As a responsible and forward-thinking doctor, it is my job to stay abreast of the most effective ways to keep my patients healthy and strong. We know that food is the most powerful “drug” on the planet, possessing the power to cause, prevent, or reverse disease. Nowadays, the most health supporting diet is one that is low in lectins.
What in the world are lectins and why should you care? Lectins are toxic plant compounds that are part of a plant’s built-in defense mechanism against insects. Unfortunately, lectins can also cause trouble in humans. Many lectins are pro-inflammatory, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, and cytotoxic. Some lectins can increase blood viscosity, interfere with gene expression, incite immune hypersensitivity and trigger autoimmune disease, disrupt endocrine function, induce weight gain, promote cancer, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and inflict damage to the gut (intestinal) lining and the kidneys.
Here’s why lectins are one of the most important health issues of our time: Lectins have always been in food. When they stay in the gut and get eliminated with defecation, there’s no problem. That’s what used to happen. Here’s what’s happening nowadays: On a daily basis, we are all being exposed to man-made chemicals that damage our gut lining that is normally impermeable to everything except nutrients.
The chemicals that damage the gut lining allow toxic lectins to gain access to our bloodstream, as well as gut bacteria and their toxic waste products called lipopolysaccharides (LPS). This modern-day medical condition is known as intestinal hyperpermeability. It is also known as leaky gut syndrome. The substances that are breaching our gut lining include:
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics. This includes not only what your doctor prescribes, but also what is found in animal products (meat, dairy, and eggs).
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve.
- Stomach acid blockers. Also known as proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). Examples include Zantac, Prilosec, and Nexium.
- Artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame.
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These are man-made, estrogen-mimicking chemicals that are prevalent in food and food packaging, water, clothing, and everyday cosmetics and toiletries.
- Genetically-modified foods and exposure to the herbicide Roundup.
While you “may” be able to reduce your exposure to the above toxins, you cannot eliminate them entirely, as they are now present in tap water. They get into your body when your drink water and get absorbed through your skin and lungs when you shower. Thus, the reason to slash your exposure to lectins.
The foods highest in harmful lectins are grains, beans, legumes (including peanuts), and members of the nightshade family, including eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, and goji berries. Avoiding these foods altogether can have a profoundly positive impact on your health and longevity! For more information, read The Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry.
Before we get to the list of foods you SHOULD eat, it is important to know what you should NOT eat. Here is the list of foods with the highest amount of health-damaging lectins (stay away from these foods):
Grains
Amaranth*
Barley (including barley grass)
Buckwheat*
Bulgar
Corn (including cornstarch, polenta, grits, corn meal, corn syrup, chips, and tortillas)
Kamut
Oats
Popcorn
Quinoa*
Rice* (white, brown, wild)
Rye
Spelt
Teff*
Triticale
Wheat (including bread, flour, pasta, cookies, crackers, bagels, pretzels, pastries, couscous, wheatgrass, etc.)
*Soaking in water with ½ teaspoon baking soda for 24 hours followed by thorough rinsing and pressure cooking can reduce lectins in these non-gluten grains. To reduce the glycemic load, pressure cook with one tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of organic sesame oil. After cooking, refrigerate overnight, then rewarm before eating.
Beans & Legumes**
Adzuki beans
Baked beans
Black beans
Black eye peas
Cannellini beans
Fava beans
Garbanzos (including hummus)
Great Northern beans
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Mung beans
Navy beans
Peanuts (including peanut butter)
Pigeon peas
Pinto beans
Red beans
Soybeans (including tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso, soy sauce, soy protein, soy milk, etc.)
**Soaking in water with ½ teaspoon baking soda for 24 hours followed by thorough rinsing and pressure cooking can reduce lectins in beans and legumes. To reduce the glycemic load, pressure cook with one tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of organic sesame oil. After cooking, refrigerate overnight, then rewarm before eating.
Vegetables
Bell peppers***
Cucumbers***
Eggplant***
Green beans
Hot peppers***
Peas
Potatoes (including french fries & potato chips)
Pumpkin***
Snap peas
Squash***
Tomatillos***
Tomatoes*** (including pasta sauce, salsa, ketchup, tomato paste, etc.)
Zucchini***
***Removing the skin and seeds can reduce lectins in these vegetables. Using a serrated swivel peeler makes that task easier. To make your own low-lectin pasta sauce, start with Pomi brand tomato sauce which contains deskinned and deseeded tomatoes grown in Italy.
Fruit
All fruit juices
Melons
Goji berries
Oils
Canola
Corn
Cottonseed
Grapeseed
Partially hydrogenated
Peanut
Safflower
Soy
Sunflower
Vegetable
Sweeteners
Agave
Artificial sweeteners
Honey
Sugar (sucrose)
Meat
Pork
Nuts & Seeds
Cashews
Chia seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Beverages
Alcohol (including beer, wine, and hard liquor)
Milk (cow, goat, soy, almond, coconut, rice)
Soda (regular & diet)
Now to the foods you SHOULD eat. By selecting from the long list of foods and beverages below, not only will you slash your exposure to toxic lectins, you will enjoy a wider variety of foods and a greater abundance of nutrients, flavors, and textures:
Vegetables
Strive to eat 4-8 servings per day of different vegetables (a serving is ½-1 cup)
Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Broccoli sprouts
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cassava root (yuca)
Cauliflower (including riced cauliflower available from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s)
Celery
Chives
Cilantro
Collards
Fennel
Garlic
Horseradish
Jicama
Kale
Kimchi
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Mushrooms
Mustard greens
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Radicchio
Radishes
Red & green leaf lettuce
Red chicory
Romaine
Rutabaga
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Shallots
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Swiss chard
Turnips
Watercress
Fruit
Except for avocados, lemons, and limes, limit your intake of fruit
Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas (green only)
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Chokeberries
Coconut
Cranberries (unsweetened)
Currants
Elderberries
Figs
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Lemons
Limes
Mango (green only)
Nectarines
Oranges
Papaya (green only)
Peaches
Pears
Plantains (green only)
Plums
Pomegranate
Raspberries
Strawberries
Oils
Avocado mayonnaise
Avocado oil
Caprylic acid MCT oil (#2 choice)
Coconut oil (best for cooking)
Flaxseed oil
Macadamia oil
Olive oil
Perilla seed oil (#1 choice)
Sesame oil
Sweeteners
Use sparingly
Just Like Sugar (#1 choice)
Monk fruit (#2 choice)
Stevia
Yacon syrup
Herbs & Spices
All except for chili pepper flakes
Basil
Black pepper
Cayenne
Celery seed
Cilantro
Cinnamon
Cloves
Coriander
Cumin
Curry powder
Garlic
Ginger
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Peppermint
Rosemary
Saffron
Sage
Spearmint
Star anise
Thyme
Turmeric
Dairy Products
Limit to 1 oz. organic cheese per day or 4 oz. organic unsweetened yogurt per day
Eggs
Pastured only: Limit to 2 per day
Fish & Seafood
Wild-caught & low-mercury varieties only: Limit to 4 oz. per meal
Alaska salmon
Catfish
Crab
Croaker
Flounder
Haddock
Mackerel
Mullet
Oysters
Pollock
Sardines
Scallops
Shrimp
Trout
Meat
Grass-fed only: Limit to 4 oz. per meal
Beef
Lamb
Wild game (bison, elk, venison, etc.)
Meat Substitutes
Quorn Chicken Tenders (available from Whole Foods)
Quorn Naked Chicken Cutlets (available from Whole Foods)
Quorn Meatless Grounds (available from Whole Foods)
Homemade hemp tofu
Poultry
Pastured only: Limit to 4 oz. per meal
Chicken
Duck
Turkey
Pasta
Cappello’s
Miracle Noodles
Pasta Slim
Breads
Coconut wraps
Flax crackers
Siete tortillas
Nuts & Seeds
Limit to one-half cup per day
Almonds (blanched)
Chestnuts
Flax seeds (freshly ground)
Hazelnuts
Hempseeds
Macadamias (#1 choice)
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachios
Walnuts (#2 choice)
Olives & Capers
All
Vinegar
All (without added sugar)
Dark Chocolate
90% or greater
Chocolate bar (1 oz/day)
Raw cacao powder
Flour
Almond
Chestnut
Coconut
Green banana
Hazelnut
Sesame
Beverages
Unsweetened only
Purified water (6-8 glasses per day)
Organic decaffeinated coffee (black only)
Organic green tea
Organic rooibos chai tea
Organic dandelion leaf & root tea
Wildcrafted chaga tea
General Guidelines:
- Cook at home and eat with family and friends as much as possible.
- Eat only foods that are labeled “USDA Organic” and “Non-GMO Project Verified.”
- Make your diet 95-100% plant-based. Animal protein should be considered a condiment and not the main course. If you do eat animal protein, limit your intake to 2-3 meals per week.
- Avoid excess protein: Consume 0.31 to 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.
- Minimize carbohydrates (simple sugars and starches) and maximize healthy fats.
- Never drink soda or eat processed meats or packaged sweets.
- Eat two meals a day plus a healthy snack in between. Confine eating to an 8-hour window period. For example, if you eat breakfast at 8:00 am, have a snack around 12:00 noon and dinner at 4:00 pm. If you delay or skip breakfast, have the first meal of the day at 11:00 am, then a snack around 3:00 pm and dinner at 7:00 pm. Avoid eating within 3 hours of bedtime.
