Debunking the "Plant Paradox"

According to Dr. Gundry, while plants have so many benefits, they come with so many risks. He claims that this is because any plants have lectins that are extremely harmful to bodies. After all, they are the cause of most modern diseases. He says they damage linings of the intestine disrupt the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels, kill healthy gut bacteria, and help bad bacteria thrive, cause kidney inflammation, causes, and worsens autoimmune diseases.

Because of his claims of the dangers of eating plants, he recommends eating only plants that have been personally prepared, fish, and grass-fed meat. When eating plants, he says that it is needed to pressure cook them to neutralize the offending molecules. He also claims that gluten is prohibited, and even gluten-free food is dangerous as it contains flours made from plants that are high in lectins.

To start debunking his claims, lectins need to be understood. A lectin a class of protein molecules that bind to particular carbohydrates, present in all forms of life. In plants, researchers believe they are used to be defense mechanisms against bugs. Even our immune system uses mannan-binding lectin to help identify germs to be destroyed by white blood cells.

Given these, these lectins are claimed to be harmful because they attack the lining of the small intestine which causes inflammation and various diseases. It is also claimed that all disease begins in the gut, with lectins causing fat storage due to its mimicking of insulin effects.

Debunking

First, these claims can be easily dismantled by observing that the people in the world who live long and enjoy life the most and have the least disease eat a lot of lectins. It is also shown that none of them use any special cooking methods to prepare this food either. It has been proven by countless studies that eating fruits and vegetables lead to healthier and longer lives. However, the doctor revises his thesis by claiming that vegetables only cause benefits that outweigh its issues, and therefore adhering to his diet will be much better. Nonetheless, he has no evidence to support this.

Second, the claim that lectins make people gain fat is also false. It is claimed that lectins do this by mimicking insulin which promotes fat storage. It is also claimed that it impairs glucose that makes use of muscle, brain, and nerve cells which disrupts repair and growth. However, although insulin sensitivity may impair the body and cause diabetes, only overeating can make people fat. The only basis for his claims is research that did not even measure insulin sensitivity in the muscle, brain, or nerve issue. He also ignored all the positive findings in the research, only focusing on the lectins decreasing insulin sensitivity.

It is quite evident that his claims are all a part of his ploy to sell his merchandise just like all the other businesses selling fad diets. He tells people that the reason for being overweight is not the fault of people eating too much but what they eat. He then claims that the cause of the problem is a particular food group. And finally, he recommends a revolutionary food group that will clean the body of all toxins and fat. Because of this, countless people are fooled and spend all their money on these products, without ever counting their calories.

Source: Mike Matthews