LECTIN FREE diet? Is it worth all the hype!!?
Let’s get to the bottom of the hype by understanding: What lectins are, how they affect our bodies, and if the danger out ways the benefits of the foods that contain them.
First: What are Lectins?
Lectins are a naturally occurring protein found in a lot of plants which help bind carbohydrate. They play a protective role in the survival of the plant while it is growing.
Second: How do lectins affect our body?
Remember the burst of flatulence after eating that bean burrito? Well, you can blame lectins! These “naturally occurring proteins,” when consumed in their raw form, can cause symptoms as severe as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. And, although we can, reduce lectin consumption through some food prep, like soaking and cooking beans, there are still lectins that slip through and cause unwanted symptoms.
Lectins can cause GI distress. However, it is believed that lectins pose a higher risk to people who are already suffering from GI disorders than normal healthy guts.
Lectins containing food are also beneficial. Many lectins containing foods like legumes, whole grains, and nuts are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, weight loss, and tye 2 diabetes according to Harvard’s School of Public Health. They also say there is early research looking into “the use of non-toxic, low amounts of certain lectins to help stimulate gut cell growth in patients who are unable to eat for long periods, and in anticancer treatments due to the ability of lectins to cause cancer cell death [1].”.
Third: TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT LECTINS CONTAINING FOODS?
NOT TO: There are some excellent reasons to avoid lectins. There is no doubt about that. However, you have to decide if the dangers outweigh the benefits of the foods that contain these forbidden lectins. If you are already suffering from GI disease or discomfort cutting foods that contain higher rates of lectins can be beneficial. Your best option is to discuss your diet with a licensed nutritionist and to be under constant medical supervision when making any significant changes to your diet.
Weigh-loss benefit: Cutting out lectin containing foods will make you lose weight. Mostly because almost every meal we consume has lectins in some capacity. Which means cutting out so much food your body would begin to shrink in size. Again, if you are looking to become healthy by cutting out lectins, you need to weigh the benefit of what you’re cutting out against what you need to keep and base your decision off of a knowledgable source. Personally, I would put my trust into a licensed, well-educated individual than an online unsourced document of information! #justsayin’
TO EAT: I suffer from Celiacs Disease and cutting out lectins presumably would be a great idea! However, the absorption of beneficial nutrients is the name of the game in my case. Identifying how to reduce the lectins in beneficial food sources is essential for me and provides the most significant benefit for my personal health journey. Moving forward I, personally, believe that making sure I gain the nutrients from lectin containing foods is what is most important. This means making sure I soak my beans and change the water several times before cooking them well.
In all my years of tracking and following diets, making sure I get everything I need and nothing that I don’t; I’ve learned this one thing: BALANCE is what keeps us healthy. There isn’t a diet or pill that will 100% solve the problem 100%. Don’t agree? I argue in defense of my reasoning by exhibit A: the flu shot! HA. HA.
- Is a lectin free diet beneficial? Depending on your health and concerns, yes, it can be.
- Should I cut all lectin containing foods from my diet? NO. There are too many foods that contain lectins to cut them all out. Talk to your doctor about the best way to adjust your diet for your overall health.
Sources:
(For an in-depth look at what lectins are and how they function in regards to our bodies check out the above links. )
Every Corner Co. 
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