Saturday, January 25, 2014

Why Do We Need Deflect and its Lectin-Blocking Power!

DEFLECT products provide anti-adhesive therapy to lectin sensitive individuals. These ABO specific formulas block the effects of dietary lectins before they cause problems, by providing a source of free blocking carbohydrate.

What is lectin?
According to an old definition 'lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins or glycoproteins.' William Boyd therefore coined the term lectin in 1954, deriving it from the Latin word legere meaning 'to choose.' Boyd was also the first researcher to identify the blood type specificity of many common dietary lectins.  Typically, lectins can bind to many of the carbohydrate antigens found in the gut and immune system, causing a variety of health problems. These can include intestinal dysbiosis, bowel hyperpermiability, immune dysfunction, food sensitivities and systemic inflammation. This is usually accomplished by direct agglutination of the target cells. Lectins can occur in very common foods in the diet, and the majority are specific for the carbohydrates of the ABO blood typing system. In one study, the edible parts of 29 of 88 foods tested, including common salad ingredients, fresh fruits, roasted nuts, and processed cereals were found to possess significant lectin-like activity as assessed by hemagglutination and bacterial agglutination assays.

Several common lectins, in particular, wheat germ agglutinin, are known to bind to the insulin receptor and mimic the hormonal effects of insulin on adipose tissue, an under-appreciated action that can account for why individuals on high carbohydrate diets often have difficulty controlling their weight. Thus, lectin blocking is a safe and rational method for enhancing weight loss.

What is Deflect?
DEFLECT is a natural product composed of 'blocking sugars' designed to interfere with the adherence of troublesome dietary lectins. Since many lectins are ABO blood type specific, there are 4 different DEFLECT formulas: one for each blood type. The blocking sugars in DEFLECT can be considered 'sacrificial molecules' that attach to carbohydrate receptors on the lectins, rendering them unable to bind to the cells of the body.  The DEFLECT formulas provide a source of free blocking amino sugars which bind and block lectins before they can attach to the cells.  Since each blood type is susceptible to lectins with different carbohydrate specificities, Dr. D'Adamo designed formulas to block lectins by using mono and poly saccharides specific for each blood type.

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