Scientific explanation of vegetables containing nicotine

Recently, a Weibo post has been widely circulated, claiming that certain vegetables contain nicotine and eating them raw is equivalent to smoking. This Weibo post has been widely forwarded, causing concern among netizens, but is it true that eating vegetables raw is equivalent to smoking?

Vegetables contain nicotine. Is eating raw vegetables equivalent to passive smoking? On the 8th, a piece of news spread quickly on the Internet and attracted people's attention. It is reported that scientists have found nicotine content in some vegetables, so it is best not to eat vegetables such as tomatoes raw. Authoritative experts on food and vegetables in Nanjing believe that there is no need to be nervous because the nicotine content in vegetables is too low and does not pose a threat to the human body.

According to online news, after long-term research, American scientists have discovered that commonly consumed vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and cauliflower contain varying amounts of nicotine. If these vegetables are eaten raw without being cooked, the amount of nicotine that enters the human body will be greater, and the resulting damage will be similar to passive smoking in a smoky environment.

Zhou Dabiao, director of the Nanjing Vegetable Science Research Institute, said that he has not heard of nicotine in vegetables so far, but some vegetables, such as lentils, contain alkali substances and can have an impact on health if eaten without being cooked. Associate Professor Yu Zhifen from Nanjing Agricultural University told reporters that vegetables are not all beneficial. In addition to lentils containing some harmful substances, some vegetables can even cause allergic diseases and metabolic diseases.

Scientific research has found that nicotine is indeed present in vegetables that people commonly consume, such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, cauliflower, etc. However, scientists have discovered that the nicotine content in tomatoes is extremely small and can only be measured in micrograms, which is so small that it can be ignored. Therefore, under normal circumstances, eating vegetables will not have any effect on the human body, and there is no need for citizens to worry about this.