Are lectins harmful? The short answer is it depends. It depends on the type of lectin, the individual, and the dosage.
People with inflammation issues, autoimmune disease or unexplainable health issues should experiment avoiding lectins from ALL grains, beans/legumes, nuts and potatoes/tubers (all kinds) for a period of 4 weeks. If you stay away from most lectins or cut out grains and eat legumes or nuts, this won’t cut it. Seeds may also be problematic for some, but it’s less common.
A study was done on 800 people with autoimmune conditions who ate a diet that consisted of avoidance of: grains, sprouted grains, pseudo-grains, beans and legumes, soy, peanuts, cashews, nightshades, melons and squashes, and non-Southern European cow milk products (Casein A1), and grain and/or bean fed animals.
Most of these people had elevated TNF-alpha. The result after 6 months was a normalization of TNF-alpha in all patients who complied with the diet.
The study concluded that elevated Adiponectin is a marker for lectin and gluten sensitivity, while TNF-alpha can be used as a marker for gluten/lectin exposure in sensitive individuals. (R)
Anyone with gas or GI problems should realize that lectins are likely the most significant cause (stress is also significant).
For healthy individuals with no inflammatory issues, I would recommend soaking and sprouting grains, legumes and nuts whenever possible. Whole grains have more lectins than refined grains. Seeds are better sprouted but less important.
People with anxiety-based disorders and/or gut problems should seriously consider a diet that limits lectins because lectins bind to serotonin receptors and transporters. (R, R2) disrupting their function.
Lectins were the root cause of a good portion of my health issues. People with obscure health issues try to fix them with a whole bunch of insignificant changes. Lectins are the most significant cause of autoimmune disease in my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment