Page 21 - Spring2010

That’s why farmers raising animals on corn and by enzymes in the gut. At least 60 percent remain biologically active and
soybean-based diets give them phosphate supple- immunologically intact, a combination that can represent a time bomb
ments to ensure proper growth. That solves part in the digestive tract. 40,41 Lectins bind to the villi and crypt cells of the
of the growth problem but not the environmental small intestine, where they can contribute to cell death, shortened villi, a
consequences. Undigested phytates excreted in diminished capacity for digestion and absorption, cell proliferation in the
manure can create serious waste disposal prob- crypt cells, interference with hormone and growth factor signaling and
lems and result in contaminated surface water, unfavorable population shifts among the microbial flora.
lakes and streams. 34,35 Lectin damage is not confined to the gut. As the body attempts to
maintain the integrity of the small intestinal lining at all costs, proteins
LECTINS: GLUTINS FOR PUNISHMENT that would ordinarily be used for normal growth and repair elsewhere may
Lectins are proteins with a “sweet tooth.” be appropriated instead for emergency repairs in the intestinal tract. 45,46
Mother Nature created them to help bacteria fix Furthermore, lectins consumed with the diet may travel through the dam-
atmospheric nitrogen into the roots of plants. aged “leaky gut” into general circulation, provoking allergic reactions and
That helps plants grow, and when the plants die immune system disruption. Research to date suggests that lectins of both
makes them useful as fertilizers. Soybeans, for plant and microbial origin provoke allergic rections in the gut, usually of
example, are high in lectins and have tradition- the delayed hypersensitivity type IgG. 47-49
ally served as “green manure.” Lectins can also affect the gut by causing shifts in the gut flora, in-
39
Found most heavily in beans, grains and cluding overgrowth by E. coli, streptoccocus and lactobacillus bacteria. 50,51
other foods, lectins “bite” into carbohydrates, Although most of the studies were done with a toxic lectin from kidney
particularly sugars, and can cause “leaky gut,” beans known as PHA, other lectins act similarly, though less strongly. 52
immune system reactions and blood clotting. Lectins gain strength in the company of other anti-nutrients such as
Because they agglutinate blood—glue it up— protease inhibitors and saponins. Researchers at USDA and elsewhere
lectins are also known as hemagglutins, hemag- who’ve tested lectins have found that the damage tends to be mild. Tested
glutinins and phytohemagglutins. together, the damage is not simply additive but synergistic.
53
Lectins really shouldn’t be a problem in hu- The biggest problem with lectins comes when people eat an insuf-
man nutrition. The enzymes present in fermented ficiently varied diet. In one study, rats put on rotation diets showed signifi-
foods can take care of most lectins. So can heat cantly less damage from lectins than rats fed soy proteins continuously. 54
processing and cooking. But those lectins that Because the rats did nearly as well with the rotation diet as they did on a
do not succumb are unlikely to be perturbed steady diet of high quality, low-lectin feed, the take away message is for
by normal digestive processes. Unlike ordinary us to eat a richly varied diet and to reduce repeated exposure to all lectin-
food proteins, lectins are not easily broken down rich legumes, especially soybeans and kidney beans.

PHYTING DISEASE

Interestingly enough, phytates do have benefits. Many alternative MDs and other health care practitioners recom-
mend them for detoxification because of their ability to bind not only with needed minerals such as zinc and calcium,
but also unwanted toxic metals such as cadmium and lead. To date, most of the research has centered on phytates as
a chelators of excess iron. Unusable iron causes oxidizing, a form of “rusting” in the body. When phytates grab this iron
and usher it out of the body, they serve as “antioxidants” against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and neurogenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer’s, ALS and Parkinson’s. 36-38 Keep in mind that toxic iron loads do not come from eating meat,
which is rich in the absorbable, useful form known as heme iron, but from the non-heme iron in “enriched” flour, cereals,
fortified soy foods, and most vitamin and mineral supplements. Synthetic, inorganic non-heme iron is poorly utilized and
accumulates in the body, contributing to numerous diseases. Men begin accumulating non-heme forms of iron shortly
after puberty. Women rarely start accumulating it until they stop menstruating.
The best attitude to take regarding phytates is to recognize both their dangers and benefits, as is the tradition in some
cultures. For example, Jewish people eat leavened bread (in which the phytates traditionally have been deactivated by
soaking and fermentation methods) for most of the year, but eat unleavened bread (with phytate content intact) prior to
Passover. This is a very healthy approach because detoxification can occur during the fasting period.
Our editor remembers the dish served to her when she got sick during her stay as an exchange student in Iran. Most
of the time her family ate white rice, but when she was sick, they prepared her a bowl of rough brown rice gruel. Presum-
ably the phytic acid in the rice—and brown rice is very high in phytic acid—would attach to whatever nasty enterotoxins
were lurking in the intestinal tract and take them out of the body. (She quickly recovered.)

SPRING 2010 Wise Traditions 21