Ways to Reduce Lectins in Your Diet
Health Benefits of Pumpkin
October 31, 2018
How Well Do You Handle Stress?
February 13, 2019
Chances are you are not familiar with lectins. It’s not a term that gets thrown around as often as say Carbohydrates or trans-fats. But lectins are every bit as important to monitor in your diet. Put simply: lectins are a type of protein that can bind to sugar. Lectins are found everywhere in nature, some foods, such as beans, are higher than others. What’s more, not all lectins are created equal, some are beneficial, some are toxic. However, even the good ones can be bad if you have too much.
They are sometimes referred to as “antinutrients” because they can hinder your bodies ability to absorb nutrients from foods. Lectins can bind to your gut wall, and cause a whole host of problems, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Let’s take a look at what foods are high in lectins, and how you can reduce how much you are consuming.
The best way to minimize the damage done by lectins is of course to limit your intake. To do that you need to know which foods are high in them. There are more than these, but this list covers the most common:
-
Beans -Especially red kidney and soybeans. Beans by far carry the highest amounts of lectins. If you want to cut back, this is the food to start with.
-
Grains -While eating whole wheat has some advantages over white flour, this area is one where the reverse is true. The type of lectin found in wheat germ is not destroyed during digestion. Barely, corn and rice are also high in lectins.
-
Fruits and Vegetables – When it comes to fruits and vegetables, the main culprits to look out for are the Nightshade family. These include things such as tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes.
-
Peanuts -I’ve told you about the health risks of peanuts before, so hopefully you have already cut them out of your diet! But in case you haven’t here is another reason: they are high in lectins and can cause problems with the intestinal wall.
-
Corn -I mentioned corn with the grains, but it deserves special mention, because of how pervasive it has become in our diet. Even if you don’t eat corn, there is a good chance the cattle/chicken/fish you eat was fed corn to fatten it up. It has the same effect on us, humans, too. So when buying food look for things that were “pasture raised” rather than “free range.”
Now that you know what foods are high in lectins, you know the surest method of eliminating them. But are there other methods, that don’t require you to give up so many different foods? Yes! If you find it unfeasible to eliminate certain foods, or you want the health benefits that come with them, there are a couple of things you can do:
-
Moderation -As I mentioned earlier, some lectins can be beneficial. As long as they are consumed in moderation, they shouldn’t cause any issues.
-
Soaking -Soaking beans is a traditional method of preparation. Soaking the beans overnight, and changing the water a couple of times will decrease the lectin levels significantly.
-
Pressure Cook -Using a pressure cooker will reduce the lectins in foods other than wheat and ryes.
-
Peel -For fruits and vegetables, the lectins are predominately found in the skin, so peeling them will go a long way to reducing the levels.
So, the main take away is that lectins have some benefits when consumed in moderation. But it’s easy to get too many, and that can lead to health trouble. So cut back on the lectins, especially if you suffer from stomach issues, and you should start to notice your health improve soon!
Metabolic Immune is a delicious drink, mixed with supplements with ORCA berries to support immune health. My energy boosting polyphenol-containing Metabolic immune “Reds” helps boost metabolism, immune function and detox lectins. Add this with intestinal health package to shed those unwanted pounds and bloat.
For best results mix 1 to 2 scoops once a day in a glass of water.
Click Here to Order Now!
The Intestinal Health package bundles three of our most effective intestinal health products into one money saving package. Keep your intestines running smooth with Benefical GI, CheatZyme, and Biom ProBiotics. When taken with Metabolic Immune you will have your immune system running at peak performance!
Click Here to Order Now!
About Dr. Jenny:
