The lectin connection

[focused1]

I recently watched a lecture on youtube about lectin in our diet being a potential autoimmune trigger, especially concerning MS. The researcher was Dr. Loren Cordain from Colorado State University. His theory is along the lines of leaky gut involving lectins from common foods.

He advocates a Paleo diet, specifically avoiding legumes, tomatoes, gluten grains and potentially corn, citing these lectins as most likely to get through the intestinal barrier. It's a 7 part series on youtube called The Paleo Diet and Multiple Sclerosis.

Any experience with this? I've been eating extremely healthy but have still seen no improvement in my symptoms. But, beans and tomatoes have been staples in my diet. I think he may be on to something. I'll be continuing my current diet and eliminating a few more things. Seems like it's worth a shot!

[nutritiontara]

The majority of the nutritional principles I have explained in this forum are exactly the Paleo diet. Cave-person walked around and plucked foods from bushes, trees and pulled tubers out of the ground; and occassionally ate an animal (including their organs). We still have the digestive physiologies of a caveperson.
If you look at the "lectin Connection" grains are very high in these undigestable lectins. Geee, any Gluten free discussions we've arguered over in this forum from day 1?? Also soy. I have always not recommended unfermented soy; tofu, soymilk,etc..The original forms traditionally eaten were fermented soy products: tempeh, miso and natto. And this also applys to fermented forms of dairy: kefir and yogurt.
Avoiding gluten grains and unfermented soy and dairy would greatly reduce your intake of lectins.

Ok so what is the connection with auto immune disorders?
Possibly these large proteins undigested in the stomach and small intestines can permeat the intestinal wall and enter the blood stream. There are then recognized by the body as foreign and an immune response is mounted.
From day one, I have said (regarding gluten) if we can eliminate/control immune triggers then why not? Nutrition is one of the few things we HAVE control over. Why not optimize ours!

[focused1]

Ok so what is the connection with auto immune disorders?
Possibly these large proteins undigested in the stomach and small intestines can permeat the intestinal wall and enter the blood stream. There are then recognized by the body as foreign and an immune response is mounted.

That's why I posted the name of the video, so that people could find the lecture on youtube and listen to his theory rather than just read my simplified version. My reason for posting was to find out if anyone was familiar with this specific research on lectins as an autoimmune trigger and a potential cause of MS. I wasn't saying that this guy is the first person ever in the world to promote the Paleo diet for people with MS.

[Ranwah]

When it comes to what causes the autoimmune and why, you'll only find theories, so it's normal to recommend avoiding anything that would stress the immune system. Copaxone is an immune trigger, but in the case of MS it looks like the immune response to copaxone is helping rather than harming.

Here is a useful lectin, a potent HIV inhibitor:

http://www2.med.umich.edu/prmc/media...ls.cfm?ID=1521


Ran

[dennissr]

I have been on the diet for 15 weeks. During that time I have had several days of feeling great. Otherwise I have had the same degeneration that I was experiencing before the diet.

As far as weight loss it is very good. My son lost over 40 pounds in a fairly short time and my wife and I have shed 12 to 15. I prefer weight watchers.

I would not waste my money on his book since the diet is so simple a caveman could do it. Lean meat,fruit,veggies,seeds and nuts. No dairy,beans,grains.

There are two entertaining You Tube videos, one on eating and one on exercise.

Dennis

[shoreline2]

Paleo Diet for Hubby w RRMS?

Hi. I am gluten free, dairy free, and eat no bread, rice, pasta or beans, nuts, seeds. I do this for mild Chrohn's and celiac type symptoms. I feel good eating this way. It's harder for people around me - mostly asking, "can't you have any ice cream?" and i don't want the ice cream, so it's fine.

My husband has Relapsing Remitting MS and is atypical but his diet went from being a body builder (pre-MS) to heavy carbs and junk + a lot of very good food (post MS). So now he is eating more organic turkey burgers, organic hormone free ground beef made into burger and grilled, more organic chicken and lots of fish. He will not let go of the bagels.

I worked for Nestle years ago. A food scientist from Iran told me not to eat bleached enriched flour, that it was actually proven more than 12-15 years ago to cause colon cancer.

My husband has to change his diet and I am hoping, but he is not one to let go of his favorite food items. I do it because I have to and got used to it. Now, you can't force me to eat that way.

The Paleo Diet and Multiple Sclerosis on youtube.com is a place to start. I hope he will actually watch it. I will try that tomorrow night at dinner with him.

Maybe a cleaner diet would add energy and sharpness to health benefits.

I will look into this - hopefully he will too and find some good information.

[focused1]

Thanks for the replies, I'm feeling much much better on this diet. I've been doing a strict Paleo diet for a week and I've never had as much energy as I do now. I can tolerate heat like never before, and my symptoms have toned down. I can't say for sure that it's because of this diet but I'm definitely going to stick with it. It's a little tough to do 'social eating' but I just bring my own food or pick a restaurant that will work. Chili's has a delicious grilled salmon and steamed veggie dinner

[eam123]

Just started 'phase 1' of my paleo diet, lol!

I see an 'integrative' MD for some holistic/alternative treatments in addition to my traditional neuro prescribed stuff. He thinks grains are a very irritating food to the gut and could definately be detrimental to MS patients. My husband does paleo (he's a fitness nut) and he feels fantastic. So this doctor I see thinks I should follow the diet as well......he thinks it's a great diet for MS.
I am reading the book now, it's pretty easy, you don't really need a book, lol! I still have some gluten free toast in the morning, but I'm weaning myself off.

[BigA]

I recently watched a lecture on youtube about lectin in our diet being a potential autoimmune trigger, especially concerning MS. The researcher was Dr. Loren Cordain from Colorado State University. His theory is along the lines of leaky gut involving lectins from common foods.

He advocates a Paleo diet, specifically avoiding legumes, tomatoes, gluten grains and potentially corn, citing these lectins as most likely to get through the intestinal barrier. It's a 7 part series on youtube called The Paleo Diet and Multiple Sclerosis.

Any experience with this? I've been eating extremely healthy but have still seen no improvement in my symptoms. But, beans and tomatoes have been staples in my diet. I think he may be on to something. I'll be continuing my current diet and eliminating a few more things. Seems like it's worth a shot!

Our symptoms are not caused by MS - they are caused by the damage done by MS. So we may get repair over time, but the sign of a good diet is if we don't get worse. I think people did do better after a few years on Swank, but I would consider that a happy added benefit to halting progression.

My main problem with the Paleo diet is that although it sounds like a very old diet, it's really just another recent fad diet based on a hypothesis of what our ancestors ate. I doubt they ate as much meat as most people on the diet might and in any case, hunter gathers would have been running all day chasing down wild meat which is very different from the corn fed variety we eat now.

The one consistant thing I can see as far as any diet is concerned is that in the end, you should be as thin as a teenager.

[Sequoia]

My main problem with the Paleo diet is that although it sounds like a very old diet, it's really just another recent fad diet based on a hypothesis of what our ancestors ate. I doubt they ate as much meat as most people on the diet might and in any case, hunter gathers would have been running all day chasing down wild meat which is very different from the corn fed variety we eat now.

Although they are similar, I think it's important to distinguish between the Paleo Diet (which is, for many people, a fad) and Ashton Embry's Best Bet Diet. The latter has been designed especially for MS, and has a substantial following among MSers in the U.K.

For more information on the Best Bet Diet, check out the Multiple Sclerosis Research Centre's Best Bet Diet Group online or visit the Direct-ms.org site. My personal preference is for the Best Bet Diet Group, but both are good.

[nutritiontara]

The idea of the Paleo diet is the agriculture business has ruined our food. If we could get wild game, heirloom vegetables and clean water; with 10k calories burned/day obtaining this food, we would have no illnesses. Death would come by accidents/injuries. I think we all have pretty similar ideas here regarding nutrition.