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).
Lectins everywhere
“Overall, the lectins found in zucchini, carrots, rhubarb, beets, mushrooms, asparagus, turnips, cucumbers, pumpkin, sweet peppers, and radishes, whether cooked or consumed raw, do not appear to cause significant GI problems,” assures Gomer.
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.
He also recommends avoiding certain fruits and vegetables like peas, squash, tomatoes, melon, zucchini, peppers, and goji berries. And you should only use the approved oils listed above, avoiding grapeseed, corn, peanut, cottonseed, sunflower, and canola oils.
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. An example is dried beans.
Cooking destroys most of the lectin in foods and weakens its ability to bind to cells or causes it to bind to other compounds found in food.
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.
Food with less or no lectins are meats (grass-fed), fish, seafood, poultry, meat without soy, sheep and dairy products, cruciferous veggies, avocado, celery, and broccoli, sweet potatoes, and nuts and seeds.
Foods including grains, particularly whole wheat, beans and legumes, nuts, aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, dairy products and eggs contain lectins - which doesn't leave an awful lot left to eat.
“Carrots offer fiber, which is good for your gut — and your gut microbiome is a regulator of estrogen,” explains Jackie Newgent, RDN, New York City–based plant-forward culinary nutritionist.
What are the 3 foods to never eat? Three foods that Dr. Gundry recommends you never eat are whole grains (including bread, cereals, and grain-fed animal meat), sugary and sweetened food and beverages, and undercooked legumes such as raw red kidney beans, which contain high levels of lectin, phytohemagglutinin.
Not only are avocados lectin-free, but they're also packed with antioxidants. Avocados are also high in good fats and fiber. Broccoli – Not all vegetables have lectins. Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are also lectin-free.
Seeds: Lectins are contained in the seeds and skins of fruits and vegetables, so avoid pumpkin, sunflower, and chia seeds. Cow's Milk: As a reminder from chapter 2, almost all products from cow's milk contain a lectin-like protein called casein A-1, so avoid ice cream, yogurt (even Greek yogurt), and cheese.
But zucchini, contrary to what many people think, are fruits, not vegetables. They are high in lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins that can be found in skins, seeds, rinds, and leaves of most plants, and can be problematic for people who are more sensitive to lectins.
Contrary to what some people have heard, blueberries do not contain lectins. There's a catch though: blueberries are highly seasonal, and are best consumed fresh and local. Berries that come from overseas (like Chile and Peru) were almost certainly picked underripe, which means they could contain lectins.
Which foods are high in lectins? Lectin-containing foods include nightshades, like tomatoes and potatoes; vegetables with seeds, like squash and cucumbers; grains including wheat, rice, and oats; and legumes, including non-pressure-cooked beans, split peas, and lentils.
Although lectins are found packed into many highly nutritious foods, they've come under fire lately as a hidden source of health issues and inflammation, placing them among the list of antinutrients in foods.
Sweet potatoes are a low-glycemic, nutrient-dense, Bulletproof-approved starch. These tubers are high in antioxidants and low in anti-nutrients like lectin.
Dr Steven Gundry, a heart surgeon and cardiologist from California said that he found a link between memory loss and lectins, which are found in cucumbers, tomatoes, whole grains, soy, grains, peppers, sprouted grains and some dairy products. Gundry said that such food could even lead eaters to develop dementia.
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.
Incompletely digested proteins can elicit allergic reactions, and allergies to lectins in wheat, banana, avocado, chestnut, turnip, and corn have been reported. But allergies aren't the major problem. Lectins in uncooked foods cause leaky gut by poking holes in the layer of cells—the mucosa—lining the intestine.