Food Lectins in Health and Disease: An Introduction

Is The Paleo Diet Healthy :

In recent years it appears there is a rising epidemic of people suffering from chronic digestive and autoimmune conditions. Food intolerance or sensitivities may lie at the root of the problem. Most people, including doctors, have little clue how foods they eat may be contributing to their chronic illness, fatigue and digestive symptoms.

Food Lectins in Health and Disease: An Introduction

There are, however, a lot of clues in the medical literature and the lay public's experience about how foods are causing and/or contributing to the current epidemic of chronic illness and autoimmune disease. There are several diets being used by many people with varying success to improve their health despite a general lack of iron clad scientific proof for their effectiveness. One of the clues to the cause and relief of food induced illness may lie in proteins known as lectins that are present in all foods.

Animal and plant sources of food both contain complex proteins known as lectins. These proteins typically have the ability to attach to sugars or carbohydrates on the surface of human cells. Some of these proteins can cause clumping of human red blood cells, a process that is called agglutination. The process of agglutination occurs when someone receives the wrong blood type during a blood transfusion. In fact, red blood cell agglutination specific to each person or groups of people is the basis for testing for blood types. There is some data that blood types may influence how people respond to certain foods though a blood type specific diet appears to have been disproven. The attachment or binding of certain food lectins can initiate a variety of cell specific effects. These reactions may mimic hormones or cause changes in cells. This is termed molecular mimicry.

Most plants contain lectins, some of which are toxic, inflammatory, or both. Many of these plant and dairy lectin are resistant to cooking and digestive enzymes. Grain lectins, for example, are quite resistant to human digestion but well suited for ruminants like cattle who have multi-chambered stomachs. Therefore, lectins are present in our food and are often resistant to our digestion and some have been scientifically shown to have significant GI toxicity in humans. Others have been shown to be beneficial and maybe even cancer protecting. Either way plant and animal proteins are foreign proteins to the body and are dealt with by digestion and our immune system in a positive or negative manner.

The human digestive system was created to handle a variety of plant and animal proteins through the process of digestion and elimination. Some plant and animal proteins or lectins are severely toxic to humans and cannot be eaten without causing death like those in Castor beans and some mushrooms. Other foods must be prepared before they are safe to be eaten. Preparations may include pealing, prolonged soaking and cooking like kidney beans. Other foods may be poorly tolerated because of a genetic predisposition or underlying pre-existing food allergy or intolerance. Others are tolerated to some degree or quantity but not in large amounts or on a frequent basis. People who are intolerant to the milk sugar lactose, because of inherited or acquired deficiency in lactase enzyme, may tolerate small amounts but may have severe bloating, gas, abdominal pain and cramps with explosive diarrhea when a large amount of lactose containing foods are eaten. Foods can become intolerable to some people after their immune system changes or gut is injured from another cause.

Of the food lectins, grain/cereal lectins; dairy lectins; and legume lectins (especially peanut lectin and soybean lectin) are the most common ones associated with reports of aggravation of inflammatory and digestive diseases in the body and improvement of those diseases and/or symptoms when avoided. Recent research by Loren Cordain PhD., has suggested that these lectins may effectively serve as a "Trojan horse" allowing intact or nearly intact foreign proteins to invade our natural gut defenses and enter behind the lines to cause damage well beyond the gut, commonly in joints, brain, and skin of affected individuals. Once damage occurs to the gut and the defense system is breached the result is what some refer to as a "leaky gut". Moreover, many people who develop a "leaky gut" not only have gut symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain but also other symptoms beyond the gut, or extra-intestinal symptoms. Commonly affected areas are the brain or peripheral nerves, skin, joints, and various body glands. With continued exposure of the gut by these toxic food lectins a persistent stimulation of the body's defense mechanism in a dysfunctional manner, occurs, i.e. autoimmune disease.

Wrong types or levels of good and bad bacteria in the gut, or intestinal dysbiosis, may contribute to this process of abnormal stimulation of the immune system. Research supports the strong possibility that such stimulation may be accentuated by interaction of the bacteria with food lectins. It is believed by some that this may further worsen gut injury and autoimmune disease. This latter concept is gaining acceptance and recognition by doctors in one form as the hygiene theory. It is speculated that our gut bacteria have become altered by increased hygiene and over use of antibiotics and that this phenomenon may be playing a significant role in the rising incidence of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and chronic intestinal diseases like Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

Lectins as a cause however are largely being ignored in the U.S. though the field of lectinology and lectins role in disease is more accepted internationally. Avoidance of certain food lectins may be helpful in achieving health and healing of chronic gut injury. Healing of a "leaky gut" and avoidance of ongoing abnormal stimulation of the immune system by toxic food lectins and bacteria in the gut is the basis for ongoing research and probable success of several popular diets such as the paleo diet, carbohydrate specific diet and gluten-free/casein-free diet. More research is needed in this exciting but often neglected area. The Food Doc, LLC features a website http://www.thefooddoc.com that will provide physician authored information on food intolerance, sensitivity and allergy such as lectin, gluten, casein, and lactose intolerance with dietary guidance that will feature in the near future an online symptom assessment and diet-diary.

Copyright 2006, The Food Doc, LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.thefooddoc.com

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Paleo Diet Information: Why the Caveman Diet Is Good for Your Health

Is The Paleo Diet Healthy :

A lot of diet regimens are being created by nutritionists and diet experts from time to time. These diet programs not only aim to help people in their search for a healthy lifestyle but it also reminds them that indeed, they need to be healthy and stop abusing their bodies. One of the proven effective diet programs out there is the Paleo caveman diet. If you are after a healthy lifestyle and a fitter, stronger body, then you should get as much Paleo diet information as you can.

Paleo Diet Information: Why the Caveman Diet Is Good for Your Health

The Paleo Diet: What it is in a Nutshell?

The main selling point of the Paleo diet is how it can make one as strong and as healthy as the cavemen gatherers and hunters who walked the earth millions of years ago. This diet involves the elimination of any food that the cavemen did not eat in their time.

Why should you follow the caveman diet? Why can you not eat everything that is currently available in the market?

The Paleo caveman diet is not just another fad diet. It is actually backed by scientific studies and proofs. Essentially, when the world changed and evolved, the human genes did not evolve along. According to the developers of this diet, the human genes take millions of years before it can become accustomed to a new eating lifestyle. This is the reason why food allergies manifest in some people. Processed and packaged foods have already been modified to the extent that it can no longer be processed well by the body - essentially, it will not help your body at all, according to the principles of Paleo diet.

To simplify, the Paleo diet encourages the consumption of foods that the cavemen ate in their time. These are foods that were naturally available - those that were obviously edible. They did not know how to farm, breed and milk animals and process their food in general. Thus, they only consumed what they know are edible. Their bodies, as products of evolution, were constructed in a way that it can receive and process the foods available in nature. Therefore, since humans today still have the same genetic structure as their human ancestors who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago, they are supposed to eat what the first humans ate to get ultimate strength and health.

Paleo Foods

The Paleo diet essentially takes you back to the basics. If you already understand the idea behind this diet, you might have already thought of what foods can you actually consume when you are on this diet.

Cavemen of the Paleolithic Era were hunters and gatherers. They hunted game animals and caught poultry and seafood. However, since they did not know of animal husbandry yet, they did not milk the animals. Meanwhile, they ate eggs as well but only at a minimal rate. If you are to follow the caveman diet, it would be best if you can consume meat from livestock and poultry that were bred and fed naturally. The same goes with seafood, too.

The cavemen also ate fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Virtually all fruits are allowed in the diet, but if you are after weight loss, you might want to minimize your intake of sweet fruits. Meanwhile, all vegetables aside from starchy ones such as potato and sweet potato are also allowed. Nuts and seeds that are naturally available can also be consumed.

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Paleo Health Benefits - Four Reasons to Eat Like A Caveman

Is The Paleo Diet Healthy :

The first two questions many people ask before attempting the Paleo diet are, "Is this diet healthy?" and "What are some Paleo health benefits?" To answer the first question, it is safe and is not harmful to your overall health in any way. In fact, the Paleo diet can actually be quite beneficial to your health.

Paleo Health Benefits - Four Reasons to Eat Like A Caveman

Otherwise known as the Stone Age diet, the Paleo diet follows the idea that the foods the cavemen ate were natural and better for our bodies to digest and process. Today's foods are far from natural as they are genetically modified, laden with chemicals, and often processed beyond recognition. The food industry has become a science lab with our bodies being the guinea pigs for their new food "creations."

If you think about it, row upon row of the foods at the grocery store all essentially look the same. The popular documentary "Food, Inc." points out that most foods in the grocery store aisles are just corn masked and created to look and taste like other foods. Corn is made into high fructose corn syrup and it finds its way into cereals, barbecue sauce, dressings, soda, and even breads.

Choosing to eat foods from the Paleo plan can help your body to recover from the onslaught of unhealthiness that has overtaken our plates. While it might be difficult for some, the benefits of changing your diet are numerous.Here are some health benefits that are often associated with the Paleo diet.

Weight loss: Because you are only eating natural, unprocessed foods, your body is able to digest them quickly and use the nutrients. The foods contained in this eating plan are extremely beneficial for weight loss and many people who try the Paleo diet will experience some form of weight loss.

Reduces Diabetes: The Paleo diet contains non-processed foods, low fat foods, and does not contain foods with high sugar content. Therefore, your risk to develop diabetes is greatly reduced to an extremely low percent.

Removes toxins: Processed foods found in fast food or snack food contains many chemicals and ingredients that build up in our digestive system. The Paleo diet helps improve digestion and in turn, removes the buildup of waste and toxins that have accumulated in the intestines, kidneys, and stomach.

Overall better feeling: Because of the healthy nature of the Paleo diet, most people have noted that they experience a much better overall feeling after a short period of time. This better feeling includes a person having more energy, a higher productivity level, and increased focus both at work and home.

With all these Paleo health benefits, everybody should try to follow the Paleo diet. While you do not get to enjoy the delicious sweet treats, pizza, or beer, there are still plenty of tasty foods you can eat that will provide you with everything you need.

The Paleo diet is extremely safe and will benefit you and your overall wellbeing. If you are still unsure about trying this age-old eating style, then talk to your doctor. Chances are your doctor will tell you the same thing - the Paleo diet is safe and is good for your health.

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Paleo Diet Eating Plan: Is It Favourable to Your Health?

Is The Paleo Diet Healthy :

Having a difficult time planning your paleo diet meal? Wanted to stay fit by following this revolutionary diet regimen?

Paleo Diet Eating Plan: Is It Favourable to Your Health?

Paleo meal plans foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, lean meats and seafood. It provides nutrients such as soluble fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fats and carbohydrates. You must focus on red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds. Also, small amounts of honey, dried fruit and plant oils are included in meals. All processed foods that contain artificial ingredients, salt, refined sugars and grains and saturated and Trans fats...a big no-no in practicing Paleo Diet eating plan. When fruits and vegetables replace grains and dairy, even healthy whole grains and non-fat dairy. Coffee, alcohol and legumes are not allowed on your daily intake. Potatoes are not recommended in this diet because they are now genetically altered by modern farming techniques.

To begin with a Paleo Diet meal, prepare egg scrambled with spinach and mushrooms in the morning. For lunch, a recommended meal is grilled fish and a green vegetable salad with oil dressing. And for sumptuous dinner, you can eat grilled lean beef, steamed broccoli and a salad of tomatoes and raw bell peppers. Pig out on berries, guacamole and cut-up vegetables and nuts for snack.

What are the benefits of having Paleo diet in your meal?

Paleo diet can help you feel full longer and reduce your appetite. You must include on your meal plans: a large amount of fruits and vegetables.

But in this diet restricts you to many foods that you are eating and it may require you to prepare your own meal and planning the whole process of this healthy diet to follow. As you will notice, you will experience withdrawal symptoms whenever you eliminate caffeine and alcohol, and it resulting to massive headaches, fatigue and irritability.

It's hard to always come up with original meals from time to time from lack of options or a kitchen that still contains some not so good food choices.

The easiest way for people not only to understand what foods are healthy and what foods are not and why, but also to grasp what it entails to be eating Paleo on a day-to-day basis. The best way to prepare a typical paleo eating plan is to give out a sample of a week or two worth of food.

You can skip a meal whenever you feel like it or not. And the paleo diet is not about eating three square meals per day. If you decide to fast for a day, that's perfectly fine as well, but you must include three meals and a snack every day just to give you enough options to choose from. A meal plan like this can easily be adjust to four or even five weeks, because there will be leftovers to about every dinner as well as some of the lunches that you can use whenever you want during the rest of the week or put it on the fridge. This will also save you time from preparing food for every single meal. Some of the meals require quite a bit of preparation time, but most can be prepared a day in advance to make it easier. Some, like soups, stews and roasts, take time to cook, but not much active preparation time.

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