The Ground

The Plant Paradox

The problem is that plants don’t want to be eaten. They have their own evolutionary pressures and incentives that make them as self-preserving as any other species. Because plants can’t run away from predators the same way animals can, they protect themselves by producing toxic chemicals and compounds. One of the most common plant anti-nutrients are lectins, which are sticky proteins that attach onto other food molecules and cause inflammation. This can lead to leaky gut syndrome, brain fog, autoimmune disorders, weight gain, and other inflammatory conditions. They can even contribute to atherosclerosis due to intestinal permeability and arterial damage.

Lectins can be found in seeds like sunflower, cashews, peanuts, beans, legumes, grains, such as wheat, barley, oats (gluten is a lectin), nightshades, like tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes.

FODMAPs are another food group that may cause digestive issues. It stands for “Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols,” which are short-chain carbohydrates that don’t get absorbed by the small intestine that well. Because of that, they can cause bloating, autoimmune conditions, irritable bowel syndrome, and leaky gut. FODMAP foods aren’t the cause of these issues but a low-FODMAP diet can help to improve the symptoms. FODMAP foods include wheat, rye, barley, onion, garlic, artichokes, cabbage, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, and some fruits like apples, apricots, avocados, cherries, plums, and chicory.

You shouldn’t avoid all lectins and plant phytonutrients for the rest of your life though because that can create another situation of hypersensitivity to them. Hunter-gatherers would also forage a lot of wild plants and other edibles that had some medicinal benefits despite their toxicity. That’s why you do want to eat the other vegetables like cruciferous and then have the questionable ones less often. Different culinary techniques like sprouting, soaking, fermenting, and plain simple cooking can also reduce the number of lectins in them.

People in the modern world have simply become way too soft and domesticated that they can’t handle even just a little bit of digestive strain. The perfect example is antibiotic resistance and lack of microbial diversity in the gut. Children who aren’t exposed to bacteria from dirt, animals, grains, and other sources are much more likely to develop autoimmune disorders later in life. In fact, C-section newborns are more prone to suffer from all chronic diseases. Another reason to get your hands dirty every once in a while.

Of course, there are a lot of exceptions to the rule. You definitely shouldn’t eat raw beans or legumes because they can actually be dangerous. Likewise, there are a lot of lethal berries and plants. Someone who’s already suffering from autoimmune disorders or inflammatory disease should also not treat themselves with hormesis.