Unexpected food and drink items that contain nicotine

While too low to have the impact people would expect, nicotine is found in many food items

Most rightfully associate cigarettes and vapes with nicotine, but the substance is also found in some of the most common food and drink items.

Nicotine is a naturally-occurring alkaloid produced by certain plants as a protective defence against insects.

While most commonly associated with tobacco, tiny micro-quantities exist in everyday produce and beverages.

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The amounts listed below are measured in nanograms per gram of food (1 ng = 0.000001mg), far too low to produce any physiological impact or addictive response.

Here are the following food and drink items that contain nicotine:

Aubergine

Aubergines contain the highest concentration of naturally occurring nicotine among common edible foods, averaging roughly 100 nanograms per gram. Even with this relatively high concentration for a vegetable, you would need to eat approximately 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of aubergine in a single sitting to absorb the amount of nicotine provided by one cigarette.

Green Tomatoes

Unripe green tomatoes contain up to 42 nanograms of nicotine per gram. As the tomato matures on the vine, its nicotine levels drop significantly.

Ripe Red Tomatoes

As tomatoes ripen, their nicotine content declines to about 4 nanograms per gram. The compound remains present in both fresh tomatoes and cooked tomato products like pasta sauce and ketchup.

Potatoes

Potatoes contain between 7 and 15 nanograms of nicotine per gram. The compound is concentrated mainly within the inner pulp rather than the skin. Common cooking techniques, such as baking, boiling, or frying, do not significantly alter or break down the nicotine present.

Bell Peppers

All colours of bell peppers (green, red, yellow, and orange) contain trace amounts of nicotine, averaging around 7 to 9 nanograms per gram.

Chilli peppers

Hot peppers share the same family tree as sweet bell peppers and contain similar trace quantities of nicotine, around 7 to 8 nanograms per gram.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower contains roughly 16 nanograms of nicotine per gram. Unlike most other veggies on this list, cauliflower belongs to the Brassicaceae (cruciferous) family rather than the nightshade family.

Black tea

Brewed black tea leaves contain tiny trace amounts of nicotine, typically around 100 nanograms per gram of dry tea leaves. The actual amount present in a brewed cup of tea is barely detectable.

Green tea

Green tea leaves, harvested from the same Camellia sinensis plant as black tea, also contain minor trace quantities of nicotine in both raw leaf and brewed form.