Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: biopsy for celiac...

Hi Renee,

I don't know a lot about them. I do know that both are ubiquitous in nature not just in grains. It is a complicated area and there is a lot of misinformation floating around the Web. If you want to avoid then you would have to stop eating

Lectins are proteins that are usually destroyed during cooking and in beans by soaking them in water. They are found in about 30% of foods including salads, fruits, spices, dry cereals, and roasted nuts. You may find this article of interest - Food Lectins in Health and Disease: An Introduction. Although I cannot vouch for its correctness. Cornell University has an excellent write-up on plant lectins. A search of research literature does not show anything particularly interesting and definitely nothing to be concerned about regarding IBS if foods are prepared and cooked properly.

Phytates also known as inositol (vitamin B8) is the salt form of phytic acid. Inositol is found in different forms and it is found in every cell. It is a way organisms store phosphorous - an important constituent in cellular energy storage and DNA/RNA synthesis. The highest amounts of phytates - a type of inositol - occurs in nuts and seeds (2-6% dry weight) and there are usually lesser amounts in cereal grains and beans (0.5-2% dry weight). Inositol in the form of phytates are not digestible by humans. In high amounts it can chelate some minerals such as iron and zinc. In developing countries the excessively high consumption of bran and seeds contributes to mineral deficiencies. They don't present a problem in a normal diet.

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