Is there a hidden danger in healthy foods? The Plant Paradox

Many people have been wondering about the truth behind the knowledge provided by cardiologist Steven Gundry, MD, FACS, FACC, who released the New York Times bestseller The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain in April 2017. He says that " Simple removal of healthy lectin containing foods and taking a few inexpensive supplements may restore endothelial function to normal, which in turn can reverse high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity."

The Controversy

Lectin is a carbohydrate-binding protein that can be found in varying amounts in most plants, including beans, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Cooking impairs most of the lectin in foods and lessens its ability to bind to cells or results in making it bind to other compounds found in food. Dr. Steven Gundry offers simple tips in his book to avoid consuming lectin including: peeling your vegetables; shopping fruit in season and swapping brown rice for white. Dr. Gundry promotes lectin-free diet believing that lectin-containing foods are contributing to inflammation leading to weight gain. The hypothesis behind that is that "lectin survives digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, it can bind to the cell lining within the digestive tract and lead to a series of harmful local and systemic reactions." However, foods containing high amounts of lectin, such as kidney beans, are not eaten raw. Once soaked and cooked, the lectin content is significantly reduced and, as such, is not a potential issue for the body. Also, the known health benefits of consuming whole grains to reduce inflammation far outweigh the concern for the small amount of lectin found in these foods.

The argument

The positive part of the book is that many people feel better after following this diet. It is possible that understanding of human nutrition is still inadequate to explain why some foods are health-enhancing in one individual yet inflammatory to another. The Plant Paradox also recommends a diet that is low calorie, low in sugar and low in processed foods. These dietary changes can help people to lose weight as well as feel better.

On the other hand, Although there is research raising theoretical concerns about the potential toxicity of lectin, research also suggests lectin provides health benefits for GI metabolism and cancer prevention, and could actually be used in the treatment of cancer.

The research on the effect of lectin, which is found primarily in nutrient-dense plant foods, is still emerging. However, fundamental studies have revealed potential health benefits of lectin consumption and minimal evidence of harm. Since we have well-established evidence that supports the health benefits of whole wheat, beans, fruit and vegetables and limited evidence on the harmful effects of lectin, it would be illogical for dietetic professionals to recommend a "lectin-free diet."

Interested in reading more about this topic? Here's where:

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/dr-gundrys-the-plant-paradox-is-wrong/ https://nutritionfacts.org/video/are-lectins-in-food-good-or-bad-for-you/