Lectins and Chronic Illness

Not all plants are benign. We know this because we don’t just walk into the forest and start eating leaves on bushes, berries and mushrooms. Humans have an innate wisdom and respect for the natural world and for good reason. In my experience as a functional nutritionist and hobby herbalist, I know plants can be powerful medicine or potent poison. For example, there are specific proteins found in plants called lectins that can either be obsolete to your health or destructive! This paradoxical truth about plants is easily forgotten because of the disconnection between humans and their food sources. Part of my mission as a nutritionist is to educate my clients to reconnect with their food source and in doing so can heal the body.

What are lectins?

As mentioned previously, not all lectins are bad. But that is why we have to talk about them. The harmful lectins are wreaking havoc on modern society’s health. For example, avocado contains a harmless lectin called CLEC11A while the castor oil bean contains Ricin which is toxic. Toxic lectins have no benefit in the diet and it is completely safe to removing them from your diet. This is because they do not stay in the body for very long except for when you consume lectins in conjunction with other plant toxins like saponins. 

Lectins are sticky proteins that stick to carbohydrates and cell membranes. This function causes lectins to be an important part of the immune system. Lectins can modulate inflammatory responses and are part of pathogen recognition and elimination. Some medications actually use lectins to stimulate the immune system for this reason.  Your body creates lectins to bind to bacteria and protect your body. However, lectins from food seriously disrupt the immune system.

The problem is that studies show lectins stick to the lining of the intestinal wall and puncture holes to cause leaky gut. Other toxic effects of lectins include:

• Neurochemical production imbalances (such as serotonin and dopamine)

• Increased pathogenic bacteria due to damaged microvilli and intestinal lining

• Immune sensitization leading to multiple autoimmune disorders

• Damage to pancreatic cells and thyroid cells

• Obesity by blocking insulin receptor sites, causing weight gain

• Stickiness can clump together and cause blockages in Kidney, Liver, Pancreas, and Thyroid

• Damage to the nervous system where lectins are transported causing inflammation and neurochemical disruption

Lectins are proteins found in plants to protect the plant from being eaten. Therefore, lectins are found highest in unripe foods and parts of the plant that do not want to be consumed such as the seeds and skins. Global food transportation and eating foods all year round has led to a modern diet very high in lectin-containing foods.

What foods are high in lectins?

Here is a crude list of high toxic lectin foods that should be properly prepared or avoided. 

• A1 dairy (avoid)

• Beans

• Grains

• Bell peppers

• Cashews

• Chia seeds

• Cucumber 

• Eggplant

• Lentils

• Peas

• Pumpkin seeds

• Squash

• Sunflower seeds

• Tomatoes

• Zucchini

• Out of season fruit

Notice some of these foods are often allowed on gut healing diets like the GAPS diet. If you haven’t experienced the benefits that you are wanting and you have been consuming these foods, consider removing them.

Lectins in Human Dietary History

There are some foods like oglio/polysaccharides (onions, garlic, okra, shiitake, bone marrow etc) that help bind to lectins and prevent damage in the intestines and body. Historically lectins would be consumed with these foods as well as properly prepared to neutralize the high amounts of lectins.

How to reduce lectins in the diet:

• Eating seasonally

• Fermentation

• Soaking and sprouting

• Cook for long periods of time

Traditionally, foods like corn, wheat, and soy underwent very rigorous processing in ancestral traditional societies. For example, corn contains lectins that impact absorption of vitamins. In the late 19th century the southern US states experienced an epidemic of Pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia) because they didn’t practice the nixtamalization process that native corn eaters would practice to create hominy. 

Wheat traditionally was eaten after a 72 hour fermentation period which reduces wheat germ agglutinin from 72,000 ppm to 12 ppm. Soy was only eaten in the last 1000 years during the yellow emperor period. Soy was first only consumed after fermenting for 3-6 months into soy sauce called Tamari. Lectins are not removed when steaming edamame, or in tofu. The ancestral fermentation of soy included miso, tempe, Tamari, and natto. Modern processed soy milks and yogurts and proteins are very high in lectin.

How to reverse the damage of lectins in the body?

If you just found out that you have been contributing to inflammation from eating the toxic lectin foods, you are not alone. Many of my clients had no idea and are now desperately trying to recover from an Autoimmune condition, chronic fatigue, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and weight gain. 

The first line of defense is offense. This means, first stop the insult of damage by avoiding high lectin containing foods for at least 6 months or until remission. You will want to wait to bring in properly prepared lectin foods until after recovery from your condition is sustained for 6-12 months. You may be able to have some minimal amounts of pumpkin on special occasions during that time. Once healed you can practice proper ancestral methods of consuming lectin containing foods while also consuming lectin blocking foods. 

1. First stop adding toxicity to the body. Avoid lectin containing foods.

2. Consume lectin-blocking foods which contain glyconutrients.

3. Once in remission for 6-12 months, begin adding high lectin foods after properly preparing them.

Learn more about lectin blocking foods, called glyconutrients here.