Random Thought of the Day

Quote: rxwine

Hey Mr. Chemist, I mean Fleastiff.

IANAC. I Am Not A Chemist.

Quote: rxwine

You have any opinion on this?

I have an opinion on EVERYTHING. That does not mean I have the slightest knowledge about something, but it does mean I am willing to express an opinion about any topic, including totally imaginary ones.

Quote: rxwine

they incite a kind of chemical warfare in our bodies

Heck, what does NOT do that?

Quote: rxwine

in our bodies

How narrow a focus do you want? Systemic, Organ, cellular, intracellular, intercellular? The largest organ in your body is your skin. There are lots of opinions and crude jokes about which organ is the most vital one. If you wish to take a cellular view the most important thing to always think of about cells is that they should always be considered to be females. They spend all their time and energy communicating. Most of that communication is effected thru what is on the surface of that cell rather than what is in the innards of that cell. There are various types of communication: cell-cell, host-pathogen, pathogen-host. Much of this involves the recognition of a cell's surface and then entry into a cell via certain portals. Flags and false flags may be involved. At the cellular level it is often best to think of cells as a Singles Bar when the bartender sings out "Last Call". That is when a woman looks at the man she has been chatting with and asks herself do I really want to wake up next to that? Often the response is 'hell no, but its better than waking up alone'. Now I don't really know if lesbian bars have a category similar to male homosexual bars known as "rough trade", but it is best to think of cells as females that are in a rough trade bar at Last Call and to think of cells always being in that state. Dark and desperate. That is why proteins have categories such as ladder and escort proteins. Its dark and others who are nearby are desperately seeking a one night stand and may not fully explore but simply seize what is there.

So you ask about Lectins? Well the first thought that should come to mind is that they are everywhere. The usual first thought of category groupings are Plant Lectins and Animal Lectins. Plants often have seeds and fruits. Its perhaps necessary to consider roles played. A fruit helps perpetuate a plant. So it has to be attractive to something and usually it has to be dispersed to some distance. So a plant may want its fruit to be eaten by a bird or a squirrel, but not by a nearby pathogen. So the zest of a lime may ward off nearby pathogens and insects but the fruit of the lime may itself contain seeds whose eventual dispersal and germination is desired. So a plant lectin might include seed lectins and other lectins. Preparation of foods can affect the lectins that are present and their potency. Some of those lectins will be protective of a seed and some will be lectins that aid in the germination of the seed.

One lectin is used in biochemical warfare, other lectins are used as medicines. You want a blanket rule? Focus on which lectin you are talking about.

The usual role is considered as a way of aiding a protein molecule to recognize a sugar molecule. This allows adhesion of molecules which can be the first step to transfer of materials between cells. (You see that singles bar analogy at work?). So the lectin might be viewed as the 'alcohol' that facilitates the communication that can lead to rape, a one-night stand, an ongoing relationship, a marriage. Now instead of booze, a better analogy might be to a Velcro strap. Of and itself, Velcro is a very weak binding device. That is why certain 'intimacy kits' contain these 'faux bondage tapes' that are narrow and weak. Yet a very much stronger Velcro tape can be an effective bondage device. It depends upon numbers. All those tiny Velcro "hooks'' add up. All those tiny recognition aids between molecules add up. Entry to a cell can be facilitated by the lectins. You still have to focus on which proteins, which sugars and above all which cells.

So don't seek out a good or bad label, just recognize that the category exists, it plays a vital role and one must go on from there before assessing good or bad.

An effect on the immune system can be good even if it results in destruction of some really vital cells. A reaction to scorpion venom can be a good thing, it gives you time to prime other defenses. Lectins have to be viewed as an 'introductory' molecule but the introduction might be to Mr. Right or Mr. Wrong or Mr. Right Now.

Well enough of this vague and useless response to your question.
As usual, you can always count on FleaStiff to spout off nonsense but not know what he is talking about at all.

I get the feeling the fad died pretty quick though probably now there will be people wanting to do it for about forever.

Ricin is a lectin

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/going-lectin-free-is-the-latest-pseudoscience-diet-fad/2017/07/05/45382462-5b4e-11e7-a9f6-7c3296387341_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7b4e2c2a814b

Quote: odiousgambit

Ricin is a lectin

Yes, that is why I mentioned biochemical warfare. Of course mushroom lectins happen to bind very well to human cancer cells and call the immune system's attention to them. So it really does depend on which lectins you mean. Undercook beans and it may a memorable experience. Why do you think boiled beef is often served with carrots and potatoes?

Quote: odiousgambit

I get the feeling the fad died pretty quick though probably now there will be people wanting to do it for about forever.

Ricin is a lectin

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/going-lectin-free-is-the-latest-pseudoscience-diet-fad/2017/07/05/45382462-5b4e-11e7-a9f6-7c3296387341_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7b4e2c2a814b

Actually, I think that article with the title "Going Lectin-free" has already made a misstatement by lumping all diet advice together. The one I was looking at was just a reduction of lectins. Peeling fruits before eating. Eating fruits in season, rather than out of season.

The weight of fad diet advice is extensive though.



Fleastiff -- thanks for your way compressive assessment there!

What occurred to me while reading the justification for reducing lectins, was simply the idea that if plants do indeed try to ward off certain predators, why wouldn't humans be included in that group. Furthermore just because we can't stomach the worst of them, doesn't mean lesser gut disturbing ones are acceptable. Similar to the idea that drinking a little poison is okay for your body. It may be okay, it may not. What doesn't kill you right away doesn't mean it is good for you.

Just my own thinking on it.

double post

Quote: rxwine

What occurred to me while reading the justification for reducing lectins, was simply the idea that if plants do indeed try to ward off certain predators, why wouldn't humans be included in that group. Furthermore just because we can't stomach the worst of them, doesn't mean lesser gut disturbing ones are acceptable. Similar to the idea that drinking a little poison is okay for your body. It may be okay, it may not. What doesn't kill you right away doesn't mean it is good for you.

You may recall my posts about Robin Williams: has a meal that gives him a mild upset stomach, hardly memorable, yet decades later enteric pathogens complete their journey from the gut to the brain and he dies of Lewy Body disease. The medical wisdom is that humans are above being affected by the cellular communication of parasites or microbes and MAP could not possibly be a contributing factor to the Mandalay Bay shooting.

I can certainly say that if I am not supposed to be eating lectins, I am doomed as I recently decided to increase how much I eat of unpeeled fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, foraging has increased the proportion of wild greens and such in my diet ... that no doubt are more loaded with lectins than you get with stuff from the grocery store.

I've lost weight ... but that may just be the effect of the poisons working on me?

Quote: odiousgambit

I can certainly say that if I am not supposed to be eating lectins, I am doomed as I recently decided to increase how much I eat of unpeeled fruit and vegetables.

Yeah, think of how life evolved, all those poor hunter-gathers who had neither the time nor the inclination to use cutting boards, fruit and vegetable peelers and electric garbage disposals in the manner these nutrition experts recommend.

Quote:

Furthermore, foraging has increased the proportion of wild greens and such in my diet ...

Good. Getting away from the 'usual' Western Diet will be good for you. Wild greens, wild yeasts, wild bacteria, also far more vitamins and minerals than if you were buying at the grocery store. And you are no doubt less involved in "processing" all the good stuff out of them.

Quote:

I've lost weight ... but that may just be the effect of the poisons working on me?

No, increased greens, increased micronutrients and increased water are usually going to induce weight loss as does the walking around your lands looking for various good stuff.

Yes, you are indeed consuming more lectins but they are not all bad and think of a watermelon, the really bad stuff is in the very tough outer rind, the inner rind has great stuff in it. And if you have any senescent cells that try to refuse to die the natural way, by apoptosis, those mushroom lectins are likely to be helping the cells on their way and calling your body's immune system to be more alert to them. Just stay away from those castor beans.

Quote: Fleastiff

Yeah, think of how life evolved, all those poor hunter-gathers who had neither the time nor the inclination to use cutting boards, fruit and vegetable peelers and electric garbage disposals in the manner these nutrition experts recommend.

It's generally easy to not eat peels using only your teeth.