Surprising Foods That Contain Nicotine
Nicotine in food? Yep, you read that right. While most people associate nicotine with tobacco, did you know this chemical compound can also be found in your kitchen?
Surprisingly, tiny traces of nicotine exist in everyday foods you may already be eating. But don’t worry—the concentrations are so low that you won’t feel any effects from your salad.
Let’s put our forks down and explore some of the most unexpected sources of naturally occurring nicotine in your diet.
What Food Has the Most Nicotine?
Nicotine is a chemical compound and stimulant found naturally in tobacco, but it also appears in many members of the nightshade family, which may include several of your favorite veggies.
When it comes to which food has the most nicotine, you might be surprised to learn that eggplants come out on top. These purple powerhouses contain about 100 nanograms (ng) of nicotine per gram—that’s just 0.1 micrograms (µg) per gram, an almost negligible amount.
To put that into perspective, 100 grams of eggplant contain roughly 0.01 milligrams (mg) of nicotine. Considering that smoking a cigarette results in about 1 mg of absorbed nicotine, you’d need to chow down on about 10 kilograms (or roughly 22 pounds) of eggplant in one go to match the nicotine in a single cigarette (good luck with that!)
Do Tomatoes Have Nicotine? (And If So, How Much?)
Tomatoes are also in the nightshade family, so they naturally contain nicotine. But before you swear off your pizza sauce, let’s put things into perspective:
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Green (unripe) tomatoes contain about 42.8 ng/g,
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Ripe tomatoes have around 4.3 ng/g, and
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Pureed tomatoes register roughly 52.0 ng/g.
These amounts are minuscule compared to the nicotine absorbed by a cigarette (about 1 mg or 1,000 µg).
Other Foods That Contain Nicotine
Here are a few more edible items on your grocery list that you may not realize contain nicotine:
✅Potatoes: Around 7.1 ng per gram, but green or sprouting potatoes can have slightly more (up to 42 ng per gram). Interestingly, pureeing or mashing potatoes can increase their nicotine content a little too, with some studies measuring 52 ng per gram.
✅Bell Peppers & Chilis: Between 7.7 to 9.2 ng per gram, adding a small trace of nicotine to your fajitas.
✅Cauliflower: While not technically in the nightshade family, a head of cauliflower still has 16.8 ng per gram.
✅Tea: Both black and green herbal teas contain between 100 to 285 ng per gram.
These tiny amounts of nicotine are quickly metabolized or broken down in your stomach, meaning they have no real impact on your body.
From the plants’ perspective, nicotine actually serves a purpose to protect them from pests and diseases. So, while your salad might have a hidden ingredient, rest easy knowing that these traces of nicotine are just another quirk of Mother Nature.
Nicotine in Food vs Tobacco: Should You Be Concerned?
There's no need to worry about nicotine in your food—as mentioned, the nicotine levels are so tiny they won't have any noticeable effects on your body. Interestingly, some studies suggest that these trace amounts might even offer protective benefits—possibly even supporting brain health—but more research is needed before it can be claimed with any degree of certainty.
If you’re looking for a modern, smoke-free way to enjoy nicotine, we don’t recommend a diet consisting solely of potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants (or any other nightshade vegetables for that matter). You'd have to eat absurd amounts to match even a fraction of the nicotine found in a single cigarette.
For a more convenient option, nicotine pouches offer a hands-free alternative for your nicotine needs, and if you’re in the mood for chewing, our range of nicotine gums has you covered.
