Lectin

Diminish Most Lectins, However Some are Beneficial

Lectins are among plants' complex defense system. Plants cannot run away yet they do not wish to be devoured before they have a chance to propagate. Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins, macromolecules that are highly specific for the sugar parts of a molecule. Lectins in plants originally evolved to fight off insect predators. But a portion of the lectin molecule can actually bind with tissues within our body and create problems such as leaky gut, Crohn's, other auto (self)-immune diseases.

Lectins stymie your saliva's enzyme production so your digestive system can not break down a particular food. Lectins bind to insulin receptors and can shut down fat burning. Lectins can stick to the intestinal wall causing difficulties. Plants have various amounts of lectin within them. High lectin plants can be diminished through certain cooking methods: boiling for 30 minutes.

Lectins Specifically to Avoid With PKD Are Nightshades

Avoid the nightshades such as: tomato, pepper, potato, goji berries, eggplant. Forego that pasta with tomato sauce and forego those French Fries.

Lectin Foods To Avoid If You Have Auto-Immune Diseases

Nightshade plants: tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant.
With auto-immune diseases try & see if avoiding these helps diminish symptoms:
Avoid all grains.
Avoid Nightshades.
Avoid legumes & beans including soy & peanut.
Avoid Dairy-milk products, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir.
Avoid Yeast

Phytohaemagglutinin

Ever wonder why you don't see sprouted red kidney beans? It's due to phytohaemagglutinin, a lectin that can cause poisoning are red kidney beans eaten when it is improperly cooked. The poisoning is usually caused by the ingestion of raw, soaked kidney beans. As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms. Phytohaemagglutinin is a well known toxic lectin. It is highest in dry red and in white kidney beans. When cooked improperly, or not cooked at all, it can agglutinate the red blood cells of most mammalians. Lectins can be reduced to safe levels by correctly cooking the red beans or by boiling for at least 30 minutes at 100 °C. Insufficient cooking, such as in a slow cooker at 80 °C, increases the available haemagglutinating units up to fivefold. Raw kidney beans contain from 20,000 to 70,000 lectin units, while fully cooked beans usually contain between 200 and 400 units.

Black beans contain the most resistant starch of any bean with 26.9% resistant starch. Resistant starch is broken down by the probiotics creating compounds that enhance immune function and help to protect against colon cancer. Beans are also slow digesting, stabilize blood sugar, and lower cholesterol. Beans are not for everyone with IBS or Crohn's disease. When someone suffers from Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome, the gut lining seems to be more sensitive to food lectins.

Some lectins may be powerful toxins as for instance ricin, and others have been incorporated into genetically engineered crops to transfer traits, such as resistance to pests and resistance to herbicides. It maybe beneficial for one with Crohn's or IBS to avoid GM crops or foods as they may have increased lectins.

Peter Hermann Stillmark in his doctoral thesis first presented in 1888 to the University of Dorpat a thesis on lectins. Stillmark isolated ricin, an extremely toxic hemagglutinin, from seeds of the castor plant. As children you may have been cautioned to never eat the poisonous seeds of the castor plant. Ricin kills instantaneously by causing massive agglutination of the blood.

Foods with high concentrations of lectins, such as beans, cereal grains, seeds, nuts, and potatoes, may be harmful if consumed in excess in uncooked or improperly-cooked form. This may be in part why French fried potatoes seem to send one quickly towards end stage renal disease. The top 8 allergens also contain some of the highest amounts of lectins (soy, dairy, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish). 20% of rheumatoid arthritis are caused by lectins from the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, goji berries). Grain, cereal, dairy, and legume (especially peanut and soybean) lectins are most commonly associated with reports of digestive complaints. Legumes and seafood are the most abundant sources of lectins in many diets. Lectins are resistant to dry heat, so using raw legume flours in baked goods should be done with a great deal of caution.

Reducing Lectins

There are several methods to reduce lectins:

Soaking: Cereals and legumes are often soaked in water overnight to reduce their lectin content. Soak beans and legumes three nights, and change the water often. Drain and rinse again before cooking. Adding sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) to the soaking water may help neutralize the lectins further or adding lemon juice to the soaking water may also help.
Sprouting: The sprouting of seeds, grains and legumes, also known as germination, causes lectin degradation. The lectins in some grains and beans are in the seed coat. As it germinates, the coat is metabolized, eliminating lectins.
Fermentation: Organic acids, formed during fermentation, promote lectin breakdown. Lactic acid fermentation is the preferred method, a good example of which is the making of sourdough or non-yeasted breads. Fermentation allows beneficial bacteria to digest and convert many of the harmful substances.
Cooking: Cooking quickly in a pressure cooker is beneficial for decreasing lectins or boiling for at least 30 minutes at 100°C. Slow cookers increase lectins.