Lectins wreak havoc on your body and can cause serious discomfort… in fact, some would say they’re downright poisonous. But chances are, unless you’re a follower of the Plant Paradox plan, you’re eating a pretty large number of lectins. After all, they’re a group of proteins found in several plant-based foods, like legumes, nightshade veggies and grains. Before explaining why beans give you gas, let’s take a closer looks at lectins…
The purpose of a lectin?
To defend the plant against predators like insects – and even us. Lectins are essentially the natural insecticides hidden in grains and legumes that aren’t cooked properly. And in this case, “properly” is MORE than cooking until soft.
But how do lectins work?
Basically, lectins grip onto the carbohydrates that make up the surfaces of your cells. Their favorite cells to attack, happen to be the carbohydrate-rich epithelial cells in your gut lining.1
Now, the medical community as a whole has known that digesting lectins – especially undercooked lectins – can cause stomach sickness, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. But more and more, researchers are jumping onto my bandwagon and realizing that lectins can be the cause of food poisoning in certain situations.
Why Beans Give you Gas?
In fact, a study that came out just last month found evidence that lectins can actually disable gastrointestinal tract cells.2 Turns out, these cells are constantly attacked as you digest your food, so they get ripped and torn. Usually, they can repair the rips and tears in seconds, and the cells are saved. But if those cells can’t repair themselves, they can die. Then, you’re left with holes in your in your gut lining. This is bad, because your blood supply can become exposed to all the toxicity of your gastrointestinal tract.
This sends your body a message to get rid of everything in the digestive tract immediately. It’s the body’s response to food poisoning or alcohol poisoning.
So, plants figure … If I can make them sick when they eat the lectins in, for instance, beans, then they won’t come back to eat my offspring. The plant has defended itself and its babies against the return of the predator.
That’s because lectins block the cells’ ability to repair themselves. So, the cells just die.
The Takeaway
My message to you today isn’t new. And it’s very simple: Beware lectins. Their sole purpose is to make you feel sick. Their only lot in life is to kill your cells.
The good news is – you can totally avoid them! So do your best to cut them out of your diet. And take note of how quickly you feel so much better.
For more health tips from Dr. Gundry, keep reading:
The Honest Truth About Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics
Sources:
1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801091240.htm
2. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801091240.htm
