There is some plant-based food bashing circulating around the Internet lately. Grains, nightshade vegetables, and especially legumes are being accused of promoting weight gain and causing diseases and food sensitivities due to the protein lectin. As a result, lectin-free diets are being promoted to improve health. These negative claims against lectins have also been raised by proponents of the Paleo diet, who assert that foods containing lectins, particularly legumes, are toxic.
Lectins are