Parkinson's & Movement disorders

A toxin that travels from stomach to brain may trigger Parkinsonism

Combining low doses of a toxic herbicide with sugar-binding proteins called lectins may trigger Parkinsonism—symptoms typical of Parkinson's disease like body tremors and slowing of body motions—after the toxin travels ...

Health

Q and A: Is a lectin-free diet beneficial?

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A friend of mine continues to speak highly about the health benefits of a diet where people eliminate lectins. She says it helped her lose weight and reduced her arthritis pain. What are lectins, and can ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Gene variant influences risk for blood clots in COVID patients

A gene variant in the natural immune system influences the risk for blood clots in the lungs of severely ill COVID-19 patients. This has been documented in a new study by researchers at Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet ...

Health

Quinn on Nutrition: What about lectins?

Reader Susan S. writes, in part: "Gut health is finally being brought up in mainstream more often. But almost never this: there are grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables that have LECTINS that poke tiny holes in our intestines. ...

Health

What are dietary lectins and should you avoid eating them?

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I keep reading about weight loss and other health benefits from a diet where people eliminate lectins. Is there any truth to the claim that a lectin-free diet can cure autoimmune diseases and other health ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Chemists' technique reveals whether antibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2

Antibodies that can disarm a virus, known as neutralizing antibodies, are key to the body's ability to fight off infection. MIT chemists have come up with a new way to identify these neutralizing antibodies in a blood sample, ...