The safest, most effective therapies for optimal health!

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by Ellen Landauer

What is Lectin?

What is lectin? It is a harmful category of compounds found in all plant foods. (Though animal-based foods also contain small amounts of this compound, it is a different form that is not harmful). 

There are somewhere around 100 different variations but they all have basically the same deleterious effects. Some are VERY virulent, such as the phytohaemagglutinin found in kidney beans.

Why would plants contain lectins (and many other compounds harmful to human and animal health)? 

Simple... 

Plants cannot fight or run away like animals do. They don't want to be eaten, so they engage in (very successful) chemical warfare!

All beans, grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits contain significant quantities of a variety of damaging compounds. We need only look at plant-based diet when we ask what is lectin? See my article about why vegan diet is not healthy.

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What is Lectin? A VERY
Resilient Compound!

It is resistant to cooking heat, VERY resistant to our digestive enzymes. 

Oh, but doesn't soaking and/or sprouting de-fuse its harmful effects?

NO.

What is lectin? A harmful compound with NO nutrient value. It is technically a protein - but of absolutely no benefit - it is a toxin. It can bind to the walls of our intestinal tract and kill the cells in the lining. It is a major cause of leaky gut.

Did you know that it was proven that a diet containing only 1% kidney beans was proven to kill rats in 2 weeks? And rats do not die easily!(Kidney beans are very high in phytohaemagglutinin - one out of around 100 forms of this compound)

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What is Lectin? Lies We Are Told

Searching on 'what is lectin' will present you with a pack of lies and obfuscations from conventional and most holistic sources. For example:

"Lectins are a type of protein that, in humans may help cells interact." 

'May' help cells 'interact.'?? Meaning what? Empty, ambiguous words!

"The diverse carbohydrate structures on cell surfaces interact (Oh, there's that word 'interact' yet again) with cell's environment, aided by lectins." (Should read 'impeded by').

"Some scientists 'believe' ('believe' ?? Science is now a religion?) that lectins provide a form of plant defense to keep insects away." 

(Truth - they ARE a form of plant defense to keep ALL animals away, including us)!

What is lectin - a compound that causes immediate and/or long-term harm to any creature, including humans, that eat plants containing it.

It is HIGHLY INFLAMMATORY. This includes causing leaky gut, joint pain and arthritis, pain in any part of digestive tract including mouth, destruction of gut lining (causing slow starvation by limiting ability to absorb nutrients), damage to brain and nerves, etc.

Commonly, articles downplaying harm of lectins also end by telling you how good all plant foods are, including grains and beans - which anyone wanting to be healthy should not eat.

One such quote... "While lectins may cause some damage, there is strong research to support benefits of eating plant foods." Right.

They say a lectin-free diet is more trendy than scientific and 'more research is needed.' Many of these articles suggest how 'restrictive' such a diet is, giving you, the reader, the impression that ditching harmful foods is a painful 'giving up' rather than an act of empowerment to hyperpower your vitality. (Can you tell that the duplicitous manipulative games of conventional media and mainstream 'holistic' media makes me mad?  ;-) 

SET YOURSELF FREE! The real truth is, by removing such inflammatory compounds from your diet, your body is relieved of the burden of putting so much energy and resources toward repairing the damage done.

Your body is then free to restore real health - reducing pain, damage - and truly healing.

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What is Lectin?
Chemical Warfare!

It is chemical warfare of plants! There are over 100 varieties of lectins.

What is lectin mode of action?

Each one is a protein with a unique structure and has the ability to bind to carbohydrates.  All our cells have glycoproteins that protrude from them. The glycoproteins have carbohydrate molecules that protrude from the end of them.  Lectins can bind to those carbohydrate molecules and can therefore bind to our human cells.

Ideally, the lining of the whole intestinal tract should allow the absorption of nutrients while not allowing toxins to enter. Ideally, toxins would go through our digestive tract without being absorbed and then be eliminated. A healthy mucus layer over epithelial cells with tight junctions (no spaces in between) lining intestines helps repel toxins.

The microvilli line the surfaces of the epithelial cells. Crowning the microvilli is a 'glycocalyx' which has a glucose carbohydrate component. Lectins can stick to the glycocalyx of the villi and damage them and the epithelial cells. This causes leaky gut syndrome.

Leaky gut intestinal permeability allows toxins including lectins to enter our body. Lectins enter our circulation and can bind to cells in many different organs of the body. For example, lectins can bind to endometrium of a woman's uterus. In one study, magnification photos show soybean agglutinin, a lectin, bound to endometrial cells inside the uterus. Lectin can also cause excess acid production in the stomach.

Lectins are increasing in our bodies. Plants are being bred for increased disease resistance - which is partly enhanced by - more lectins!

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What is Lectin?
It is Ubiquitous in These Foods:

PHOTO BELOW: Walnuts, and ALL nuts, are high in lectins.

FOOD LIST

NOTE: Nightshades (peppers both sweet and hot, eggplant, tomato, potato) are VERY high in lectins

Fruits:

Apples 

Banana 

Blackberries

Canteloupe

Cherries

Currants

Grapes

Grapefruit

Lemon

Orange

Papaya

Plum

Pomegranate

Quince

Raspberries

Strawberry

Tomato

Watermelon

Vegetables:

Asparagus

Beets

Capsicum

Carrot

Cucumber

Garlic

Mushrooms

Potatoes

Pumpkin

Rhubarb

Turnip

Zucchini

Legumes:

Black-eyed peas

Cashews

Castor bean

Fava bean

Field bean

Green peas

Jack bean

Kidney bean

Lentil

Lima bean

Mung bean

Navy bean

Peanuts

Pinto bean

Soybean

String bean

Sweet pea

Wax bean

Nuts:

Almonds

Cashews

Hazelnut

Peanuts

Walnut

Spices, seeds, etc.

Caraway

Coffee

Cocoa

Marjoram

Nutmeg

Sesame seeds

Grains:

Barley

Corn

Quinoa

Rice

Wheat

Wheat Germ

To Avoid Harmful Lectins, Minimize Plant Foods

Ketogenic Diet

Fiber Facts

Who Needs Carbs?

Another Dangerous Compound in Plant Foods

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Ellen Landauer is an expert with over 40 years in-depth study and experience of the safe and effective use of nutritional supplements, botanical extracts and detoxification methods.

She is Certified as an Advanced Practitioner of Structural Integration body therapy developed by Dr. Ida P. Rolf - also known as Rolfing. This hands-on therapy is the deepest, most comprehensive body alignment therapy. 

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Ellen Landauer is also a  PUBLISHED AUTHOR!

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To learn more about Ellen Landauer, see her detailed bio HERE

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