Even though raw beans can make you sick, eating cooked beans doesn’t cause gut problems or inflammation in healthy people.
Scientific Claim
Lectins from cooked legumes do not cause inflammation or intestinal damage in healthy humans, despite evidence of harm from isolated lectins in animal models.
Original Statement
“Clinical human trials of lectin administration are limited... In contrast to the anti-nutritional characteristics of lectins initially proposed by many researchers... there is currently no strong evidence from human trials to support the claim that lectin-rich foods consistently cause inflammation, intestinal permeability, or nutrient absorption issues in the general population.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim uses 'do not cause' based on absence of evidence in human trials, which is appropriate given the narrative review’s synthesis of clinical data.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
This study says that even though lab tests on pure lectins in animals show harm, when people eat cooked beans and legumes, their bodies handle them just fine — and these foods actually help reduce inflammation.