Spoiler alert: This book is not worth your time.
When I went looking for a new gut health read this summer, this one popped up, so I borrowed it from the library. At first glance, it looked reputable: Steven Gundry is an MD and a New York Times bestselling author, the back cover is plastered with endorsements (including big names like Daniel Amen and Terry Wahls), and nearly a third of the book is the reference list. Promising, right? Wrong. The subtitle: “Improve your mood, clear brain fog, and reverse disease by healing your microbiome” sounded right up my alley, right? Wrong again.
This book is riddled with pseudoscience, and one of the worst offenders is Gundry’s advice to avoid all foods containing lectins (beans, lentils, whole grains, bell peppers, soy, potatoes, etc.), foods that are staples in Blue Zone populations, some of the longest-lived people on Earth. But the real jaw-dropper came in the “Do: Get Your Fiber” section, where he writes: “Finally, don’t forget your animal fiber.”
Animal fiber?! Is that even a thing? According to Gundry, examples include “ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage of meat and fish” and contribute to gut health. He even cites a study so I checked it. The article, from the Journal of Animal Science, is titled: “Fermentation of animal components in strict carnivores: A comparative study with cheetah fecal inoculum.” Yes, you read that right. His recommendation for humans is based on cheetah poop.
At that point, I dug deeper. I found a scathing review by Drs. T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and Thomas Campbell, MD (T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies) of Gundry’s earlier book, The Plant Paradox. And Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org made a short video about that same book with the tagline: “A book purported to expose the ‘hidden dangers’ in healthy foods doesn’t even pass the whiff test.”
Now, to be fair, Gundry does offer some decent advice: eat fermented foods, polyphenols, vegetables, healthy fats, get vitamin D, avoid processed foods, and don’t overdo protein. But with all the pseudoscience, and his supplement and skincare lines, it’s hard not to call him a quack out to make a buck.
I’ll let the Campbells’ words about The Plant Paradox sum it up: “What a shame that this type of unscientific nonsense creates so much unnecessary confusion, with deadly consequences.”
My verdict: Give this one a wide pass.
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