Which fruit has nicotine in it? Exploring Nightshade Vegetables

December 20, 2025 •

3 min read

Approximately 1,400 nanograms of nicotine are consumed daily through an average diet, a fact that surprises many who associate the substance solely with tobacco. This minuscule amount of naturally occurring nicotine is found in several everyday foods, most notably certain fruits and vegetables within the nightshade family, including the tomato.

Quick Summary

Trace amounts of nicotine are naturally present in nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants, far less than levels in tobacco. This is due to the plants' evolutionary defense mechanisms against insects. The dietary intake is negligible and non-addictive.

Key Points

Nightshade Family: Nicotine occurs naturally in trace amounts within the Solanaceae family, which includes tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes.
Tomato Content: Tomatoes, while technically a fruit, contain a tiny, harmless amount of nicotine, which decreases as the fruit ripens.
Negligible Levels: The amount of nicotine in these foods is thousands of times lower than in a single tobacco cigarette and has no addictive effect.
Natural Defense: Nicotine production is an evolutionary trait developed by nightshade plants to act as a natural pesticide against insects.
Health Benefits: Consuming these nutritious foods, despite their trace nicotine content, offers significant health benefits and is not a cause for concern.
Dietary Intake: The average daily dietary nicotine intake is minimal and does not produce any physiological effects.
Highest Food Level: Among common edible nightshades, eggplant is often reported to have one of the highest trace nicotine concentrations, though still insignificant.
Cooking Effects: Cooking methods like frying may slightly increase nicotine concentration in foods like potatoes due to water loss.

Surprising Nightshades: More Than Just Tobacco

Nicotine is an alkaloid, a naturally occurring chemical compound, primarily known for its high concentration in the tobacco plant. However, tobacco is just one member of the Solanaceae plant family, commonly known as nightshades. This diverse botanical family includes many common edible plants, including vegetables that are technically fruits, which produce trace amounts of nicotine as a natural defense mechanism against insects. While the amounts are insignificant from a health and addiction perspective, it’s a fascinating aspect of plant biology that many people are unaware of.

Tomatoes: The Nicotine-Containing Fruit

Technically a fruit, the tomato is one of the most widely consumed nightshade plants found to contain nicotine. The concentration is incredibly low, measured in micrograms per kilogram rather than the milligrams found in tobacco products.

How much? A ripe tomato contains between 2,700 and 16,100 ng of nicotine per kg.
Ripeness matters: Studies show that green, unripe tomatoes contain higher concentrations of nicotine than their ripe, red counterparts.
Perspective: You would have to eat many kilograms of tomatoes in a short period to ingest the amount of nicotine from a single cigarette.

Eggplant (Aubergine): A Higher Trace Content

Among the common edible nightshades, the eggplant (aubergine) is often cited as having one of the highest trace concentrations of nicotine.

Levels: One study measured a concentration of around 100 μg of nicotine per gram of eggplant.
Culinary impact: Despite this, the levels are still so minute that they have no physiological effect on humans and are not a cause for health concern.

Potatoes: Nicotine in the Tuber

Potatoes, another staple of the nightshade family, also contain trace amounts of nicotine, particularly in the skin.

Concentration: Nicotine levels in potatoes range from 3,300 to 11,500 ng per kg.
Effect of cooking: Some studies suggest that frying potatoes can slightly increase the concentration of nicotine due to water loss, while boiling may cause some of it to leach into the water.
Comparison: The nicotine content of potatoes is significantly lower than in tomatoes.

Peppers: A Spicy Source of Nicotine

Both bell peppers and hot peppers contain nicotine, with concentrations varying by type and ripeness. The burning sensation from chili peppers comes from capsaicin, a different compound entirely, not nicotine.

Bell peppers: Red bell peppers, being more ripe, tend to have less nicotine than green ones.
Chili peppers: Hot peppers contain trace amounts, but the amount is negligible compared to tobacco.

Natural Nicotine vs. Tobacco

The crucial distinction to understand is the sheer difference in scale between natural dietary nicotine and the nicotine in tobacco products. This difference is so vast it renders the former completely harmless and non-addictive.

Comparison Table: Nicotine in Foods vs. Tobacco


Item	Nicotine Content	Notes
One Cigarette	~10-12 mg (10,000-12,000 μg)	A fraction is absorbed, but still thousands of times more than in food.
Medium Eggplant (250g)	~25 μg	Highest trace content among common edible nightshades.
Medium Tomato (200g)	~1.4 μg	Levels vary with ripeness.
Medium Potato (170g)	~2.6 μg	More concentrated in the skin.

Conclusion

While the search for which fruit has nicotine in it might lead to surprising discoveries like the tomato and eggplant, the truth is that the levels are astronomically low compared to tobacco. The nicotine present in these nightshade plants is a benign remnant of evolution, a natural pesticide that keeps insects away. Eating a varied and healthy diet that includes these nutritious foods poses no risk of addiction or adverse effects from their trace nicotine content. In fact, avoiding them would mean missing out on valuable vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. The scientific consensus is clear: the health benefits of consuming these vegetables far outweigh any unfounded concerns about their minimal nicotine content. It’s a testament to the intricate and often surprising chemistry of the natural world. For more on the evolutionary and biological aspects of plant chemistry, explore resources from authoritative sources, such as the National Institutes of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is impossible to get addicted to nicotine from eating tomatoes or other nightshade vegetables. The amount of nicotine is so minuscule—thousands of times less than in a cigarette—that it does not produce any physiological or addictive effects.

Yes, it is completely safe to eat foods containing trace amounts of nicotine. The health benefits derived from the vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants in these nutritious foods far outweigh any unfounded concerns about their nicotine content.

Plants in the nightshade family produce nicotine as a natural defense mechanism. The compound acts as a pesticide to protect the plant from insects and other herbivores.

A medium eggplant contains only a fraction of the nicotine found in a single cigarette. You would have to consume an unrealistic amount of eggplant, approximately 20 pounds, to equal the nicotine from just one cigarette.

No, consuming foods with natural, trace amounts of nicotine will not cause you to fail a nicotine drug test. The quantity is too low to register on standard tests, which are calibrated for the much higher levels associated with tobacco use.

The effect of cooking varies. Boiling may cause some nicotine to leach into the water, potentially reducing the content. However, cooking methods like frying can lead to higher concentrations due to water loss.

In addition to nightshades, trace amounts of nicotine have also been found in certain teas (black and green) and some other vegetables like cauliflower.