Do dietary lectins cause disease?

I would like to persuade you to use your influence to get an
experiment performed testing potassium supplements against rheumatoid
arthritis that has never been done. In view of the extensive prescription
of potassium these days for heart disease and hypertension, potassium
would lend itself to epidemiological surveys as well. If not an actual
trial, at least make sure that potassium and magnesium is uniform and
adequate in your other experiments so as not to introduce “noise” into the
experiment.

I have discovered that when the low cell potassium always present in
rheumatoid arthritis [LaCelle PL et al 1964 An investigation of total body
potassium in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Proceedings Ann. Meeting
of the Rheumatism Association, Arthritis & Rheumatism 7; 321] is
relieved, the disease is dramatically alleviated, perhaps cured. You may
see an article on this subject entitled; Potassium in the etiology of
rheumatoid arthritis and heart infarction. 1974 The Journal of Applied
Nutrition 26:41. There is a much more elaborate current version starting
at; http://members.tripod.com/~charles_W/arthritis.html I believe that
I have also figured out how and why potassium deficiency disrupts the
copper metabolism such as to produce some of the most dangerous symptoms
of rheumatoid arthritis via the elastin tissue published as; Copper
response in humanoid arthritis. 1984 Medical Hypotheses 15:333. There is a
much more elaborate version starting at;
http://members.tripod.com/~charles_W/copper.html . This disruption may be
part of the reason for strokes which result from ruptured blood vessels. I
also believe I have figured out how and why the immune system is
inappropriately activated by decline of cortisol, discussed in; Cortisol's
purpose. 1998 Medical Hypotheses 51:289-292. There is a much more
elaborate version starting at;
http://members.tripod.com/~charles_W/cortisol.html The regulation of
electrolytes by steroids is closely involved in the potassium metabolism
and I am virtually certain that I have the main features in regard to how
at least four steroids regulate potassium and sodium published in;
Corticosteroid regulation of electrolytes. 1983 The Journal of Theoretical
Biology 104: 443-451. An up to date version at;
http://members.tripod.com/~charles_W/electrolyte.html
Do not be mislead into thinking that potassium is seldom deficient merely
because foods almost always contain some. It often is. Indeed most people
eat less than barely enough to maintain optimum cell potassium even in
young healthy adults who are under no stress (2000 mg.), and Afro-
Americans eat much less. If serum potassium is less than 4.8 meq/liter
there is less than optimum and below 4.0 starts to get dangerous.
Potassium blood tests must be made quickly in order to avoid incorrect
high results. I have several case histories to back up potassium’s
importance and one from the literature performed for other reasons than
potassium [Clark WS et al 1956 The relationship of alterations in mineral
and nitrogen metabolism to disease activity in a patient with rheumatoid
arthritis. Acta Rheum. Scand. 2; 193], but no one has ever performed a
controlled experiment yet. You may also see a summation of potassium and
copper nutrition at; http://members.tripod.com/~charles_W/potassium.html
and a discussion which suggests ways of reducing too high a blood
potassium level by diet for those who have damaged kidneys at;
http://members.tripod.com/~charles_W/blood.html which last may prove
useful to you. If the researcher would like to perform a preliminary
experiment by increasing potassium intake by diet, suggest that he read;
http://members.tripod.com/~charles_W/arthritis9.html

If you think that potassium could not be possibly having an affect on
arthritis, I ask you this; is it possible that no intake of potassium from
none at all up to overwhelming amounts could be having an affect on
arthritis at all? If there is a possibility, then this long overdue
experiment should be performed And if it turns out that low intakes are
having deleterious effects, it will be a real feather in your cap to have
helped establish it even if the effects were to prove to be only moderate.
I have found the affects are so consistent that even increasing the
potassium intake of only 2 or 3 patients 3,000 mg. per day to total 5,000
mg would be convincing. Please try to have this easy experiment performed.
Just make sure that magnesium and maybe inositol is adequate at the same
time since they help power the electrolyte pumps.

Competing interests:  
None declared