So a few weeks ago we talked about Gluten—the large protein molecule found in wheat, rye and barley—and it’s ability to wreak havoc on your digestive system. Researchers believe that about a third of the population have some sort of gluten intolerance. That means we react to gluten with an inflammatory response that over time can develop into a dismal array of medical conditions: dermatitis, joint pain, reproductive problems, acid reflux and other digestive conditions, autoimmune disorders and celiac disease. Also, it is possible that the rest off us (possibly 99%) could be experiencing some sort of milder negative effect from eating Gluten that isn’t so obvious.

There’s another less obvious problem with gluten that we need to discuss. Like most thugs, gluten doesn’t hang out alone. Its partners in crime are its two ugly cousins—Lectins and Phytates. Of course, Gluten gets all the press because it seems to commit the most crimes, but its cohorts can be just as damaging.

So let’s talk about Lectins. In plants they are natural toxins found in high levels in most grains and beans and in lower levels in a wide variety of foods.

So why are there high levels of natural toxins in grains and beans? Survival! No living organism wants to be eaten by another. Our goal is to thrive and reproduce. Animals are equipped with the ability to run away or fight when there is a chance of being on the menu. Plants can’t do that. So to protect themselves, particularly their reproductive organs (their seeds), some have developed anti-nutrients whose purpose is to attack the digestive system of any animal that might eat them. Anit-nutrients—Gluten, Lectins and Phytates—are plants’ ways of fighting back.

For plants, survival means having their seeds fall on fertile soil intact so they can sprout and produce the next generation. Some fruits have a very cordial way of getting the job done. They entice animals to eat them through their vibrant colors and sweet taste. The animal then poops the whole seed out on fertile soil ready to germinate. This makes everybody Happy! Happy! Happy!

Grains and beans don’t have the luxury of tasty packaging. So to protect their seeds (reproductive organs) from being eaten, they have developed anti-nutrients (poisons if you will) to attack the digestive system of any animal that might eat them. They can cause considerable intestinal distress—diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, IBS and even death (Lectins in red kidney beans are lethal). But most of the time, their effects are subtler and can take years to manifest as a life-threatening disease. Birds, rodents and some insects can deal with anti-nutrients, but most humans can’t.

Lectins are protein molecules that firmly bind to carbohydrate and sugar molecules. They are sticky like glue, and their stickiness is what makes them so important, it’s also what makes them so dangerous. Plant Lectins are resistant to human digestion and they enter the bloodstream unchanged. Because we don’t digest them, our immune system attacks them causing an inflammatory response (not a good thing). But the damage Lectins can do to us gets worse.

Leaky Gut

Because of their stickiness, Lectins bind to our intestinal lining. There they can damage our intestines in a way that creates openings large enough to allow large undigested proteins to enter our bloodstream before they should. This sets off and immune response against these unfamiliar invaders, which causes your body to have a systemic inflammatory response, which relates to a host of problems, including obesity and heart disease.

Autoimmune Response

When your immune system detects unfamiliar proteins that have entered your blood through openings caused by Lectins, the immune response starts. Many of these proteins closely resemble body tissues, and the immune response becomes and autoimmune response. In celiac disease, Gluten closely resembles the proteins of the cells that line the intestine. The intestinal lining is attached, which results in compromised absorption of critical vitamins and minerals.

If you have an autoimmune disease, remove all grains, beans and dairy (yep Lectins are in dairy in small amounts) from you diet and see what happens.

Leptin Resistance

Okay to keep things from getting confusing, since Leptin sounds a lot like Lectin, I’ll type Leptin in all caps to make it fat (or phat). LEPTIN is a hormone secreted by your fat cells that tells you you’re full. The more fat tissue an animal has, the more LEPTIN is produced. It’s sort of like a safety valve that says “you’re fat enough, stop eating so much.” Once a person becomes LEPTIN resistant, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes soon follow.

In people who are obese their brain does not respond to LEPTIN. Obese people typically have high levels of LEPTIN, but their brain believes LEPTIN levels are low, implying stored energy levels are low, so the brain thinks its starving.

There is increasing evidence that Lectins bind to LEPTIN receptor sites causing our brains to be resistant to LEPTIN’s signal that says, “stop eating so much.”

Logically it makes sense. Look at the increasing numbers of extremely obese people. I’m sure none of them choose to weigh 300 pounds plus. Something has to be out of whack in their metabolism to cause most Americans to put on more and more fat every year. I’m convinced a great deal of it is related to Lectins.

So what should you do with this information about Lectins? Grains and beans have the highest amount of Lectins. So stop eating all wheat, rye, barley, corn, beans and peanuts. Replace those foods with vegetables and fruit.

Remember this simple rule:  If you have to process it to eat it, you shouldn’t eat it.

All grains and beans must to be processed to be eaten.

Don’t allow yourself to be attacked by grains or beans.

Stick with fruit and vegetables, so everyone will be happy.

Stay Strong!

Bo Railey