Lectins are specific proteins that are found in plant sources and especially legumes. They can also be found in the skin, rinds, seeds, and leaves of certain plants.
It is important to know that these particular proteins are something that can attach to the intestinal lining in our guts and thus cause havoc in the human body.
A big factor surrounding lectins is that they disrupt our immune systems thus leading to excessive inflammation and other issues for our health down the road such as digestive issues, brain fog, weight gain, and fatigue.
Although not everyone is completely sensitive to lectins and the way they’re broken down in the body in the gut microbiome, it is important to note that this can affect the body when you consider other toxins that accumulate in the body.
There are other noteworthy toxins that can accumulate in combination that synergistically cause havoc along with lectins such as antibiotics, NSAIDS, artificial sweetners, artificial colors, GMO’s, and blue light emission from technology.
So where are lectins in your foods? Here is a little list of common foods:
- Peanuts and cashew nuts
- Corn and animal meat that came from animals that ate corn
- Wheat
- Beans and Legumes
- Nightshade vegetables (Tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, okra, white potatoes)
- Squashes
The most important factor with lectins is knowing whether the foods above really happen to cause you sensitivity in your gut.
If you eat these foods on a regular basis and notice a tendency to have digestive disturbances it may be wise to start slowly eliminating the foods out of your diet.
A big part of it comes down to how strong your positive bacteria colony is in your gut and whether your microbiome is built up enough to handle certain foods without particular sensitivity.
The best way to know is to have blood work done and test for different allergen sensitivities.
Overall if you lower your lectin intake with your diet or completely eliminate lectin heavy foods, you will likely begin to notice a reduction in inflammatory based sensitivities in the gut and GI tract.
If you are interested to see if you are going to see a reduction in symptoms check with your physician or nutritionist and reduce your lectin intake for 2 weeks to a month.
Resources
Here’s What You Should Know About Lectins:
https://helloglow.co/what-are-lectins/
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