LECTIN-FREE AND LEAN?
It’s worked for Kelly Clarkson, but is the Lectin-Free Diet all it’s cracked up to be? Experts weigh in...
According to Kelly, this eating plan has not only improved her health drastically; it has even enabled her to stop taking medication for her thyroid condition.
When Kelly Clarkson showed off her svelte body on the 14th season of The Voice last year, people were shocked to learn that her 15kg weight loss had nothing to do with exercising – it was simply a positive side effect of a new diet she was on to help sort out a thyroid issue. ‘I had an autoimmune disease and a thyroid problem that started in 2006,’ Kelly said. ‘I read this book called The Plant Paradox, and… it worked wonders for me.’ The theory outlined in Dr Steven R Gundry’s book centres on plant proteins called lectins. The most significant of its many functions is that it protects plants from being eaten – lectins breach the gut wall of insects
and animals so that they feel sick, which discourages them from eating that particular plant again. The same happens in our bodies, says Dr Gundry; lectins induce an inflammatory response in the gut.
‘Lectins bind to receptors on the surface of each cell lining the gut,’ he says, ‘breaking down the tight junctions that normally make an impenetrable barrier between the intestinal contents – including bacteria – and ourselves.’
According to Dr Gundry, lectins are the cause of many modern-day illnesses, ranging from obesity, allergies and brain fog to gastrointestinal issues, inflammation and autoimmune diseases – which is why he designed a lectin-free diet to aid in optimal health. ‘When we lessen lectin consumption, the gut wall reseals and the stimulus to store fat is removed. Lectins no longer bind to insulin receptors, and we no longer store fat aggressively. Weight loss invariably follows.’
According to Kelly, this eating plan has not only improved her health drastically; it has even enabled her to stop taking medication for her thyroid condition.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Although lectins are mainly associated with plants, they’re actually found in an array of foods: vegetables (especially nightshades such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and aubergine); seeds, beans and legumes; traditional dairy products; and grain-fed, farm-raised animal proteins. If you’re wondering if there’s anything left that you can eat, you’re not alone. But there is some good news. On his website, Dr Gundry recommends three food items from his Yes List that should be eaten every day to further help kick his lectin-free diet into high gear. These include: