Science > Diet and Health
Lectins - a defense mechanism of plants
Nienna:
--- Quote from: broken.english on July 14, 2010, 09:07:40 AM ---
--- Quote from: cholas on July 14, 2010, 07:57:41 AM ---
From the information provided, it sounds like white rice is ok(neutral) while experimenting with other foods?
Would it be reasonable to reintroduce a few items like lentils and black beans(soaked, cooked properly) after a 10 day elimination or just avoid altogether?
Our pantry is pretty stocked with organic brown rice and a variety of legumes, moreso now after throwing out the pastas. Should they be tossed also? Wait for more info and experiment? Are some just more sensitive than others and these foods are truly harmful to all?
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Your question about rice is difficult to answer. In Japan rice is said to be the no. 1 cause of allergies but I have no information, whether white rice is harmless or not. Probably it is not because most people eat white rice. I think the only way to find this out for yourself is an elimination diet.
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Yep! I agree.
I found out that once I quit the beans and rice, I had more improvement in my condition, both physically and mentally. So the best thing to do is not eat them for a couple of weeks and then try them one at a time to see how they affect you.
fwiw
Added: BTW, Data, thank you for doing this. It is a great idea!
Megan:
Sayer Ji (author of Opening Pandora's Box: The Critical Role of Wheat Lectin in Human Disease) has a new blog post:
Beyond Gluten-Free: The Critical Role of Chitin-Binding Lectins in Human Disease
--- Quote from: Beyond Gluten-Free: The Critical Role of Chitin-Binding Lectins in Human Disease ---While eliminating wheat from the diet is an excellent and necessary step for improving health, it may not be alone sufficient, especially in those with serious health challenges. There are other lectins in the Western diet that have properties similar to wheat lectin (WGA), namely, "chitin-binding lectins." Remember, "chitins" are long polymers of n-acetyl-glucosamine, the primary binding target of wheat lectin. Wheat lectin and "chitin-binding lectin" therefore are functionally identical. These chitin-binding lectin containing foods are:
1) Potato
2) Tomato
3) Barley
4) Rye
4) Rice
Yes, you are seeing correctly: "gluten free" potato and rice, which are two of the most commonly used ingredients in "gluten and wheat free" products, are on this list. These foods contain a lectin structurally and functionally similar to wheat lectin. While the "nightshade" connection with inflammation has a well-established history, even if the scientific explanation for the connection has been somewhat lacking (perhaps until now), the fact that RICE is on this list amounts to a dietary bombshell. This may also explain why the grain-free diet often produces such superior over simply the wheat or gluten-grain restricted diet and why in some cases elimating rice may be necessary for full recovery from diet-induced or diet-related ailments.
Why These Lectins Explain Our Dependence on NSAIDs and Glucosamine
Because many tissues within humans are comprised of n-acetyl-glucosame (a chitin-like substance) the consumption of seemingly innocuous foods such as listed above could result in a wide range of adverse effects (see list above on WGA's 9 potentially toxic effects). The fact that so many Americans consume at least two or three of the above foods (plus wheat) daily expains, for one, why degenerative joint disease (i.e. osteoarthritis) is the rule, not the exception in Western societies, especially in our aging populations. This should explain the connection further:
One way to gauge just how pervasive the adverse effects of these foods are among Western populations is the popularity of the dietary supplement glucosamine. In the USA, a quarter billion dollars’ worth of glucosamine is sold annually.The main source of glucosamine on the market is from the N-Acetylglucosamine rich chitin exoskelotons of crustaceans, like shrimp and crab. Glucosamine is used for reducing pain and inflammation. We do not have a dietary deficiency of the pulverized shells of dead sea critters, just as our use of NSAIDs is not caused by a deficiency of these synthetic chemicals in our diet. When we consume glucosamine supplements, the chitin-binding lectins in our foods, instead of binding to our tissues, bind to the pulverized chitin in the glucosamine supplements, sparing us from their full impact. Many millions of Americans who have greatly reduced their pain and suffering by ingesting glucosamine and NSAIDs may be better served by removing chitin-binding lectin containing foods (the underlying cause of their malaise) from their diets. This would result in even greater relief from pain and inflammation along with far less dependency on palliative supplements and medicines alike.
The connection between these chitin-binding lectins and NSAID/Glucosamine dependency has now been explained, but this is only the tip of the "lectin" iceberg. I believe that an in depth investigation into wheat lectin/chitin-binding lectin will reveal that these "invisible thorns" are a rather dominant contributing factor to morbidity and mortality in Westernized socieities.
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Goemon_:
I am looking for a list of product with the "bad" lectins. So this link seems to be what I'm looking for :
--- Quote ---Lectins in Edible Foods & ABO Reactions
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I just want to be sure of what says this table.
If I well understand it :
More there is "+" signs more we must avoid food, and if there is a "-" sign we can eat it ?
Is that correct ?
Megan:
--- Quote from: Goemon_ on December 03, 2011, 10:14:57 PM ---I am looking for a list of product with the "bad" lectins. So this link seems to be what I'm looking for :
--- Quote ---Lectins in Edible Foods & ABO Reactions
--- End quote ---
I just want to be sure of what says this table.
If I well understand it :
More there is "+" signs more we must avoid food, and if there is a "-" sign we can eat it ?
Is that correct ?
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What table is that? I believe that 'bad' lectins are an ongoing topic of research, where funding can be found. And by the way, lectins are produced by animals as well as plants. I don't know if there are 'bad' animal lectins, but I would suspect so -- just not as common.
Lectin sensitivity may vary for each individual, so any list of them may not apply precisely to you.
I really wish we had more information.
Elizabeth:
Lectin sensitivity is very much related to blood type. From reading "Eat Right for Your Type" and "Live Right for Your Type" by Dr. Peter d'Adamo as well as from other material I've learned which foods to avoid because of lectin sensitivity related to my blood type. This knowledge has made a huge difference to my digestion and to my health in general.
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