachache and other digestive symptoms if ingested in large amounts. However, the ripe fruit of the tomato plant is safe to eat and is a popular and nutritious food.
| Disadvantages | |
| Gastrointestinal complications | The tomato plant contains toxic chemicals called solanine which may cause gastrointestinal complications |
| Slow Heart Rate | The tomato plant contains tomatine which can slow heart rate, and lethargy |
| Allergic Reactions | It contains histamine which can lead to allergic reactions |
Tomato plants contain tomatine, an alkaloid concentrated mainly in leaves, green fruits, and flowers. The leaves green fruits are flowers. The major parts of the plant containing solanine, a major poison Solanine, a major poison, is in the stalks, leaves, and green fruits. The unripe fruits, the green stems, roots and leaves throughout the entire plant contain more significant amounts of solanine than the ripe tomatoes.
The tomato plant contains toxic chemicals called solanine and tomatine, which, if consumed by cats, may cause gastrointestinal complications (stomach discomfort), slow heart rate, and lethargy. Tomato stalks, leaves, and roots contain an alkalloid known as tomatine, which is mildly toxic to humans and may cause some gastrointestinal problems. The fruit is not, but the leaves, roots and stems (and, in limited doses, even some of the unripe fruits) are high in tomatine, an alkaloid which is slightly toxic to humans. No, it is, if taken in limited doses, because the plant contains tomatine, which some unripe fruit has as well, and is mildly toxic to humans.
A couple of sources I looked up suggested tomatine and solanine are destroyed in cooking, making tomato leaves safer to eat, but they are actually highly stable compounds which are not broken down in a significant way if they are heated. Cooking cannot break down the levels of the alkaloids in tomatoes leaves, since they are very stable and cannot break down, even under very high temperatures. Alkaloid levels drop off as tomatoes mature, or approach maturity, so use these in recipes to minimize toxicity risks.
The fact that tomatoes leaves are not a staple in the American diet does not make them toxic in any way. Well, it is kind of a mixture of myths and facts, since you could consider tomato leaves either toxic or non-toxic, depending on your perspective. Whether tomato plant leaves will kill your dog is sort of a dose-dependent question, since you know dogs will eat all kinds of crazy stuff and they will not know when to stop.
Some pets, such as dogs and cats, who have the tendency to chew any plant, especially when the animals are young, may eventually feed too much on tomato leaves, which is highly dangerous. A couple of leaves might cause no major harm, but there could be major health problems if the rabbit is eating tomato leaves in huge quantities.
Dogs may consume a lot of tomato leaves unless they are trained not to go near leaves and they have access to a garden. If dogs have unrestricted access to your familys backyard and are not trained to stay off plants, they are likely to gobble up all your tomatoes, including leaves. Your rabbits may rip some branches off in order to get at juicy tomatoes, but intentionally munching the leaves of your tomato vines is rare.
While tomatoes provide some great nutrients that will help your rabbit stay healthy, tomatoes are also loaded with sugar. Personally, I love using tomatoes leaves as accents, where their intense, grassy flavor provides a unique depth of flavour you cannot achieve with the tomatoes fruits alone. While tomatoes indeed do contain some harmful compounds found in poisonous alternatives, their leaves, stems, and fruits do not hurt you a lick.
Many of the wild tomatoes, though, have berries that are orange and even a little red, which may be tempting to you, but are actually poisonous. Some animal shelters are uncomfortable using cat food that contains tomatoes because they are too acidic, and some believe that they are used as a filler in pet food. That is because tomatoes are part of the nightshade plant family, which has deadly varieties, according to Smithsonian magazine – and Europeans are not eager to eat any nightshade, although only the leaves and stems of the plant, not the fruits, are toxic. These days, we know that, although tomatoes are part of the (very broad and varied) nightshade family, they are certainly not the deadly nightshade variety.
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Unlike other members of the nightshade family, like potatoes and eggplants, the tomato plant has a lower amount of solanine. Tomatine is generally present in all parts of a tomato, including leaves, stems, and unripe tomatoes. Tomatine compounds, when consumed in high quantities, are deadly for dogs. Tomatoes contain only small amounts of solanine, yet can be harmful to cats, dogs, and even humans when consumed in large amounts.
Tomatine exists as the tomato plants natural defence mechanism, protecting its most vulnerable parts from insects and animals (rabbits included) before fruit is fully grown. I find that Tomatine is best used in infusions, to truly capture the essence of the summer ripe tomato. Tomatine is not going to kill you, unless you are gobbling up pounds and pounds of it, but it is probably going to give you some stomach discomfort.
Before tomato made it to North American tables, it was classified as a deadly night-shade, a toxic family of plants in the Solanaceae that contains toxins called tropane alkaloids. When the tomato arrived in Europe in the 16th century, most people thought that it was as toxic as members of the Solanaceae family, including belladonna, mandrake, and henbane. In fact, the plant that produces tomatoes began being grown in Europe only during the 18th century, as an ornamental in gardens, and not for food, as it was considered to be a toxic plant. Like the fruits and vegetables that are also found in Solanaceae plants–the eggplant, for instance–the tomato has developed a dubious reputation for being both toxic and an object of temptation.
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Even if you are feeding the tomato to your pet rabbit or to your feral rabbit for an occasional treat, be sure to remove the stems and any other green parts of the plant still attached to the fruit before feeding it.
Are all tomato leaves poisonous?
Even though they belong to the nightshade family, tomatoes actually produce a distinct alkaloid called tomatine. Tomatine is harmful as well, but not as much. However, if consumed in exceptionally high levels, it may harm the heart, liver, and create gastrointestinal issues.
Are tomato plants poisonous to dogs?
Toxins known as solanine and tomatine, an associated alkaloid, are mostly located in the tomato plant’s greenery. Your dog might suffer from these tomato plant poisons. This implies that your dog must never consume tomato plant leaves or stems, and must stay away from small, green tomatoes.
Are tomato leaves edible?
Tomato leaves are indeed tasty, and aromatic. The young, fresh leaves can be prepared similarly to other hardy garden greens like kale, or cabbage. Tomatine and Solanine toxin levels in tomato leaves, however, are high and may result in symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. So, if you experience such symptoms, go to doctor.