Not only are avocados
It is true that when you practice Dr. Gundry's diet you'll want to indulge in fruit only when it's in season and only in moderation. But, there's one superfood that's an exception to those rules. It's the avocado… and you can enjoy an avocado every single day.
While bananas do contain lectins, they are not considered to be a major source of lectins. Bananas are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are also low in calories and fat. Lectin is a protein that is found in the pulp of ripe bananas and plantains.
Eggs Eggs too are included in the lectin-free way of life, but must be pasture-raised.
Oatmeal has a higher lectin content than other foods and typically contains gluten and a few antinutrients. Oatmeal also contains a lot of starch and carbohydrates, which can cause an increase in blood sugar and weight gain. As a result, it can't be a healthy option for a ketogenic, carb-free, or lectin-free diet.
Studies show that boiling legumes, soybeans, and even kidney beans (which have extremely high lectin levels when raw), greatly reduces and often completely eliminates lectin activity.
Cooking, especially with wet high-heat methods like boiling or stewing, or soaking in water for several hours, can inactivate most lectins. [6] Lectins are water-soluble and typically found on the outer surface of a food, so exposure to water removes them.
What You Eat. Whole, unprocessed foods are key, starting with low-lectin vegetables such as greens, carrots and cauliflower, in-season berries, and avocado. Fish, grass-fed beef, and pasture-raised poultry are on the table, as are healthy oils such as olive and coconut.
Overall, Dr. Gundry recommends a diet that relies on pasture-raised meats and eggs; fermented foods like sauerkraut; limited fruit; foods high in resistant starches, such as green beans; vegetables that are not in the nightshade family; and healthy fats such as olive oil.
If you have severe leaky gut, you may need to start out getting your fiber from steamed vegetables and fruit. Healthy Fats — Consuming healthy fats in moderation like egg yolks, avocados, ghee and coconut oil is easy on the gut and promotes nutrient absorption.
“Avocados contain substances called polyols or sorbitol which are carbohydrates that may affect people who have sensitive stomachs or irritable bowel syndrome,” she explained. “If they eat too much avocado in one sitting, it can cause bloating, diarrhea or intense pain in the gut.”
Avocado is a superfood packed with fiber and essential nutrients, such as potassium, which helps promote healthy digestive function. It's also a low-fructose food, so it's less likely to cause gas. Be wary of portion sizes when it comes to foods like nuts and avocados.
As lectins reach the small intestine, they can bind to receptors on the intestinal cell lining and cause damage. Larger amounts of lectins are found in certain plant foods like legumes, wheat, seeds, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables.
Because lectins can trigger an immune response, they have been linked to autoimmune inflammatory conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.
Lectin is a carbohydrate-binding protein that can be found in varying amounts in most plants, including beans, pulses, grains, fruits and vegetables (eg, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, berries, watermelon), nuts, coffee, chocolate, and some herbs and spices (eg, peppermint, marjoram, nutmeg).
If consumed regularly, eating potatoes, legumes, grains, and other foods high in lectins and saponins can increase the risk of autoimmune diseases or flares in those who are genetically predisposed. [2] Fortunately, sweet potatoes do not contain these compounds!
Blueberries get their health-promoting properties by way of flavonoids. Specifically, they're loaded with anthocyanins. Contrary to what some people have heard, blueberries do not contain lectins.
Sooooo good recently found out that A1 regular style dairy yogurt is loaded with pro inflammatory lectins.
Yes, oats and oatmeal are high in lectins. But don't worry, there are plenty of delicious lectin-free alternatives to oatmeal. You can make porridge with millet, sorghum, teff, and fonio. All these are nutritious ancient grains that are lectin-free and gluten-free, making a comeback.