Lectins Can Be a Pain in the Belly!

Lectins are carbohydrate-binding foods found in beans, legumes, seeds wheat, and other vegetables. Recently they have been know as the “anti-nutrient” in the media. Lectins are protective proteins for plants in nature, but resist begin broken down in the human body and may cause digestive issues.

Some research shows that lectins can cause GI issues, such as bloating and stomach pain, when they haven’t been hydrolyzed by cooking. Additionally, lectins can bind to cells that line the digestive tract, which may affect the breakdown and absorption of nutrients such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc. This can also affect the intestinal flora and potentially cause autoimmune disease.

Lectins also have many benefits, and if you experience digestive issues, you can you can reduce the lectin content in foods by soaking your beans or grains overnight, pressure cooking, peeling and seeding the plant or fermenting. Peoples reactions to lectins vary, and if you are sensitive, try reducing the lectin content and try taking a digestive enzyme to help with food breakdown.