16/03/2025
LECTINS: A HIGHLY REACTIVE COMPONENT OF THE FOODS WE EAT!
Life would not exist if plants and animals had not adapted to their environment to ensure survival. A major adaptation by all living organisms (plants and animals) is the attachment of a protein to a carbohydrate. A protein attached to a carbohydrate is called a glycoprotein, and lectins are one of many glycoproteins plants make to ensure survival.
The lectins in plants are a protective mechanism, again, to ensure their survival. One could call lectins an “anti-nutrient” as they are not digestible. In restricting digestion, the lectins protect the seed, grain, nut and bean from the digestive process of the bird or animal. The lectins allows the seed, grain, nut or bean to pass through the digestive system undamaged, so it can be eliminated (yup, in the p**p) and begin its germination in the soil, nourished by the nutrients in the digestive waste (hurray for p**p!).
Lectins are found in abundance in:
• Beans, Legumes and Peas (think chickpeas)
• Whole grains, especially wheat
• Nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, potatoes.
• Cucurbitaceous vegetables such as cucumber, melon, squash, pumpkin, and zucchini.
For those sensitive to lectins, the symptoms can include:
• Digestive problems: bloating, nausea, diarrhea and flatulence
• “Brain fog.”
• Mood changes
• Changes in handwriting (due to increased anxiety and loss of focus)
• Insomnia.
• Skin inflammation such as eczema and rashes.
• Systemic Inflammation in the form of pain, joint discomfort, and arthritis.
At Allergy Free Flagstaff we use 21th century sciences to identify the components of food to which the body reacts inappropriately, and restore life-long tolerance without needles, shots or pills.
Visit our website or call to find out how you can enjoy healthy foods without the reactions associated with allergies and sensitivities.