Which foods are particularly rich in lectins?

Published on 12/10/2022 by Dr. med. Christian Gersch
Dr. Gersch is a Kaiserslautern based concierge physican

Lectins are vegetable toxins. They are contained in countless plants and vegetables and partly also in fruit. Not every lectin is harmful to us - but others in particular. Therefore, I would like to offer you a rough classification of which foods containing lectins are particularly worth avoiding.

groups of lectin-containing foods

Harmful lectins are contained in three groups of foods in particular:

Gluten-containing grains
Legumes
nightshades

To this add all the animal food, where the animals were fed with high lectin containing food like corn, soy or wheat. Just as humans take up lectins, animals can do the same, so that these lectins can be found in milk and meat.

Does that sound surprising? Actually, mankind already knows this: Breastfeeding mothers are advised to avoid "bloating" legumes and nightshade plants so that their babies do not get "colic". In fact, however, it is the lectins from peas, lentils or peppers that are found in the milk of nursing mothers and cause problems for the baby. For example, "colic" does not occur if the mothers have eaten chilli con carne (= legumes and nightshades) cooked in a pressure cooker, because the pressure cooker has inactivated the lectins.

Which specific foods from these groups have a particularly high lectin content?

If you ask me which lectin-containing foods you should avoid the most, here is the list

whole grains
corn
kidney beans
A1 milk products
meat products of questionable feeding
soybeans
peanuts
cashews

Lectins are a question of quantity: it is certainly more harmful to eat 500 g kidney beans than 0.5 g paprika spice.

Despite this, this short list is only useful as a starting point. In the long run I recommend to stick to the full list.

Experience shows that a significant improvement in symptoms occurs about six weeks to six months after you have followed a lectin-free diet.

Conclusion

Lectin-rich are especially gluten-containing grains, legumes and nightshades. Among these, the following are particularly prominent: whole grains, corn, kidney beans, soybeans, peanuts and cashews.

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Articles on my website are intended for the information of my patients. They cannot replace my personal advice or the advice of another doctor. Please do not use the information provided here for the diagnosis or treatment of a disease. See me or another doctor if you have any illness, condition related to any of the topics discussed in this article. Discuss any changes in your lifestyle or your diet with a healthcare professional before implementing them. Food supplements may interact with over-the-counter or prescription drugs. If you are taking any medication, never stop taking it on your own, change its dose, or take any other medication / supplements without first consulting me or another doctor.