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1. McVitamins Health Blog
2. Dental Diet and Better Health
3. What are Lectins? Are they Affecting Your Health?
4. Addressing Your Neuropathy, What Can You Do?

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The MCVitamins Health Blog

We do have a blog and try to post every day. It also will tellyou when a new article is posted on our site.

Dental Diet and Better Health

You should consider how the foods we eat affect the microbes that live in our mouths. Yet the oral microbiota has a powerful influence on the health of our gums as well as our teeth.

Consequently, the influence of our diet reaches far beyond the mouth and affects our entire body.

Its not just sugar

When we were kids, the dentist told us not to eat too much candy because that could cause cavities. Dr. Lin (dentist) has examined the reports of Dr. Weston A. Price from the early 20th century.

Dr. Price traveled the world collecting data on diet and dentition. He concluded that many orthodontic problems appear only when people adopt a “Western” diet full of processed foods. Apparently giving children food that must be chewed encourages the proper development of jaws with space for well-aligned teeth.

What Is Activator X?

Dr. Weston Price referred to a mysterious dietary compound he called activator X. Decades later, scientists concluded that activator X is vitamin K2. What are the best food sources for this little-known vitamin? How does it alter oral health?

You may have learned that vitamin K is the vitamin in green leafy vegetables that promotes proper clotting of blood. That is vitamin K1.

Vitamin K2 is found primarily in fats from grass-fed animals, such as butter, ghee, cream and whole milk.

Whole Foods as the Pillars of the Dental Diet

Keeping our mouths healthy and our oral microbiota balanced has a positive impact on health throughout the life span. Young children, seniors and people between those extremes all benefit from a diet based primarily on whole foods with few if any processed foods.

Here are some basic Dos and Don’ts for the dental diet:

Stay away from sugar
Don’t eat refined carbohydrates.
Refined vegetable oils (canola, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, etc.) are not beneficial.
Make sure to get some foods rich in vitamin K2. These include fats from grass-fed animals as well as fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi or natto. Bacteria make vitamin K2 as well.
Do eat foods with fat-soluble vitamins, including A, D, and E as well as K2.
Choose foods that require chewing.

Here is an article which outlines other steps to take for a healthy mouth. Dental Diet

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What are Lectins? Are they Affecting Your Health?

I've currently heard about lectins and some doctors are even promoting that lectins alone are the health problem. Here is an article by Dr. Lam which outlines the possibility that it might be effecting you.

by Michael Lam, MD, MPH; Carrie Lam, MD; Jeremy Lam, MD

You may be eating a good diet, exercising religiously, and sleeping adequately, but still have symptoms making you feel unwell. And it’s often difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the problem, it could be an allergy, a food intolerance, or something else diet-related.

Everything You Need to Know about Lectins

Many people are eliminating certain lectins from their diet to relieve their issues. At this point, the research is somewhat limited, but some people report benefits and a tremendous amount of relief.

Since the lectin-free diet eliminates a lot of extremely healthy foods, it’s understandable that you may be a bit reserved about the approach. But it’s important to know what you’re eating and whether those foods could be bothering your digestive system. As you probably know, digestive issues can affect every aspect of your body. Sometimes, simply minimizing foods from a particular group such as lectins is all you need to do to reboot your body and get a jump start towards optimal health.

What Are Lectins?

Lectins are proteins that naturally occur in most plants and in almost all organisms. Scientists have not yet determined the function of lectins in the human body. In plants, they offer protection as a plant grows and are important for seed survival, which is why there’s such a high concentration in plant seeds. As part of the immune system in humans, this carbohydrate-binding group of complementary proteins is thought to aid inflammatory cells in their activities.

Lectins are not always harmful to eat but can be dangerous—even toxic and deadly—if consumed in large quantities. Two classes of lectins, prolamins and agglutinins, have been linked to health-related issues such as

Excess gas and gastric distress;
Dysbiosis, a microbial imbalance in the gut leading to infections, such as E. coli, that are linked to many health conditions;
Difficulty digesting food;
Damage to cells that form the gut barrier, thus contributing to a leaky gut;
Stimulation of the immune system, leading to inflammation;
Metabolic disruption.

To date, no studies or reports have measured the amount of lectins in certain foods. So, if you suspect your dietary issues may be related to lectin proteins, you should start by eliminating foods with high concentrations of prolamins and agglutinins from your diet.

Foods Highest in Lectins

All living things contain lectins, but some foods have a higher lectin content than others such as

Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, goji berries, and all other nightshade vegetables;
All legumes including lentils, beans, peanuts, and chickpeas;
Peanut butter, peanut oil, and other peanut-based products;
Grains and flours;
Dairy products.

The safest path for those trying to figure out food intolerances by avoiding foods high in lectins is to start by eliminating common foods known to contain lectins like soy and wheat products, as well as the oils derived from them.

How You Can Benefit from a Low-Lectin Diet

Truth be told, eating a lectin-free diet is impossible and very unhealthy. All foods contain lectins, and some of the healthiest foods contain the most. The real issue is whether or not the families of lectins you consume are compatible with your body type. If not, it's best to figure this out so you can avoid them.

Yes, there is little scientific evidence to support lectin intolerances, but lectin consumption in rats was shown to spike bacteria numbers in the small intestines, and strip away the mucous layer used for defense against illnesses such as peptic ulcers and leaky gut syndrome.

If you choose to be conscious about eating lectins, it may be more beneficial to choose foods that are low on the lectin scale, rather than avoiding them altogether. Low-lectin foods includes:

Apples
Asparagus
Blueberries
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cherries
Lemons
Mushrooms
Onion
Oranges
Pumpkin
Strawberries
Sweet potatoes

A low-lectin diet can also include any form of animal protein like beef, chicken, eggs, and fish, as well as healthy fats such as those found in avocados, butter, and olive oil. Many people claim animal proteins are easier to digest. Again, everyone is different, so it’s important to know your own body and how it responds to certain foods.

The Testing Process

Finding out if lectins are affecting you is an easy process. It just requires time and commitment. Only a few genetic causes of lectin intolerance have been identified, but it’s good to rule them out by getting yourself tested for celiac disease and genetic dairy intolerance, if possible. However, it’s more likely that previous damage to your microbiome and gut wall are causing your lectin intolerance issues.

The most common lectin families that cause problems are

All Dairy
Nightshade Fruits and Vegetables
Soy Products

To test yourself, you’ll first want to eliminate the suspect group for approximately one week to 10 days. Refrain from eating any foods in that group and regularly check to make sure none of the lectins are in the other foods you’re consuming.

Second, after you have abstained from the suspect food for a reasonable amount of time, reintroduce the food group by eating a large amount of it over a single day. You‘ll want to eat other foods as well, then avoid the test group again for the following two days. Look for symptoms including

Bowel changes
Sleep variations
Mood changes
Memory impairment
Digestive issues
Brain Fog

If you think you may have found an incompatible lectin, avoid those foods and test yourself again in a few weeks. If the symptoms flare up every time you eat that particular food group, you’ve found a lectin you’re intolerant to and you probably shouldn’t eat it.

Lectins and Chronic Illness

For many people, a low-lectin diet provides many health benefits. In difficult cases, other diets have also been used alongside the low lectin diet to cleanse the system and regain a more balanced state and healthier microbiome.

Diets that are high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets and often include natural unprocessed fats. In particular, they target carbs high in lectins and eliminate them. Research has connected these diets with improved health in those suffering from the following conditions:

ADHD/ADD
Adrenal insufficiency, and possibly Adrenal Fatigue
Allergies
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Arthritis, both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid
Asthma
Atherosclerosis
Autism
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Parkinson’s disease
Cancers
Chronic candida and gut pathogen infections
Chronic fatigue
Congestive heart failure
Diabetes
Failure to thrive
Fibromyalgia
High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
Hormonal Imbalances
Hypercortisolemia and hypocortisolemia
Hyperinsulinemia
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and all its forms: Crohn’s, colitis, and celiac disease
Low blood sugar
Malabsorption syndromes
Obesity
Osteoporosis
Post-viral syndrome
Post-traumatic stress syndrome
Post-polio syndrome
Schizophrenia

Eating a diet high in proteins is clinically proven to improve many of the above conditions. Testing is still in the early phases, and some connections may be owing to lower fasting insulin levels.

NeuroEndoMetabolic Stress Response

When the body is under prolonged or extreme stress, whether physical, environmental, psychological, or from the foods we eat, the adrenals glands can become fatigued and are no longer able to keep up with the body’s demands for the stress hormone cortisol. This can lead to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). All of the hormones in the body are affected. So even when only one part of the body experiences stress, multiple circuits of the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System are involved; in fact, the entire body can be affected by a lectin intolerance. The stress within your body could eventually lead to a debilitating, chronic illness.

The science on lectin intolerances is still so new, therefore, it is hard to determine whether lectins can actually cause Adrenal Fatigue. But they can definitely aggravate a weakened immune and digestive system, as well as the symptoms if you’re already suffering from AFS.

Helpful Tips

If you think a lectin-free diet is something you’d like to try so you can determine whether lectins are indeed causing some of your discomfort, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind.

Since there is still a lack of evidence to back up the health benefits of a lectin-free diet, approach any new meal plan caution and do your research. Make sure any information you come across is science-based and not just from a website trying to sell cookbooks, supplements, or diet plans. A lectin-free diet removes many healthy plant-based foods, which provide a substantial amount of the fiber and nutrients your body needs for optimal wellness.

Remember to take a trial and error approach to determine which foods make you feel better and which cause gastric distress.
Make sure you are consistent with avoiding foods high in lectin. You won’t make any progress in pinpointing a lectin issue if you’re not stringent with your diet.
If you plan on eating foods with lectins, prepare them in a pressure cooker. The heat can help reduce lectin levels. For beans, soak them and then boil them to lower the lectin content.
Fermenting and sprouting grains and beans can also help reduce the lectin content of your food.
Science and technology have come a long way. Look for lectin intolerance support groups to find out more information and to meet people who may be going through a similar situation with their health. You can also find recipes and lifestyle recommendations that will help you transition to your new low-lecting diet.

Our Final Thoughts on Lectins

Only a minority of people can tolerate every food. The rest of us must learn what our bodies can, and can‘t, eat. And for some of us, that may be lectins. Only you alone can determine what your body can tolerate, and what your ideal foods are. It's a lengthy process, but worth the time.

Most foods that contain lectins are part of a healthy, well-balanced diet and come highly recommended by most nutritionists and dieticians. It’s possible that the health benefits you receive from these foods may outweigh the negative effects of lectins. The lectin avoidance diet may not be the right for everyone.

Addressing Your Neuropathy, What Can You Do?

What can you do to address the symptoms of neuropathy?

1. Control your Blood Sugars if you are diabetic – it is the high blood sugar that creates nerve damage.

2. Find out what the Cause of Your Neuropathy is – and make sure you eliminate the cause.

If you got neuropathy from trauma, it isn’t a problem unless someone is beating you up every week, but there are many causes, and you need to find out what created your neuropathy and eliminate the cause.

Don’t eat things that include artificial sweeteners or MSG (watch for the names this ingredient may be hidden – see other names for MSG)

It can be toxins to avoid, or medications such as statins or blood pressure medications with a possible side effect of neuropathy. Talk to your doctor about changing the medication. Or you can find a natural solution for High Cholesterol. See article on Cholesterol

Not sure what caused your Neuropathy – go to Causes and Risk Factors for Neuropathy and see if it can be spotted.

Idiopathic Neuropathy just means someone hasn’t found out yet. There is always a cause and it might even be more than one cause. The combination of risk factors can create the problem that you are now feeling.

If you have neuropathy, I'd check all the possible reasons and contributors to neuropathy, and stay away. You don't want anything that might contribute to your neuropathy

3. Alpha Lipoic Acid & Acetyl l Carnitine will help the body address the condition by getting the nerves to become healthy faster.

4. Take B12 (methyl B 12 NOT cynocobalamine) The body uses B12 to prevent and correct neurological defects including regeneration of neurons and the myelin sheaths protecting the nerve cells. cynocobalamine isn't always absorbed by the body and you only get a small amount.

5. Take B1 (benfotiamine) Benfotiamine is fat soluble B-1 and has 360% greater bioavailability than any other form of B-1 which is essential to overall nerve health. It doesn't wash out of the body like regular B1.

For a good source of these vitamins and others that work together to build healthy nerves.

Go to RHP Nerve Support Formula

Take a Quiz: Am I doing everything I can to daily help my neuropathy?

Find out what lifestyle changes will help, take the quiz and get our suggestions and get our assistance on what you can do.

Take Our Quiz

For a good source of Alpha Lipoic Acid & Acetyl L-carnitine

Read more Articles on Neuropathy & Nerve Damage

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? EMAIL AND GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

USE OUR SITE INDEX TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION

To Your Health

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