Processed breads or conventional wheat products versus sprouted wheat is another example of a lectin containing food that can stick to the gut lining and block nutrients from getting through.

"In my judgement, there's probably less than 10 percent of the population is lectin-sensitive," said nutrition expert Dr. Jonny Bowden. Bowden says the Paleo community boosted the lectin-free craze.

Why should we worry about it? Some claim lectins block your body from absorbing other nutrients. Like our Facebook page for more conversation and news coverage from San Jose, the Bay Area and beyond.

Lectins strongly and specifically bind to sugars (carbohydrates). This affinity for sugars is captured in the word "lectin" itself, which is derived from the Latin word legere, or "to select." [4] ...

Lectins, a family of proteins found in many foods, have been described as “the new gluten”, and if that refers to them being wrongly demonised, it might not be far from the truth.

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a critical serum protein of the innate immune system that recognises distinct carbohydrate signatures on pathogens, initiating the lectin pathway of the complement ...

That's because the toxic lectin content in raw red kidney beans drops by 99% after cooking them (from 20,000-70,000 to 200-400 hemagglutinating units). [3] ...