Lectins, Gut and Autoimmunity

If you are dealing with autoimmunity, you will inevitably run into the issue of gut permeability (leaky gut) and the role of lectins in it. 

Lectins are carbohydrate biding proteins, made by plants to prevent insects and herbivores from eating them. There are over 100 different plant lectins, of which gluten is probably the best known. The group of vegetables rich in lectins are the nightshades vegetables: potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper, goji berries, eggplants, to name the most popular one. 

Many people these days avoid or at least reduce intake of gluten rich foods because it can bind to the internal lining of the gut and damage it, causing the condition of leaky gut. Some unwanted particles including bacteria, toxins, and lectins may enter to the body. 

It’s worth mentioning that that gluten isn’t the only cause of leaky gut. Consuming alcohol, pesticides, processed foods (contain emulsifiers), anti-inflammatory medication, and even some supplements can damage your gut lining and lead to leaky gut, which almost everybody with any form of autoimmunity has. 

When in your bloodstream, lectins will be recognized as foreign particles by your immune system.  It will then deploy antibodies against them. And because the antigens on the lectin is very similar to the one on the healthy cell, the body can end up attacking its own cells, this is known as molecular mimicry. In the case of Rheumatoid Arthritis, there are also cell wall deficient bacteria that are capable of molecular mimicry and will cause the immune system to attack a healthy joint cell. 

While giving up on potatoes was no big deal, I was quite sad when I had to kiss goodbye tomatoes. I read somewhere that when you peel the skin of the tomato and remove the seed you can greatly reduce the content of lectins in tomatoes. However, because i am not quite there with resorting of my gut lining, I chose to give up tomatoes. Except that once it was sneaked into my burger and it looked so good that day, i had it. Well, I noticed the next day with my joints. 

Over the holiday season I had some treats (gluten + sugar) and full-blown RA returned in the full force. Until further notice I am removing foods that contain lectins completely from my diet. 

Big City Mom