Free US Shipping for orders $49+
lectins

5 Ways Your Body Deals with Lectins Naturally

Lectins are the proteins that force carbs and sugars to clump together. Sure, they’re found all over the vegetable kingdom, but they’re a plant’s greatest defense against us – and they’re toxic. Nightshade vegetables are a good example. You can learn more about the number one question: why are lectins bad for you.

When you ingest them, the consequences can be pretty severe. Lectins are thought to cause:

  • Digestive issues
  • Leaky gut
  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • Gas
  • Diarrhea

… and a mess of other health concerns.

How do lectins wreak such havoc?

Well, when you eat a seed, certain grains, or the skins of fruit, lectins scout out the sugars in your body, looking for the ones they can latch onto most easily. One of their faves is sialic acid – a type of sugar found in your brain, gut, nervous tissue, and even in human milk.1,2

This ability to latch onto sugars and bind carbs earns lectins the name sticky proteins.

But sticky proteins interfere with the normal functioning of the person who eats them.3

Often, lectins can get in the way of important cells communicating with one another. When that happens, the body’s response is usually inflammation or some other type of reaction to toxicity, like nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.4

Furthermore, the sticky nature of lectins can allow them to fuse to harmful bacteria and viruses. And they can actually help those bacteria and viruses stick to cells in your body. So, in some cases, people with lectin sensitivities might also get sick or infected more often than those without sensitivities.

Luckily, though, our bodies are prepared to fight against lectins. In fact, in a sense, we’ve got physiological armor.

Your body’s built to defend itself against lectins

Now, you’ve got to understand – even though lectins can be toxic or cause inflammation … and even though they can really upset your body’s internal messaging system …

We’ve developed our own system of defense – in fact, all animals have – to make lectins ineffective, or at least dull their impact. This system of defense has many layers and protects us from many of the toxic effects of plants – especially those caused by lectins.

Your body’s five natural defenses against lectins

lectins | Gundry1. Saliva

The saliva in your mouth is what’s known as a mucopolysaccharide. This word literally means “many sugars.” And this configuration of sugars in your mouth is only there for one reason – to snare lectins and prevent them from making their way deeper into your body.

You just read it above – lectins like to bind themselves to sugars. You know the feeling you get when you eat a jalapeño or some cayenne? Your nose starts to run, right? Well, that’s simply your body letting you know you’ve eaten something that contains lectins. Your body doles out an extra dose of saliva to trap the lectins you just ingested, including an extra sheet of saliva to coat your esophagus, so your meal can make it’s way through your digestive tract.

It’s yet another reason you want to drink your water. Saliva’s made of water. To keep your body’s system of defense working properly, stay hydrated. Then, should you come into contact with lectins, your body will be ready to flush them through your system.

lectins | Gundry2. Stomach acid

Hydrochloric acid is secreted by the stomach as a major defense, protecting your body against toxins and pathogens ingested with the food you eat.5 In many cases, your stomach acid can digest certain lectins, but unfortunately it can’t get to them all. It is, however, an essential defense that at least eases the burden of lectin digestion.

lectins | Gundry3. Bacteria

Your mouth and gut are full of microorganisms which have evolved to thoroughly consume many kinds of lectins. These bacteria provide a wonderful protection as they do away with many lectins before they can reach and wreak havoc on the wall of your gut.

And, it turns out, the longer you have been eating a particular plant lectin – like gluten, for example – the longer you have been breeding gut bacteria whose purpose is to deactivate those lectins.6

So, if you wipe out all gluten from your diet, the gluten-eating bugs die off; then if you accidentally consume something that contains gluten and you didn’t know it did, you can’t digest it. The result … significant discomfort.

lectins | Gundry4. The mucosal layer

This is the layer of mucus secreted by certain cells throughout your intestines. Just like the mucus in your nose, mouth, and throat, this layer of gut mucus acts as a barrier. It creates a seal, keeping the plant compounds you’ve consumed in the gut where they belong. Then, the sugars in the mucus hold and absorb lectins.

Now, the first four lectin defenses do a decent job of protecting your body from lectins, but lectins can find their way into your diet in many different ways. So, even though your body does its best, the sugars in the mucosal layers get used up and the next wave of lectins can basically chart their own course directly to your gut.

So the fifth defense is really the most important. And that’s …

lectins | Gundry5. Your brain

You see, it’s not enough to simply rely on the physiological defenses your body has against lectins. You’ve got to engage your mind. So, when you discover there’s a food that can cause a problem, you’ve got to tell yourself, “No thank you,” and simply walk away. Leave it on the shelf.

In the end …

If the temptation is too great, and you simply must eat a lectin-rich food, only do so rarely. Set yourself up for success. Give your body’s defenses the time they need to call for backup and reboot – your body will thank you.

For more helpful health articles, keep reading here:

Why You Need Prebiotics

Do You Have Leaky Gut (4 Symptoms You Might)

Sources
1.Wang, B, and J Brand-Miller. “The Role And Potential Of Sialic Acid In Human Nutrition”. N.p., 2017. Print.
2.”Antinutritional Properties Of Plant Lectins – Sciencedirect”. Sciencedirect.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 13 June 2017.
3.Peumans, Willy. “Lectins As Plant Defense Proteins”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC157596/pdf/1090347.pdf. N.p., 1995. Print.
4.Peumans, Willy. “Lectins As Plant Defense Proteins”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC157596/pdf/1090347.pdf. N.p., 1995. Print.
5.JL, Smith. “The Role Of Gastric Acid In Preventing Foodborne Disease And How Bacteria Overcome Acid Conditions. – Pubmed – NCBI”. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. N.p., 2017. Web. 13 June 2017.
6.Sanz, Yolanda. “Effects Of A Gluten-Free Diet On Gut Microbiota And Immune Function In Healthy Adult Humans”. N.p., 2017. Print.

Save

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Deals and offers
Make Gundry MD a part of your health and wellness lifestyle

Gut Health Starter Kit

Three of our bestselling gut-supporting Gundry MD formulas join together to create this digestion-boosting bundle.

Available for My Health Account members only!

Save Sticker

Save immediately with your free My Health account

Exclusive discounts, early access, free US shipping, Subscribe & Save!
Your Health magazine

Subscribe to Your Health magazine

Lectin-free recipes, health tips & tricks, and magazine-only discount codes!
Calendar Sticker

Save time & money with subscriptions

Choose items, choose frequency, enjoy savings!

You may also like

Some of our other customers liked these articles as well

Our most popular products

The Premier Gundry MD Prebiotic Blend

Retail Price $79.00

Member Price $49.99

Supercharged Olive Oil For Optimal Wellness

Retail Price $49.95

Member Price $39.95

The Ultimate Gut Guardian

Retail Price $69.95

Member Price $49.95

Most Popular Gundry MD Articles

5 Ways to Remove Lectins From Your Favorite Foods

Dr. Gundry Diet Food List: A Comprehensive Lectin-free Diet Plan

Is Wheatgrass Really Good For You?

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome and What Does It Mean for the Digestive Tract?

What To Eat When You’re Starting A Lectin-free Diet

A Comprehensive List of “Deadly” Nightshades

How to Reduce Histamine in the Body

Dr. Gundry’s The Longevity Paradox (3 Longevity Myths Revealed)

Oat Products All Test Positive for Glyphosate

The Benefits of Taking Biotin Supplements (it’s known as a beauty booster!)

The Ultimate High-Fiber Produce Shopping List (recipes included)

Charity Water
Health is a Human Right
Gundry MD is a proud sponsor of charity: water, a charity providing safe, clean drinking water to people in developing countries.
Join the Text Club
Sign up for exclusive access to major sales (up to 70% off), product releases & insider tips.

By texting GUNDRY to 51246, you agree to receive recurring automated promotional and personalized marketing text messages (e.g. cart reminders) from Gundry MD at the cell number used when signing up. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. Msg frequency varies. Msg and data rates may apply. View Terms & Privacy.

Or text GUNDRY to 51246

Save with a free My Health Account!

Updated Privacy Policy

We've revised our Privacy Policy pursuant to GDPR.
Please take a moment to review.

Search

Gut Health Starter Kit

Three of our bestselling gut-supporting Gundry MD formulas join together to create this digestion-boosting bundle.

Available for My Health Account members only!

Log in to Your Account

Get immediate deals on everything in our store and access to even lower prices with Subscribe & Save!

Don’t have an account?