Hey Ernie.... I'm GLAD ya had the "Big Tomato Scare!" Yup... ya read right, I'm GLAD! Heck... anyone who scarfs down tomato soup almost every day for lunch is in a terrible RUT! <wee smirk> Ya gots to DIVERSIFY, Ernie, m'dear... Yessiree, Erniekins.... diversify! Lift your eyes from that boring ol can of tomato soup... think of all the wonderful alternatives out there, and DAMMIT... eat something ELSE for lunch every once in a while! How 'bout CREAM of tomato soup for starters? <grin> And oh... by the way... WHEN are those of you living over the pond gonna learn proper spelling, huh? MY spell checker refuses to permit me to type an "E" at the end of the word "tomato!" <smile> Huggles at you 'n your lovely Lady.. Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] ---------- From: Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of Ernie Peters Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 8:38 AM To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN Subject: Re: Tomato Talk? - Reply to Susan. Hi Susan, As I started this "tomato talk", I thought I had better explain. I have not read anywhere that tomatoes are GOOD for PD, but there is a possibility that, eaten in quantity, they may increase symptoms. I say only "MAY" increase symptoms, and it may be that only in quantity do they have such an effect. I brought it up because I had given up my almost daily lunchtime tomato soup in the winter, because I thought I was doing better in tomato free periods. I still eat tomatoes in other forms. When I read last week that it had been found in a research study that tomato soup raised Cholecystokinin levels, I thought it was worth mentioning. Cholecystokinin is connected with Parkinsons disease and research is being carried out on this connection. There are some PDers who avoid so called "night shade vegetables" such as tomatoes and there is at least one web site I have seen which says PDers should avoid these vegetables. The main thing is to make people aware, so that they can determine if indeed they are affected adversely, and if so, share their experience with the group. As Allan Rosenberg said only yesterday concerning grapefruit, we may each of us be affected by different foods in different ways and to different degrees. Our day to day food is normally varied and PD conditions also vary day to day, so it is not easy to pick out what could be causing a problem - especially if it is only a mild effect in some people. If there WAS a proven effect, as in protein, then we might be a little more careful as to when in the day we eat tomatoes. I hope people will let us have some feedback if they find an effect. Ernie. Ernie Peters <[log in to unmask]>