Lectins

[djkvan]

Certain lectins in food grains bind to glucosamine in the intestines and tissues, and cause red blood cells to clump together. The Wai diet is good in that it is virtually (excepting egg yolk) lectin-free. Lectins are storage proteins in grains, legumes, nightshades, that protect them against consumption by predators. Modern grain varieties have been engineered to have high lectin content to complement pesticide use. The high lectin content in these foods is strongly linked to arthritic conditions as well as auto-immune disorders. As lectins are found in the germ of seeds refined grains are pretty much lectin-free. Avoiding lectin consumption is helpful in avoiding their effects (obviously). Here's a good introduction to the topic:

http://intelegen.com/nutrients/lectins_ ... g_role.htm

[RRM]

The Wai diet is good in that it is virtually (excepting egg yolk) lectin-free.

Actually, all animals and microorganisms contain some lectins, as they serve biological purposes.
(eg Anguilla lectin in Eel, Rhizopus stolonifer lectin in fungi and Ralstonia solanacearum lectin in bacteria)
The lectins in egg yolk may mostly be from the egg yolk sac, which contains fucosyl and beta-galactosyl residues,
which highly bind to lectins.

Particularly beans, cereal grains and seeds, but also nuts (and unripe tomatoes) and milk products may be very high in lectins,
which may elicit allergic responses and gastrointestinal distress, depending on your sensitivity.
There are huge differences between lectins, so that it very much depends on what specific lectins a food contains.
A specific lectin, ricin (in castor oil plants), is highly toxic for example.
Agglutinin in soy products and gliadin in wheat, rye, barley and oats may disrupt small intestinal metabolism and damage small intestinal villi.
Phytohemagglutinin in red kidney beans may causes agglutination.

Particularly plant seeds (grains and legumes) are very high in lectins. (as they may disable parasites by binding their glycoproteins).
Only when you know what specific lectins are in a specific food, you may know whether its harmful, or not.
Some lectins are not destroyed by cooking.
There are a number of sugars in fruits that can disable lectins, such as mannose particularly present in tomatoes
and xylose particularly in guava, pears and raspberries and fucose in kiwi and honey.
Egg yolks are high in fucosylated glycopeptides that disable lectins.

[djkvan]

One of the lectins in tomato, LEA, is specific to glucosamine, not mannose, which places joints at risk. Whether free or bound in the intestine, some lectins appear to be relatively impervious to proteolysis and heat degradation. The harmful lectins in potatoes are also specific to glucosamine. Only about 5% of lectins enter the bloodstream. When mannose-specific lectins enter the bloodstream they can become problematic, especially in the bladder which has many glycoconjugate moieties(? correct term, I think) of mannose. When the lectins bind to these loci cystitis can originate . The disturbing thing is that lectins mimic other chemical messengers in the body and tend to remain attached to glycoconjugate sites, while systemic messengers tend to detach once they have originated their target effects. Some lectins attach to fat cells and mimic insulin, while not detaching, thus originating "idiopathic" obesity. I'm not quoting; I'm merely synthesizing data.

[djkvan]

Many lectins cause erythrocyte agglutination, it would seem. As a matter of fact, lectins are very useful in allergy detection. A good sign that this may be happening is headache.

I try to avoid the major lectin offenders as it is thought that they can also lead to selective overgrowth in the digestive system among many other effects that have been proposed. It would make sense as lectins and food sensitivities can lead to improper digestion, which can provide additional food sources for yeast and bacteria to facilitate overgrowth.


A more basic site illustrating with graphics included the effects of lectin activity (with low-tech graphics included ):

http://www.battleforhealth.com/Battle_f ... ation.html

I found this if you could comment, RRM, et al.:

from wiki re: lecithin - Egg lecithin (I know it's not lectin ) is not a concern for those on low-cholesterol diets, because the lecithin found in eggs markedly inhibits the absorption of the cholesterol contained in eggs.

Where did you get your info on lectins in eggs? Are those in the yolk all bound predigestively? If not, are they destroyed by the cooking process? I had difficulty digesting egg yolk on this diet. It seemed to remain in my stomach forever. I would generally wake up a couple of hours after consumption with vascular and tissue edema. It is possible that this was due to hypochlorhydria, which can lead to h.pylori (or vice-versa - more dysbiosis talk) and improper protein digestion, hence swelling. In support of the bacterial hypothesis I'll mention that my bm's often looked like silk worms had knit them sweaters.

Ciao!

(Edit by RRM)I moved some of this post to your diet diary(/edit)

[RRM]

One of the lectins in tomato, LEA, is specific to glucosamine, not mannose, which places joints at risk.

I was trying to paint a bigger picture.
Lectins are everywhere, and for most people nothing to worry about.
Certainly so for people on this diet, as they will not encounter some of the foods that contain lots of those lectins.
Glucosamine is also present in egg yolks and animals, as its a precursor for glycosylated proteins and lipids.
So, you dont need mannose to bind with LEA.

Only about 5% of lectins enter the bloodstream.

This really depends very much on the lectins and foods tested.

The disturbing thing is that lectins mimic other chemical messengers...

Im afraid that you are painting a picture that is a bit too dark.
Our body knows very well how to deal with and regulate lectins.
Naturally, lectins serve in the regulation of cell adhesion, glycoprotein synthesis and the control of protein levels in the blood.
Lectin co-regulates delivery of mannose-6-phosphate to lysosomes and are esential for your immune system
as they recognize the sugars that are specific for pathogens.

Where did you get your info on lectins in eggs?

I guess you are referring to this?

The lectins in egg yolk may mostly be from the egg yolk sac, which contains fucosyl and beta-galactosyl residues,
which highly bind to lectins.

Are you referring to the first part or the second part?

Are those in the yolk all bound predigestively?

I did not find any experiment regarding this.

If not, are they destroyed by the cooking process?

No study about this either.

[djkvan]

I may be selecting the information from which I draw reference, but I am not painting the picture of darkness.

So, you dont need mannose to bind with LEA.

From: http://www.springerlink.com/content/7k4421p206081408/

results suggest that LEA interacts with glycoproteins produced by tomatoes, which participate in biological activities in tomato plants.
Despite these results, the glycoproteins did not inhibit the hemagglutinating activity of LEA.

So N-glycan-bound lectins can still react with erythrocytes in a negative manner.

As an aside: Glucosamine is an effect supplement providing relief for those suffering from arthritic pain because it binds to those lectins in the intestinal tract that are specific to n-Acetyl Glucosamine, thus deactivating them. I won't speak to the safety of such supplements as I haven't seen much of the clinical data yet.

Our body knows very well how to deal with and regulate lectins.

Not all lectins.

Only about 5% of lectins enter the bloodstream.
This really depends very much on the lectins and foods tested.

That's why I said about.

[RRM]

Our body knows very well how to deal with and regulate lectins.

Not all lectins.

Which ones cannot be regulated by the body?

Only about 5% of lectins enter the bloodstream.

This really depends very much on the lectins and foods tested.

That's why I said about.

What is your source?

[djkvan]

Which ones cannot be regulated by the body?

When the immune system is compromised, as in certain autoimmune conditions, or there is a deficiency of lectins, damage may originate, as they are unable to perform their beneficial functions at a high enough level to prevent/clear damage.

from: http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/ar ... 720204.pdf - Similar

Studies of the association between MBL and rheuma-
toid arthritis have demonstrated that MBL is able to bind
to rheumatoid factor (RF) complexes and as a conse-
quence could assist RF clearance by the reticuloendothe-
lial system [82, 83]. The observations that MBL insuf-
ficiency is associated with elevated IgM RF, increased
joint erosions, inflammation, and early disease onset sup-
port the MBL RF clearance theory [84 – 88].

What is your source?

http://intelegen.com/nutrients/lectins_ ... g_role.htm

[djkvan]

Here's another solid lectin information link, complete with references:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... ntent;col1

[RRM]

Our body knows very well how to deal with and regulate lectins.

Not all lectins.

Which ones cannot be regulated by the body?

When the immune system is compromised, as in certain autoimmune conditions

But that is no reason why people in general should avoid lectin consumption.
Lectins are everywhere, including in some fruits and all animal foods.
In as much as that some people are allergic to specific fruits,
and that this is no reason why other people should avoid those fruits.

, or there is a deficiency of lectins, damage may originate, as they are unable to perform their beneficial functions at a high enough level to prevent/clear damage.

A deficiency of dietary or endogenous lectins?
And such a deficiency prevents our body from dealing with dietary lectins properly?

Only about 5% of lectins enter the bloodstream.

This really depends very much on the lectins and foods tested.

That's why I said about.

What is your source?

http://intelegen.com/nutrients/lectins_ ... g_role.htm

No, what scientific stud(y)(ies) showed that "about 5% of lectins enter the bloodstream"?

[djkvan]

No, what scientific stud(y)(ies) showed that "about 5% of lectins enter the bloodstream"?

It is estimated...Although lectins have a beneficial role in the body, research indicates that some are quite damaging. I'm not going to argue the 5% estimate as I don't feel like scrolling the internet (though you are welcome to) and besides it's not the central point.

21. Ponzio G, Debant A, Contreras JO, Rossi B. Wheat germ agglutinin mimics metabolic effects of insulin without increasing receptor autophosphorylation. Cell Signal. 1990;2(4):377-86. Shechter Y. Bound lectins that mimic insulin produce persistent insulin-like activities. Endocriology. December 1983; 113(6): pp.

[panacea]

The 5% reference is highly talked about on the internet, and it appears to come from this wacko http://www.dadamo.com/ selling a book about 'eat right for your bloodtype' nonsense.

[RRM]

So, the 5% is an estimate of wheat-germ agglutinin only?
Obviously, this does not represent all lectins, or an average of lectins.

But what do you mean by this:

Which ones (lectins) cannot be regulated by the body?

When... there is a deficiency of lectins, damage may originate, as they are unable to perform their beneficial functions at a high enough level to prevent/clear damage.

A deficiency of dietary or endogenous lectins?
And such a deficiency prevents our body from dealing with dietary lectins properly?

[djkvan]

A deficiency of dietary or endogenous lectins?
And such a deficiency prevents our body from dealing with dietary lectins properly?

Deficiency of beneficial lectins, due to autoimmune disorders, can interrupt their role in agglutination of damaged cellular material. I regret regurgitating the 5% statistic prior to researching it. I would suppose if I were to locate the source of the estimate that the statistic could represent all lectins that enter the bloodstream. I realize that supposition doesn't help to answer the question however. My bad.

[panacea]

http://www.dadamo.com/science_lectins_mitogens.htm

"Approximately 1 to 5% of the ingested dietary lectins are absorbed into the blood stream."

I found about 5 different websites all stating the same thing and they were all quoting or paraphrasing Peter D'adamo, giving him 'credit' for the 'thought'.