Nutritionist Burlyaeva advised people with gastrointestinal diseases to be careful about lectins
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Nutritionist, therapist Ekaterina Burlyaeva debunked popular myths about lectins. She noted in an interview with Sputnik radio that their opponents are often mistaken, but advised some people to be careful about these proteins, especially those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
“Lectins are proteins that have an oligosaccharide in their chain, this is their peculiarity. They have the ability to bind other substances on the surface of cells, which is why they are credited with mythical properties. For example, a negative effect on the digestive process and the absorption of vitamins and minerals, an increase in the permeability of the intestinal walls and damage to red blood cells, ”the specialist pointed out.
Burlyaeva explained that lectins are most found in cereals, legumes, nightshade and nuts, which the authors of lectin-free diets suggest abandoning. According to the nutritionist, they are largely mistaken. The expert noted that statements about the accumulation of mucus in the intestines and the negative impact of these proteins on its villi are not entirely true.
According to the specialist, some lectins can exacerbate the course of diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, but do not cause them. At the same time, such proteins perform important tasks in the human body, in particular, they keep pathogens on the cell surface to form an immune response and bind the simple carbohydrate galactose in the liver, regulating blood glucose levels.
Burlyaeva added that in the past ten years, a large number of studies have been conducted that have shown a positive effect of lectins on the body in various types of cancer, in particular, it is believed that they increase immunity against cancer cells. The nutritionist did not rule out the use of lectins in medicine, for this, scientists need to find out what doses and dosage forms can be used.
Jan-Frieder Harmsen, a nutritionist at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, said earlier that being active during daylight hours and resting at night leads to better metabolism. He also urged people to follow the natural cycle of day and night and to be outdoors more often.
