Yes, oats and oatmeal are high in lectins. But don't worry, there are plenty of delicious lectin-free alternatives to oatmeal. You can make porridge with millet, sorghum, teff, and fonio. All these are nutritious ancient grains that are lectin-free and gluten-free, making a comeback.
Similarly, oats contain lectins — a protein produced by plants when defending themselves from being eaten. Lectins are considered anti-nutrients as they bind to cells easily, causing GI-related issues like bloating and gas.
Which foods are high in lectins? Lectin-containing foods include nightshades, like tomatoes and potatoes; vegetables with seeds, like squash and cucumbers; grains including wheat, rice, and oats; and legumes, including non-pressure-cooked beans, split peas, and lentils.
Gundry's three superfoods that you should never eat? Surprisingly, some so-called superfoods actually contain lectins, which can harm your health. The top three most common superfoods that you should never eat are Goji berries, Chia seeds and wheatgrass.
What are the 3 foods to never eat? Three foods that Dr. Gundry recommends you never eat are whole grains (including bread, cereals, and grain-fed animal meat), sugary and sweetened food and beverages, and undercooked legumes such as raw red kidney beans, which contain high levels of lectin, phytohemagglutinin.
Cooking, especially with wet high-heat methods like boiling or stewing, or soaking in water for several hours, can inactivate most lectins. [6] Lectins are water-soluble and typically found on the outer surface of a food, so exposure to water removes them.
Whole, unprocessed foods are key, starting with low-lectin vegetables such as greens, carrots and cauliflower, in-season berries, and avocado.
One of the predominant proteins in the pulp of ripe bananas (Musa acuminata L.) and plantains (Musa spp.) has been identified as a lectin.
Oats can cause gas and bloating. To minimize side effects, start with a low dose and increase slowly to the desired amount.
Your Gut Bacteria Will Thrive
A 2021 systematic review published in the Journal of Nutrition found a link between oat consumption and increasing beneficial bacterial groups within one's gut, making it a gut-friendly and heart-healthy breakfast.
Foods including grains, particularly whole wheat, beans and legumes, nuts, aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, dairy products and eggs contain lectins - which doesn't leave an awful lot left to eat.
Oatmeal has anti-Inflammatory properties.
Oats boast 24 phenolic compounds — plant compounds that have antioxidant properties. One antioxidant group called avenanthramides are found almost exclusively in oats and help reduce inflammation and protect against coronary heart disease.
Oats contain a unique type of fibre that nourishes and restores healthy gut bacteria.
Seeds: Lectins are contained in the seeds and skins of fruits and vegetables, so avoid pumpkin, sunflower, and chia seeds. Cow's Milk: As a reminder from chapter 2, almost all products from cow's milk contain a lectin-like protein called casein A-1, so avoid ice cream, yogurt (even Greek yogurt), and cheese.
Food with less or no lectins are meats (grass-fed), fish, seafood, poultry, meat without soy, sheep and dairy products, cruciferous veggies, avocado, celery, and broccoli, sweet potatoes, and nuts and seeds.
Broccoli – Not all vegetables have lectins. Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are also lectin-free. Asparagus, celery, garlic, and onion are a few others.
Symptoms of Lectin Sensitivity
These include: Digestive problems: the most common symptoms of food sensitivity, these can present as bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and flatulence [R, R].
As lectins reach the small intestine, they can bind to receptors on the intestinal cell lining and cause damage. Larger amounts of lectins are found in certain plant foods like legumes, wheat, seeds, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables.
Although lectins are found packed into many highly nutritious foods, they've come under fire lately as a hidden source of health issues and inflammation, placing them among the list of antinutrients in foods.
Usually I only recommend green bananas to eat. But here's a healthy way to use to ripe bananas: Banana Tea. All the potassium nutrient benefits, none of the sugar. Slice both ends off, boil in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes.