Lectins Cause Inflammation

What Are Lectins?

Lectins are carbohydrates bound to proteins that act as agglutinins and are found throughout nature. Approximately 30% of the foods we eat contain lectins, some of which can be quite resistant to digestion and may enter the bloodstream.

Due to their binding properties, lectins can cause nutrient deficiencies, disrupt digestion, and damage the intestinal lining—especially when consumed excessively by individuals with impaired enzyme function.

These effects occur because lectins can disrupt the integrity of the intestinal barrier, which is the gateway to autoimmune diseases.
Since amino acid sequences are shared among dietary lectins, foreign peptides, and various body tissues, a cross-reactivity may occur. This can trigger the production of antibodies against bacterial antigens and lectins, ultimately leading to autoimmunity.

The detection of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies against specific lectins can help guide the elimination of lectins from the diet.
This process is thought to reduce peripheral antigenic stimulation, which may lead to an improvement in symptoms for some patients with autoimmune disorders.

Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, CLS

(Altern The Health Med 2015;21 (Suppl 1); 46-51 )

Abbreviations

• WGA: Wheat Germ Agglutinin
• SBA: Soybean Agglutinin
• PNA: Peanut Agglutinin
• LA: Lentil Agglutinin
• MA: Mushroom Agglutinin
• TA: Tomato Agglutinin
• PA: Pea Agglutinin
• POT.A: Potato Agglutinin
• KBA: Bean Agglutinin
• JBA: Jack Bean Agglutinin

What We Aim to Demonstrate with This Article

As is common in nature, plants protect themselves from insects and microorganisms through lectins. These proteins bind to the cell walls of such organisms and cause toxicity or poisoning.

The same happens when we consume foods high in lectins. As shown in the table, wheat germ lectin (WGA) has an affinity for 18 different tissues in the body, meaning it can bind and agglutinate to 18 types of human cells.

Similarly, the chart shows other foods with high lectin content, such as legumes — peanuts, soybeans, jack beans, peas, lentils, and beans.
This explains why some legumes are hard to digest and can cause inflammation.

Finally, we see that tomatoes, mushrooms, and potatoes contain lower amounts of lectins, which explains why these foods tend to be less inflammatory, depending on each individual’s tolerance.

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Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, CLS

(Altern The Health Med 2015;21 (Suppl 1); 46-51 )