Chicken contains a Blood Type B agglutinating lectin in its muscle tissue.
Extracts of adult chicken liver, pancreas, and intestine contain high levels of a lectin which appears to be identical to one previously purified from embryonic chick muscle.
Simply put, pasture-raised chicken is a much healthier choice than typical commercial raised chicken, however, it does contain lectin.
Cooking, especially with wet high-heat methods like boiling or stewing, or soaking in water for several hours, can inactivate most lectins.
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.
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.
Whole, unprocessed foods are key, starting with low-lectin vegetables such as greens, carrots and cauliflower, in-season berries, and avocado.
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.
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.
Fermentation is the process in which beneficial bacteria are able to reduce harmful substances in the body. Sauerkraut, yogurt, tempeh, and kombucha are well-known food sources that undergo the fermentation process. The fermentation process has shown to reduce lectin content up to 95 percent.
Lectins in Meat and Dairy
Just as lectins compound in our bodies when we eat certain plants, they do the same to animals—meaning that grain- and soy-fed chickens, cows, pigs, and seafood contain lectins in their meat, milk, and eggs.
The lowest lectin content options are asparagus, garlic, celery, mushrooms and onions. Cooked root vegetables like sweet potatoes, yucca and taro, along with leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, avocados, olives and olive oil are all examples of healthy foods that do contain some lectins.
Lectins are naturally occurring proteins found in almost all plant foods, including potatoes. Although considered toxic if consumed raw and in large quantities, lectins are readily destroyed by cooking and processing.
The top six natural lectin-blocking foods that you should consume more of are okra, crustaceans, bladderwrack (seaweed), pigs feet, cranberries and kiwifruit. They all come with unique lectin-lectin blocking properties. Read on to learn how they work their magic.
In most cases, cooking these foods with “wet” heat, such as stewing, boiling, cooking in sauce, or mixing into dough and baking, breaks down lectins to negligible levels. Simply avoid eating raw legumes, grains, or potatoes, and eat these foods cooked instead.
You will find lectin in milk, fruit, nuts, whole grains, beans, peas, and tomatoes.
What fruit is lectin-free? A. The lectin-free diet impacts many healthy foods, and this diet lacks essential nutrients like fibre and may differ based on the type of fruits. Lectin-free fruits include pomegranates, lemons, beets, blackberries, blueberries, apples, plums, sweet oranges, tangerines, and dates.
Some foods that contain higher amounts of lectins include beans, peanuts, lentils, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, fruits, and wheat and other grains. Lectins serve a protective function for plants as they grow.
Cucumber contains a protein called lectin which Dr Steven Gundy, a respected heart surgeon and cardiologist, has studied in great detail and has found a link between memory loss and lectins.
The latter protein is particularly abundant since it represents about 75% of the total nectar protein. Honey produced by bees foraging on flowering leek plants still contains biologically active lectin and alliinase.
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).
Do almonds contain lectins? Yes, almonds contain lectins. But the lectins are in the skin of the almonds, which can be removed. Also, you can find almonds that are already blanched (have their skins removed).