Do eggs contain lectins?
No. In his view, lectins belong to the plant kingdom, and an egg comes from the animal kingdom.
A listener named Douglas asked what he thinks of lectins. He started with his Reset:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1005Well, look, when you go on the reset, you're not having any lectins.
He closed the same answer with this:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1005And there's no lectins and eggs, meat and cheese by the way.
He means there are no lectins in eggs, meat or cheese. That is why his Reset, a month of eggs, meat and cheese, has none. For how many to eat, see how many eggs a day he suggests for seniors.
In episode 1005 below, Douglas asks about lectins roughly two fifths of the way in, right after a story about pine bark and scurvy.
What are lectins?
Lectins are proteins found mostly in plants, in foods like grains, beans and tomatoes. Dr. Martin explains them by what they do to minerals.
A listener named Pam asked him what lectins are:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1188Lectins sort of bite off minerals.
He said lectins are not the be-all and end-all, then added:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1188But a lot of people, they don't realize that they chelate, they bite off certain minerals.
To chelate means to grab hold. His point is that lectins can latch onto minerals in your food, so you may not get the full good of them. That is a plant problem, not an egg problem.
Are eggs high in lectins?
No. Every food he names as high in lectins is a plant. When a listener named Josée asked which plants are worst, he named bread, pasta, potatoes and tomatoes as the highest.
Then he added one more:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 722Oh, beer, that's high in lectins too.
On another show, he put one of his own favorites on the list:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 597I love peanut butter, but it's a lectin. It's an oxalate. I don't let people eat that on The Reset, temporarily.
Oxalates are another plant compound he keeps off the Reset. He also names the nightshade vegetables and kidney beans. Bread sits at the top, so read where bread goes in your body after you eat it.
Are eggs lectin free?
Yes, in his view. And he wants you to eat the whole egg, yolk and all.
A listener named Tammy asked about a study that blamed egg yolks. He did not buy it:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 722It's nature's perfect food. There's nothing in an egg that's not good for you. Nothing. There's no carbs. It's protein and perfect fat.
When Carol asked about using only egg whites, he said they are fine, but:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1005All your B vitamins are in the yolk.
Vitamin A is in the yolk too, he says. That is where the nutrition is. Eating low carb? See why he puts protein first on keto after 60.
Do lectins cause leaky gut?
Not usually on their own, in his view. They can add to it, and mostly they irritate a gut that is already leaky.
Dr. Gundry's book linked lectins to leaky gut. In his answer to Douglas, Dr. Martin said:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1005I don't think it causes leaky gut per se, but it can certainly irritate your gut and maybe a contributing factor in leaky gut.
He gave Josée a similar answer:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 722They can cause leaky gut. They don't always cause leaky gut. They can cause leaky gut. More particular, they can irritate a leaky gut.
Leaky gut means a gut lining that lets through things it should keep in. He says you can have it with no stomach trouble at all. More in where he starts with gut health after 60.
Why does he cut lectins for 30 days?
So nothing irritates your gut for a while, he says. It is a break, not a ban.
Explaining the Reset:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1005Now again, I'm not saying vegetables are no good, but I want you to take 30 days and not eat them because I want you to not have any lectins.
And on how much harm lectins do:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 597Look, they're not going to kill you. They don't kill you. But I aim at getting rid of all that. Nothing to irritate your gut.
Oxalates, gluten and sugar come out for those 30 days too, he says.
Do you have to give up lectins for good?
No. Stop them for a while, he says, then find out which foods really bother you.
On books that say never eat another lectin:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 722I've read books where they say lectins and never have another lectin. I don't believe that.
On Dr. Gundry's advice to never have another tomato, kidney bean or peanut:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 597I'm not so much like that. I agree with them in a lot of ways. If you've got an irritated gut or whatever, well stop eating those things, and then find out what foods really bug you.
He still tells you not to build your meals on them.
"I'm not against lectins, but don't live on lectins."
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1188Why do eggs bother some people?
He blames the gut, not the egg.
After saying an intolerance to cheese comes from leaky gut, he went on:
Dr. Martin, from The Doctor Is In, episode 1005Even some people can't even have eggs. I feel sorry for you, but you don't do well with eggs. That's leaky gut, by the way. Don't blame the egg.
If cheese or eggs do not sit well with you, he says you might have to avoid them. If eggs leave you bloated, read what is really behind bloating after 60.
Common questions
Does flaxseed have lectins?
He does not say whether flax itself has lectins. He lists nuts and seeds as lectin foods, then makes flax the exception: the one seed he likes, for its lignans, which he says block estrogen. About a tablespoon is enough, and with diverticulosis he says to let that heal first. Episodes 765, 597 and 1188.
Do you need pasture-raised eggs to avoid lectins?
He talks about free-range eggs, not pasture-raised, and does not tie either one to lectins. Free range is fine if you can afford it, he says, but if yours are not, eat them anyway. Episodes 703 and 1781.
Can I eat just the egg whites?
Yes. He says egg whites are protein and he has no problem with them. Read the label for anything added, and know he would still rather you eat the whole egg. Episode 1005.
Read next: Is chicken healthier than beef? and Why do some people bloat and some don't?
Support for a sensitive gut
Gut-Ease Formula is the Martin Clinic blend made to support a sensitive gut: marshmallow root, slippery elm, L-glutamine, ginger, turmeric and a probiotic strain, 90 capsules to a bottle. It is there for support while you sort out which foods sit well with you.
60-day money-back guarantee. Free of soy, dairy, preservatives and added sweeteners.
