{"id":19547,"date":"2026-07-23T12:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T19:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=19547"},"modified":"2026-09-15T00:05:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:05:21","slug":"the-truth-about-lectins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/the-truth-about-lectins\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About Lectins: What are Lectins and Are They Bad?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In case you were thinking of reading chapter 11 of <\/span>Biochemistry, 5th edition<\/span><\/i><\/a>, today, I\u2019ll save you the time. <\/span>Lectins<\/span><\/a> are proteins that bind to carbohydrates. They\u2019re all over the place in nature \u2014 in plants, animals, and many kinds of microorganisms \u2014 and there are thousands of different kinds.<\/span><\/p>\n

The word lectin <\/span>comes from<\/span><\/a> the Latin \u201clegere,\u201d meaning \u201cto select,\u201d because it was thought that they choose the carbohydrates to which they bind. You can think of lectins as the bumps and holes in Lego blocks, which are unrelated to the Latin word \u201clegere\u201d (but it would be fun if they were).<\/span><\/p>\n

Some researchers think plants <\/span>evolved<\/span><\/a> lectins to protect themselves against pests and pathogens. This protective effect is similar to that of other phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, which serve as natural defenses in plants and are extremely good for us as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where Are Lectins Found?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Lectins are found in a wide variety of both animal and plant foods. About 30% of the food we eat daily <\/span>contains<\/span><\/a> lectins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Foods High in Lectins<\/span><\/h3>\n

Some of the foods richest in lectins include:<\/span><\/p>\n