microvilli
Lectins have a very profound effect on the intestines. In the illustration above, you can see that the inside of your intestines is made of millions of little fingers called villi. These villi are very sensitive to the foods you eat. (You even make antibodies against pathogens here, before they even get into your blood stream. In fact, testing for antibodies is a way that many doctors diagnose conditions like celiac disease.) Lectins from certain foods actually stick to the cells that make up these tiny villi. When this happens, you might feel a painful irritation, or you might not even notice. Some people are genetically predisposed to higher sensitivity.
Other kinds of food lectins are much more catastrophic. When a type O eats wheat, for example, the wheat lectins actually destroy the microvilli. When the cells rupture in the intestinal tract, the immune system is signaled to send in white blood cells for repair:
Lectins being absorbed into blood stream White blood cells repai ring intestinal damage
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References
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Healthy villi
