Lectins
Gilbert (1) reports a case of a hospital holding a "healthy eating day" which resulted in illness. The canteen served a dish containing red kidney beans which was chosen by 31 customers. Over the next few hours cases of severe vomiting and diarrhoea were reported. All had recovered by next day.
Investigations showed no signs of traditional food poisoning but the beans were found to contain an abnormally high concentration of the lectin 'phytohaemagglutinin'.
It has now been found that many lectins are:
Toxic and/or inflammatory.
Resistant to cooking and digestive enzymes.
Present in much of our food.
Initially it was thought that lectins caused digestive system problems that often mimicked the symptoms of food poisoning but it is now believed that some of these leave the gut and effect other organs in the body leading to more widespread symptoms. Some people are more sensitive to these lectins than others.
Further information on beans and lectins can be found in Change Your Diet and Change Your Life.
References
(1) Gilbert R J. Healthy eating day. Communicable Disease Report 1988;33:3-4.