Dr Hagmeyer a wellness and Functional Medicine Practitioner, explains How Grains, Nuts, Seeds, and Beans can be damaging to the Brain, and the Digestive system and why you may want to avoid them if you suffer with GI issues, Autoimmune problems or Low Thyroid.

Transcript of Video. 

Hey Everybody!

Dr Hagmeyer here and if you saw my last video, I mentioned that wheat gluten and specifically WGA (wheat germ agglutinin) can cause deterioration in neurological function by means of the blood brain barriers. It can also cause deterioration of the GI tract by damaging the brush border cells within the intestines.

I mentioned how legumes, and sprouted whole grains, regardless of whether soaked, boiled, or heated are still capable of containing high amounts of lectins.  Lectins can be a Big problem for many people with Thyroid disease, IBS, inflammatory bowel conditions and autoimmune disease.

Lectins are a type of carbohydrate-binding protein that stick to cell membranes in the digestive tract. When binding to the lining of the digestive tract- they in turn cause an inflammatory response.

But, this is not the only place lectins cause damage and Inflammation. These carbohydrate binding proteins, can also bind or attach to your thyroid, your brain, your pancreas, your joints and they can initiate an autoimmune mechanism where the immune system attacks and destroys these glands and tissues.

WGA (found in wheat) is not the only lectin that can cause or contribute to the chronic health problem you or a loved one may be experiencing.

Where Do We Find Lectins

All seeds of the grass family are high in lectins that means you find them in ALL Grains.

So, If you have given up gluten and you are one of those individuals who still struggles with Inflammation, Thyroid problems and Autoimmune diseases,  your degree of sensitivity extends beyond just gluten but most likely to Chiten binding lectins or Gluten-Cross reactive foods.

Foods Highest In Lectins include:

• 1. Nightshade vegetables, such as tomatoes, potatoes, goji berries, peppers, and eggplant
  2. All legumes, such as lentils, beans, peanuts, and chickpeas
  3. Peanut-based products, such as peanut butter and peanut oil
  4. ALL grains and products made with grain or flour, including cakes, crackers, and bread
  5. Dairy products, such as milk

I will tell you that from my experience, and I work with some very sick people, it is rarely enough to just eliminate gluten and continue eating all the packaged foods that state they are gluten free or continue eating beans, nuts and seeds.

Eating large amounts of food containing lectins can cause gas, bloating or gastric distress in many people. Lectins aren’t digestible. They bind to cell membranes lining the digestive tract. There, they may disrupt metabolism and cause damage.

5 Things You Can Do That Will Have A Massive Impact On Your Health.

1. Eliminate Grains, Lectins, Night shades (Potato, Tomato, Eggplant, Pepper, eliminate beans, nuts, seeds) Learn more about Testing here
2. Get tested for Cross Reactive foods (Potato, Barley, Tapioca, Oats, Corn, Amaranth, etc) there is some very important information that these tests can clue us into.
3. Support the inflammatory response with specific nutritional supplements and dietary changes. This will vary from person to person but things like Liposomal Glutathione, Resvoxitrol and Inflamma-bLOX are all fantastic and helping quench inflammation.
4. Support the environment of the intestines. When you have adequate beneficial floras, you have a protective barrier against substances that travel through the intestines, including lectins.
5. Support the blood brain barrier. Once that BBB has been breached this is where you start to see the depression, memory problems, the brain fog, the irritability and the migraines.

Remember you CAN’T soak beans, nuts and seeds and eliminate lectins. Soaking, reduces Phytate or phytic acid, but soaking WILL NOT get rid of Lectins.

Additional Articles Of Interest

• Understanding Lectins-When health foods Fight Back
• Lectins Thyroid Problems and Autoimmune Disease
• Lectins, The Digestive System, and Inflammation
• How To Properly Test for Gluten Sensitivity