Why does paleo avoid beans

Chickpeas contain plenty of protein and fiber. Legumes in general seem to be a nutritious dietary option. Phytates are an antioxidant, which at first is counterintuitive because antioxidants are supposed to help us, right? But they have a specific property to them, they make it harder for the body to absorb important nutrients, making them a sort of antinutrient, which leads them to be kicked out of the Paleo sphere of healthy foods.

Lectins are also a concern, as they can wreak havoc on the digestive system. In the body, lectins damage the intestinal wall, contributing to leaky gut, with all its associated digestive and autoimmune problems. Thus, making beans and legumes a regular feature in your diet can significantly contribute to gut irritation and permeability. One cup of black beans , for example, has approximately calories, with around of those being from carbs. Your mileage may vary of course, and some legumes have a higher protein content than others.

In the long term, this could contribute to weight gain and metabolic problems like insulin resistance. Peanuts are probably the sneakiest type of legumes, if only because of their name. Like other legumes, peanuts are problematic because they contain lectins and phytic acid, but peanuts also bring a new guest to the party: aflatoxins.

Especially in people with mold sensitivities, peanuts are a particularly concerning type of legume. Unlike many other types of lectins, peanut lectins are also very difficult to destroy by cooking. Another type of legume that deserves special mention is soy. Some vegans seem to subsist entirely on soy products — soy milk with their cereal in the morning, edamame salad for lunch, and tofu stir-fry for dinner.

As well as the same lectins and phytic acid as other legumes, soy has one particular nasty downside: phytoestrogens. Like environmental estrogens , these chemicals mimic the action of estrogen in the body. Most alarmingly, phytoestrogens have been linked to breast cancer and disruption of normal thyroid function. Also, the soy products eaten as part of traditional meals were not industrially processed, and were served in addition to a very nutrient-rich diet that also includes lots of organ meats, bone broth, and vegetables.

There is a world of difference between a small amount of fermented tofu in a big bowl of broth and a huge scoop of soy protein isolate in a protein shake full of food coloring and sugar. Tofu and soy milk are easy enough to avoid who wants to eat tofu when they could eat real meat instead? Lectin may contribute to the atherogenicity of peanut oil.

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Am J Clin Nutr ; Alderson LM et al. Peanut oil reduces diet-induced atherosclerosis in cynomolgus monkeys. Arteriosclerosis ; One of the original members of the Paleo movement, Mark J. Smith, Ph. Ironman athlete, mom, author, and nutrition blogger Nell Stephenson has been an influential member of the Paleo movement for over a decade. As a professor at Colorado State University, Dr. The content on this website is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.

See our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information. All Rights Reserved. Paleo Explore All Paleo Topics. First, lectins are present in most plants. Commercially canned beans have lectin levels similar to beans pressure cooked for 30 min. This article on legumes provides a useful perspective — the story is similar to that of phytates.

The fact is that lectins are present in many foods and are actually considered to be beneficial in the quantities that we encounter in a balanced diet. Lectins break down the membranes of hurtful invaders: cancer cells reducing prostate, colon and other cancers , fungi, bacteria and viruses even the HIV-1 retrovirus is part of the reason that tomatoes, corn, whole grain rice, wheat, oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, peaches, mangos, grapes, cinnamon, citrus, berries, tea and most other plant foods are healthy.

All of these contain significant amounts of lectins. The ultimate measure of health is lifespan. This correlation between legume intake and longevity was statistically significant the P-value was 0. The title of the paper said it all: Legumes: the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities. In fact, legumes look more attractive than ever as a dietary staple. Meat is increasingly being recognized as unhealthy and unsustainable and legumes are the major alternative to meat as a dietary protein source.

Is there some kind of agenda, other than health, at play here? I have two sites, both focused on ethical consumerism. View all posts by jkaybay. Most people today live every sedentary lives, while consuming carbs, sugars, and processed foods. They grew their own food, without processing it the way we do now. If it was cheap, it was what people ate.

Dairy, wheat, and bean products have been known to cause stomach irritability as they are hard to digest. Most people become lactose intolerant by their adult years so cutting that out would be a huge benefit.

Corn is something the human stomach cannot digest, hence why when you number two you can see it because it passes right on through your intestinal tract, not easily either by the way. As far as Paleo being based on a diet from an ancient people group, I do know that when God made the Heavens and Earth and everything in it, He made animals and trees with fruit and vegetation that man could subdue and enjoy.

We just burn it in different places. You body may lose weight if you start a new workout routine, but then it evens back out again as the body adjusts. The benefits of working out are less calories are burned producing things like cortisol and creating inflammation.

The body is smarter than that. I feel the issue is that beans are hard to digest and contain an anti-nutrient, phytic acid, which robs you of other nutrients. They are also high in starches, compared to getting your protein from meat. For more on the study, check out Dr. Chatterjee and his podcasts he puts out. Thank you. Paleo people ate a wide variety of plants, including legumes, according to remains excavated.

Completely agree.