What Are Lectins? Debunking the Internet’s Favorite Anti-Nutrient background image
August 23, 2024

What Are Lectins? Debunking the Internet’s Favorite Anti-Nutrient

Dr. Thomas Wnorowski profile image

Dr. Thomas Wnorowski

PhD, CNCC, Clinical Nutrition Researcher & Biomedical Nutritionist
Pooja Mahtani profile image
Medical Review By:

Pooja Mahtani

PHARMD, MS, CNS, LDN, IFMCP, RN

Featured Product:

Butyrate: Gut Health Supplement

Butyrate

From £27.99 GBP
Butyrate: Gut Health Supplement

Butyrate

From £27.99 GBP

Key Takeaways:

Key Points:

  • Lectins are proteins found in beans, legumes, and grains. They’ve recently made waves in the wellness community for potentially negative side effects, but there’s not much science to support this claim.
  • The cooking process removes lectins from beans and legumes almost entirely. So, if you’re worried about lectin content in your food, just make sure it’s well-cooked.
  • Lectins are also being studied for their anti-tumor properties and may be a valuable asset to cancer treatment.

Whenever a whole category of foods is said to be “bad,” we have to ask questions.

The truth is, the science surrounding food hasn’t always been correct.

Just a few decades ago, margarine was considered a healthy food.

And processed cereals and fortified grains were the foundation of the food pyramid.

To claim that we know everything there is to know about good and bad food is a bold statement. The best we can do to support a healthy diet is listen to our intuition and consume whole and unprocessed foods that have been trusted by our ancestors for centuries.

… That brings us to lectins.

These are plant proteins found in beans and legumes. Recently, they’ve raised concerns in the wellness community due to some preliminary science. There are many health professionals who claim that lectins should be avoided at all costs.

But is this really true?

Let’s dive into this unique plant protein and uncover the truth about lectins.

Table of Contents:

Are Lectins Bad for You?

The answer to this question isn’t a simple yes or no. It’s more nuanced and has a lot to do with your genetics and how the legumes you’re eating are prepared.

Reasons to Avoid or Limit Lectins

Lectins aren’t necessarily bad for you. But if you have a sensitive gut or autoimmune disorder, you may want to limit them. Here’s why:

  • They Can Be Difficult for Your Body to Break Down. As with any protein, lectins take longer for your body to digest. They’re resistant to stomach acid and digestive enzymes. That said, lectins aren’t usually an issue unless you have a sensitive stomach or an autoimmune condition.
  • They Could Be an Anti-Nutrient. “Anti-nutrients” are natural compounds that can interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. The science on lectin as an anti-nutrient is spotty (most of the studies are done on animals). We don’t have enough human clinical studies yet to know how lectins may impact human health. 
  • People with Autoimmune Disease May Need to Avoid Lectins. There are select cases where lectins should be avoided. For some autoimmune patients, they can trigger symptoms. But in general, the lectins found in cooked beans or legumes shouldn’t impact the majority.
  • They Could Impact the Digestive Wall. Studies have shown that lectins found in kidney beans can poorly impact the digestive wall. This is technically true, but only when high levels of lectins are consumed. If kidney beans are cooked, they are much safer to eat.

There’s a lot of misinformation about lectins. The research is low-quality and was primarily done on animals. While it’s true that very high levels of lectins can have health consequences, we’re only exposed to those levels when we eat undercooked beans and grains.

The Good Side of Lectins

  • Lectins Have Antioxidant Properties. Yep, these highly controversial plant proteins can actually support your cells by scavenging free radicals.
  • They Could Slow Digestion and Lead to Improved Blood Sugar Regulation. Remember how we said lectins are difficult to break down? Because of this, they can slow the digestive process — keeping you full for longer and positively impacting blood sugar levels. In general, legumes and beans are considered a superfood for blood sugar regulation. Whether the lectins themselves are responsible for this quality is yet to be known.
  • They May Have Anti-Tumor Properties. There are many different types of lectins. Some lectins are being studied for their anti-tumor properties. They’re actually being tested as an alternative therapy to cancer.
  • Lectin Sensitivity May Be Something Else. It’s easy to blame lectins for gut dysbiosis. Beans and legumes in general are known to increase gas due to their high fiber content. But before you blame lectins, it’s important to look at the whole picture of your digestive health. Gluten, soy, and other common food triggers, as well as underlying gut infections, are a more likely cause of symptoms.
  • Lectins are More Dangerous to “Transformed” Cells. Research shows that lectins are more dangerous to the human body when cells are already mutated (aka, a person is diagnosed with cancer).

Here’s the takeaway: just because one element of an otherwise healthy whole food has questionable findings doesn’t mean that food should be eliminated entirely. If legumes are causing obvious gut symptoms, then it may be helpful to remove them from your diet and work on healing the gut before adding them back in later. Otherwise, foods containing lectins can have a positive impact on the body overall.

Easy Ways to Remove Lectins From Your Food

Another misconception about lectins is that they’re always present in legumes. This isn’t true. You’ll find high levels of lectins in raw legumes, but not in cooked ones. If you’re concerned about lectins in food, here are some things you can do to dramatically reduce them, depending on your sensitivity level…

You’re Concerned About Lectins

Cook Your Legumes. Lectins are water-soluble, so they start dissolving during the cooking process. When we isolate a lectin and look at the science, it makes sense that it could have concerning effects on the body. But in practice, cooked legumes have almost no remaining lectins.

You’re Moderately Sensitive to Lectins

Try Canned Legumes. Canned and organic legumes low in sodium may have a lower lectin content. This is because they’re pre-cooked and then soaked in liquid until they’re ready to use.

You’re Sensitive to Lectins

Soak Your Legumes. This is an ancient practice that’s only recently been lost to modern convenience. By soaking your beans and lentils before cooking (for several hours up to a whole day), you can dramatically lower the lectin content. That’s not where the benefits of soaking beans stop, though. Soaked beans tend to be easier to digest with more bioavailable nutrients. 

What Foods Have Lectins?

Remember, lectin content in foods isn’t usually a big deal. But if you are sensitive or just want to be aware of the lectins you’re consuming, here’s a guide on what foods have lectins:

  • Kidney beans
  • Chickpeas
  • Black beans
  • Soybeans
  • Lentils
  • Peas
  • Peanuts
  • Broccoli
  • Potatoes
  • Eggplant
  • Wheatgerm

There’s No Good Reason to Banish Legumes From Your Diet (Most of the Time)

Just because lectins look scary on paper doesn’t mean they actually are in real life. The truth is, humans have been eating lectins for thousands of years without any negative side effects. Lentils and beans are staple foods in many cultures, and for a good reason. They contain powerful nutrients for blood sugar regulation, gut microbiome support, and immune-boosting properties.

Recent studies and discourse against lectins are missing the whole picture. And, without clinical trials or long-term observational research in humans, there’s no good reason to remove lectins from your diet (unless you have an autoimmune disease or known sensitivity).

Need a little extra digestive support? Learn more about our gut-healing postbiotic, BodyBio Butyrate.

Related Articles

Comprehensive Guide to Butyrate: What it is, Benefits, Side Effects, & More
Ashley Palmer | 06.16.2026

Comprehensive Guide to Butyrate: What it is, Benefits, Side Effects, & More

Butyrate is a necessary component to a balanced microbiome, also working as an inflammation guard*. One of several, short-chain fatty acids created from fermented resistant starches, low butyrate levels have been associated with serious health concerns.

Butyrate and IBS: What Your Gut Cells Actually Need
Ashley Palmer | 04.24.2026

Butyrate and IBS: What Your Gut Cells Actually Need

You've tried the probiotics. You've cleaned up your diet. You're doing everything you're supposed to do, and your gut still isn't cooperating.

If you have IBS, that frustration is familiar. Bloating, urgency, unpredictable mornings, the constant guessing game of what's going to set things off.

What often gets missed in the conversation around IBS isn't a trendy new supplement or a stricter elimination diet. It's something more foundational: what your gut's own cells actually need to function.

Here's a closer look at what butyrate does, why IBS and low butyrate levels are closely linked, and how supporting the gut at the cellular level can make a difference.

Table of Contents:

  • Understanding Butyrate

  • How Butyrate Works in the Gut

  • Why This Becomes an Issue for People With IBS

  • Supporting the Body More Effectively

  • Butyrate, IBS, and the Cellular Health Connection

  • How Butyrate Supports IBS Comfort Long-Term

Understanding Butyrate

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced in the colon when beneficial gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber, specifically resistant starch. It belongs to a class of compounds called postbiotics, the functional byproducts of a healthy microbiome.

Unlike probiotics, which are living bacteria, butyrate is a metabolite. It's a compound your body puts to work directly at the cellular level. Understanding the difference between probiotics and postbiotics, like butyrate, is a useful shift you can make when thinking about gut health.

Why the Body Relies on Butyrate

Your colon is lined with specialized cells called colonocytes. These cells run almost entirely on butyrate, providing up to 90% of their energy needs.

When colonocytes have what they need, they do their job well. They maintain the integrity of the gut lining, regulate what passes into the bloodstream, support a healthy inflammatory response, and help keep gut motility on track. Without enough butyrate, the gut’s main source of energy, the gut simply can't do its job well.

How Butyrate Works in the Gut

Butyrate supports three interconnected systems in the gut: the gut lining, the immune environment, and gut motility.

The gut lining is just one cell layer thick. Butyrate fuels those cells and supports the tight junctions between them, the structural connections that keep the barrier intact and functioning.

At the immune level, butyrate helps the body maintain a balanced inflammatory response in the colon without triggering overactivation. And because it directly influences the rhythmic contractions that move contents through the digestive tract, it plays a meaningful role in the irregular patterns that so many people with IBS experience.

What Happens When Butyrate Levels Are Supported vs. Strained

When butyrate is available in adequate amounts, the gut lining stays resilient, motility is more regular, and digestive comfort improves, whether you have a diagnosis of IBS or not.

If butyrate levels fall short, the gut barrier may become less stable, motility can become unpredictable, and the colon's immune environment may shift. How pronounced these patterns are varies from person to person. Diet, stress, genetics, and microbiome composition all play a role in your body’s patterns too.

Why This Becomes an Issue for People With IBS

Modern Stressors on Butyrate Production

Butyrate is made by gut bacteria that ferment resistant starch, a type of fiber found in foods like cooked and cooled potatoes, legumes, and underripe bananas. The modern diet is low in these foods. That means many people simply aren't giving their gut bacteria the raw materials they need to produce adequate butyrate levels.

Antibiotic use, chronic stress, and certain medications can also reduce the population of butyrate-producing bacteria in the colon. Over time, that compounds the butyrate production gap.

Why Common Approaches Often Fall Short

Probiotics can be a valuable part of gut health support, but most probiotic strains are not butyrate-producing species. They can shift the microbiome, but they don't directly address the fuel shortage that many IBS-related symptoms may stem from.

Fiber-based approaches come with a similar challenge. In some people with IBS, increasing fermentable fiber can worsen bloating and gas before it helps, because a disrupted microbiome may not efficiently use that fiber to make butyrate.

Since butyrate works at the cellular level, the signs of low butyrate can overlap common IBS symptoms, which is part of why the connection between the two gets overlooked.

Supporting the Body More Effectively

Foundational Support for Butyrate Production

Diet is the first step to improving the body's natural butyrate production. Foods high in resistant starch give butyrate-producing bacteria what they need to function properly.

Foods that naturally support butyrate production include cooked and cooled rice, potatoes, and legumes. A steady intake of resistant starch over time does more for the microbiome than occasional high-fiber days followed by low-fiber ones.

Stress management and adequate sleep can also support a more stable gut environment. Chronic stress directly affects microbiome composition and motility through the gut-brain axis. 

When Targeted Butyrate Support Makes Sense

For people whose microbiome is disrupted or whose diet can't consistently provide enough resistant starch, direct butyrate supplementation is another option for long-term support.*

Supplemental butyrate delivers the short-chain fatty acid directly to the colon, where colonocytes can put it to use.* Clinical research has shown that sodium butyrate supplementation is associated with improvements in abdominal comfort and bowel regularity in people with IBS.

Sodium butyrate and calcium magnesium butyrate are both effective options, and the differences between which works best for your body often come down to your individual health history and mineral needs.*

Butyrate, IBS, and the Cellular Health Connection

IBS is complex, and its causes vary from person to person. But one consistent finding in the research is that people with IBS tend to have lower levels of butyrate-producing bacteria and overall reduced short-chain fatty acids in the gut. That points to a cellular resource problem as much as a microbiome problem.

When the cells lining the colon are undersupported, the entire digestive environment becomes less stable. Gut barrier function, motility, immune signaling, and communication along the gut-brain axis all depend on colonocytes having what they need to function.

Supporting the gut at the cellular level is not a replacement for other gut health practices (whole food probiotics, exercise, etc.). It’s the foundation that makes those practices more effective. When your cells are supported, the body functions more efficiently as a whole.

How Butyrate Supports IBS Comfort Long-Term

IBS can feel like a moving target, and the path toward better digestive comfort is rarely a straight line or a quick fix. Supporting your gut at the cellular level creates a more stable foundation, and that starts with making sure colonocytes have the fuel they need.*

Butyrate works best as part of a consistent approach that includes diet, lifestyle, and targeted support where needed. Progress tends to be gradual, and that's expected. It reflects the time it takes for the gut lining to strengthen and the microbiome to rebalance.

IBS makes a lot more sense when you know what the gut's cells actually need. And that clarity is often where real progress begins.

Support your gut at the cellular level with BodyBio Butyrate.*

How Sugar and Stress Impact Gut Health (and How to Support It During the Holidays)
Ashley Palmer | 11.25.2025

How Sugar and Stress Impact Gut Health (and How to Support It During the Holidays)

Between the office party appetizers, your aunt's famous cookies, and that second or third glass of wine at dinner, your gut is working overtime this holiday season. Add in travel stress, family dynamics, and back-to-back celebrations, and you've got the perfect storm for digestive chaos. Your microbiome gets thrown off balance, bloating kicks in, and suddenly, you're fighting to recover while the next event looms ahead on the calendar.

But you don't have to choose between enjoying the holidays and feeling good. A few simple habits and smart supplement support like butyrate can keep your gut balanced and your energy steady, even when you're indulging more than usual.*

Table of Contents:

  • How Sugar Disrupts Gut Health

  • The Stress-Gut Connection

  • Alcohol's Role in Gut Imbalance

  • Supporting Your Gut During the Holidays

  • Butyrate Q&A: Your Holiday Gut Support Ally

  • Keep Your Gut (and Holidays) Happy

How Sugar Disrupts Gut Health

Sugar is everywhere during the holidays, from dessert spreads to seasonal lattes. And while your taste buds are celebrating, your gut (and metabolism) is dealing with the consequences.

Refined Sugar and the Microbiome

When you're eating more holiday cookies and desserts than usual, certain bacteria in your gut that love simple carbohydrates start to flourish. This temporary shift can show up as stronger cravings, more bloating, or mood changes, which may help explain why you keep going back to the cookie tray.

When this imbalance sticks around, it can affect your gut barrier (the protective lining that keeps your gut contents where they belong). When that barrier gets compromised, bacterial byproducts (waste and toxins produced by bacteria) slip into your bloodstream and trigger inflammation throughout your body. Since at least 70-80% of your immune system lives in your gut, keeping this barrier strong is especially important during the holidays when you're more susceptible to seasonal bugs. 

This systemic inflammation can even show up as breakouts or dull skin, another reminder of how deeply your gut health affects your whole body.

Sugar Spikes and Cellular-Level Stress

Those cookie-fueled blood sugar rollercoasters don't just zap your energy. They create stress at the cellular level. Your mitochondria have to work overtime to manage these ups and downs. The oxidative stress that results from these swings doesn't stay in your gut. It affects your whole body, compounding the stress you're already feeling and making recovery that much harder.

The Stress-Gut Connection

Between travel logistics, family gatherings, and year-end deadlines, the holidays can send your cortisol levels soaring. That stress response directly impacts how your gut functions.

The Gut-Brain Axis in Action

Your gut and brain are in constant conversation through the gut-brain axis. When stress rises (from travel chaos, family dynamics, or that never-ending to-do list), your body pumps out cortisol to help your body handle it. Cortisol slows digestion and weakens your gut barrier, exactly when you need them working their best.

Holiday Stress + Sugar = A Rough Combination

When emotional stress meets dietary stress, the side effects can multiply quickly. This is why bloating, constipation, and relentless sugar cravings often show up together during the busiest weeks of the year. Your gut is working overtime to keep up.

Alcohol's Role in Gut Imbalance

Holiday cocktails and wine (or your beverage of choice) add another layer of stress to an already taxed digestive system, particularly when it comes to gut barrier integrity.

How Alcohol Affects the Gut Barrier

Alcohol increases gut permeability, making that protective barrier more porous, and feeds inflammation in your digestive tract. It also depletes beneficial compounds like butyrate that your gut needs to stay strong.

The Next-Day Domino Effect

Ever notice how after a night with just one or two cocktails, you sleep poorly, crave sugar like crazy, and feel more stressed the next day? Each of these factors puts more strain on your microbiome, creating a cycle that's tough to break when holiday parties stack up week after week.

But that doesn’t mean you have to abstain from the fun altogether to shield your gut from harm. You just need a plan to minimize the side effects. 

Supporting Your Gut During the Holidays

You can protect your gut without skipping the celebrations with just a few, simple, strategic habits that make all the difference.

Lifestyle Swaps

You don't need to overhaul your entire holiday routine. A few small shifts make a real difference:

Hydrate between drinks. No seriously, alternate a tall glass of water after each drink, preferably with added electrolytes. Water + key minerals help your body process both sugar and alcohol more efficiently.

Pair sweets with protein or healthy fats. A handful of nuts with that cookie, or hard cheese with your dessert, slows glucose absorption and prevents wild blood sugar spikes.

Move daily. Even a 15-minute walk after meals helps regulate stress hormones and gets your digestion moving. Get the whole family involved for more quality time together!

Eat butyrate-rich foods. Foods like butter, ghee, and aged cheeses naturally contain some butyrate, while fiber-rich foods like cooked and cooled oats, slightly underripe bananas, and legumes help your gut bacteria produce more of it.

Smart Supplement Support: Butyrate

Butyrate is a postbiotic (a beneficial compound that your good gut bacteria naturally produce) that supports your gut lining, reduces inflammation, and helps keep your microbiome balanced. It's the perfect holiday event partner for your gut.*

During the holidays, butyrate helps you:

  • Skip the bloat with no more uncomfortable gas after meals*

  • Digest rich foods without the heavy, sluggish feeling*

  • Balance blood sugar after dessert (high spikes → gentle hills)*

  • Recover faster between celebrations by strengthening your gut barrier*

Butyrate is flexible. You can take it with or without food, and dose up or down based on your needs (up to six capsules per day). Already taking a probiotic that works for you? Butyrate works alongside it (more on that below).

Butyrate Q&A: Your Holiday Gut Support Ally

Q: Can I take butyrate with or without food?
A: Either way works. Take it however feels best for you. Some people prefer it with meals, others between. The most important thing is to stay consistent for gut protection.

Q: Is butyrate the same as a probiotic?
A: No, it's a postbiotic! Probiotics add beneficial bacteria to your gut. Butyrate is what healthy bacteria produce to keep your gut lining healthy and reduce inflammation.*

Q: Can I take butyrate with probiotics?
A: Absolutely. Probiotics repopulate the good bacteria, while butyrate strengthens the environment they need to thrive. They work well together. If probiotics are giving you some beneficial results but not all, butyrate can help bridge the gap.* 

Keep Your Gut (and Holidays) Happy

Sugar, stress, and alcohol are part of the holiday package, and that's okay (in moderation of course). They don't have to derail how you feel or leave you fighting to bounce back.

Your gut doesn't need perfection; it simply needs nutrition, hydration, movement, and smart support when things get hectic. Butyrate is the perfect holiday event partner to support your gut microbiome and gut lining through every celebration, so you can enjoy the season without total gut and metabolic disruption.

When sugar, stress, and alcohol impact your gut this season, support your microbiome with BodyBio Butyrate.*