Do Oats Have Lectins?
Want to know whether oats and oatmeal are high or low in lectins?
Quick Answer: While we haven’t seen any specific research on oats in particular, grains have frequently been found to contain lectins.
If you were to eat oats, there are several things you could do that may reduce the amount of lectins.
You could eat sprouted oats, eat organic, and cook or pressure cook the oats.
Oats and oatmeal: predicted to be medium or high in lectins
Sprouted oats and oatmeal: predictably less lectins, more nutritional value as a result of the sprouting process, which tends to reduce anti-nutrients like lectins and increase nutrient availability
Are Oats Low In Lectins?
As mentioned above, oats and oatmeal are not generally considered a low lectin food and are a grain.
There are ways to reduce the amount of lectins in oats. We talk about that more below.
One of the main ways is by sprouting, which not only reduces lectins, but also increases digestibility and makes nutrients more available.
Soaking also can help, but sprouting is more effective (and essentially includes soaking as part of the process).
Furthermore, some foods may work great for you that don’t work great for others. Doing an elimination diet can help you figure that part out.
Tired of eating the same old stuff?
Did you know food variation can help you get more nutrients?
Paleo is very similar to low lectin, and can be adapted to low lectin with minimal effort. They generally recommend eating whole foods like meats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Therefore, I recommend checking out paleo recipes like the ones below!
Basic Paleo Recipes
Explore easy, nutritious paleo recipes to make your daily meals more exciting.
Learn MorePaleo Snacks
Discover quick and healthy paleo snacks to keep you energized throughout the day.
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Are Oats High In Lectins?
Oats and oatmeal are in the main categories of lectin foods and are generally considered to have more lectins than other foods.
That being said, some lectins are reduced by cooking, and so cooking your oats into oatmeal can reduce the amount of lectins.
Also, eating organic can cause there to be less lectins, since foods can be genetically modified to have more lectins, since lectins act as a natural pesticide. Another thing to consider is having sprouted oats, which can have less lectins and much better digestibility. Brands like One Degree have organic sprouted oats and organic sprouted oatmeal which I’m quite a fan of.
Should I Eat Oats On A Low Lectin Diet?
Numerous people have told me that they really love eating oats or oatmeal for breakfast, and aren’t sure what else to eat.
So if you’d like to eat oats, and desire to reduce the amount of lectins, we’d recommend eating organic, sprouted, cooked oatmeal, such as mentioned above.
One thing to keep in mind is that the amount of lectins can be reduced by both cooking and sprouting.