What is Lectin, and Why Should We Avoid It?

What is Lectin?

A lectin, also known as the “antinutrient” is a type of protein that binds to certain carbohydrates. Just about every organism in the world, from plants to animals to microbes, contains lectins. Even though not every lectin is dangerous in the same way, some of it can pass through your digestive system unchanged. But we should not neglect the potential risks of consuming lectin in your diet.

Why Should We Avoid Lectins?

There are many reasons to exclude lectins from your diet. Eating food containing lectins may cause digestive distress in some people. That's because the body cannot digest lectins. Instead, they bind to cell membranes lining the digestive tract, where they may disrupt metabolism and cause damage. Certain types of lectin may bind with the walls of your digestive system which can lead to digestive problems and might cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Lectin-Free Diet

On a lectin-free diet, you will eliminate foods that contain lectins, such as wheat and other grains, dairy products from cows, beans and lentils, almost all fruits, and many vegetables. There is a list of lectin free food from Dr. Gundry's book "The Plant Paradox", or you can visit Dr. Gundry's website for more information. Dr. Gundry believes that eating lectins can lead to weight gain, brain fog, chronic inflammation, poor digestion from a disrupted microbiome, and other adverse symptoms.

Lectin-Free Foods

With wheat and most grains on the lectin food list, it is disheartening to eliminate some of our favorite food like rice and pasta from our diet. That's why at Big Green Organic, we tackle this problem by creating lectin-free pastas! Millet and sorghum are the only two grains that are considered lectin free, and we created a series of lectin free product using only these two ingredients. We do not mix with any other ingredients such as wheat and rice flour. Now you can enjoy pasta again! You can check out our lectin-free collection here.