The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age by Steven R. Gundry

The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age Reviews

• 
  Kathleen

  Gundry rattles off a lot of statements that are purported to be supported by serious scientific studies. They aren’t! [Example: the book indicates that a 2016 study on the impact of longevity concluded “nutrient uptake depends on your microbiome” supported by reference 5. Except that the study was not on humans and did not conclude that with that statement. The study was performed on nematodes.—Joel Kahn, Professor of Cardiology]
  
  Dr. Gundry provides a theory of atherosclerosis that suggests that one should avoid eating lectins, particularly lectins in grain. [Joel Kahn fact-checked this assertion too and found zero scientific studies to support this theory.]
  
  Instead of scientific studies, Gundry offers anecdotal evidence to support his claims. On the other hand, he DOES suggest that you buy his supplements and branded olive oil. As if!
  
• 
  Leah

  I couldn't rate this book higher :P One of my favs of this year for sure! This book has made a huge impact on my life. It's not a huge book but it took foooooreeeeever to read because I was continually writing down notes! It's literally like a science textbook that you just want to learn everything there is on the topic.
  
  Key take aways:
  - everything to do with your health basically stems from your gut health
  - Even if you’re vegan you still consume antibiotics
  - simple sugars and artificial sweeteners are terrible for your gut health
  - ibuprofen and Advil blow gaping holes in the intestinal barrier
  - cell autophagy is very important to allow the body to detoxify itself, it happens on a calorie deficit diet, intermittent fasting, or fasting - it's good for you because it's bad for you
  - through ketosis you can promote growth and activation of stem cells which can transform into any type of cell needed and repair the body. "Stem cell therapy" is reinjecting stem cells into the body.
  - Pu’erh and green tea are great
  - Eat polyphenols- plant compounds that nourish gut buddies and stimulate autophagy - best most powerful resveratrol found in grapes, wine and berries and the reason why red wine is protective against heart diseases
  - Eating meat is linked to Alzheimer’s
  - A myth is that a high metabolic rate keeps you young. Meat makes you spend a lot of energy digesting that’s why carnivores like lions are always sleeping.
  - with improved gut health it is possible to cure Arthritis
  - Remove foods with WGA in your diet, in all whole wheat, whole grains including pasta, bread and crackers, barley and brown rice
  - Stray far away from foods with “Natural flavours” it's MSG in disguise, and avoid aspartame because it converts to MSG in your gut
  - try not to eat 4hr before you sleep
  - Olive oil is great for your gut health
  - Take Omega 3, Vit D, Vit C, B vitamins, prebiotics, probiotics
  - Do meditative yoga
  - Eat tree nuts, peanuts are actually shit for you and cashews are not even nuts they're seeds
  
  There's some things I am iffy on though... if your tall you have a higher chance of cancer lol as well as only eat fruit in the summer so your body can recoup in the winter.
  
  Notes:
  - Our gut microbiome is the most determining factor for how long we live and the quality of life. Your gut bacteria is effected more so from your environment and who you live with and spend the most time with. This influences what you eat and your physical activity the most. Surprisingly this is more influential than your actual genetics. Your gut is more similar to the person you live with compared to your own mother!
  - Mitochondria are in every cell in your body and are the cellular digestives system (they break down nutrients to produce energy). Their DNA is passed down from the mothers egg. A child also gets passed down the mothers bacteria from the vagina in birth, and breast milk for food.
  - Mitochondria are responsible for cell signalling, cellular differentiation, what a cell should become, cell death and cell growth. Thus Mitochondria play an important part in the aging process.
  The Mitochondria's sister is in the gut and they message each other using hormones and chemical signals.
  - mitochondria and gut buddies are from your mom mitochondria are in every cell in your body and are the cellular digestives system (they break down nutrients to produce energy), mitochondrial dna is passed down from the female egg mitochondria are responsible for cell signalling, cellular differentiation, what a cell should become, cell death and cell growth so mitochondria play an important part in the aging process
  - Iron actually ages you lol and a high metabolic rate actually ages you too
  - Bad for the guy microniome is lectins which are a sticky protein that defends plants from insects, it’s hurts bugs but we’re stronger with our mucous, and have no immediate effect but it still adds up in the gut and makes them upset
  - Rodents have hundred of times more of an enzyme called protesayze in their gut which breaks down Le tins and other grain proteins
  - Mole rats eat roots
  - When you take an antibiotic it negatively effects your gut biome for up to 2 years
  - Studies show that every time you take a course of antibiotics you increase the chance of getting chromes disease, diabetes, obesity, or asthma later in life
  - Meat and diary have antibiotics in them from preventing sickness to the animal and fattening them up and then you consume those antibiotics buy eating the meat and dairy
  - Even if you’re vegan you still consume antibiotics from glyphosine the main ingredient in the herbicide round up now owned by bayer are sprayed onto crops
  - Another problem with Glyphosate - reduces the livers ability to convert vitamin D to its active form so it can absorb calcium
  - Bad bacteria in your gut love sugar. Specifically simple sugars, you body actually needs complex sugars “poly saccharides”. Even artificial sugars are bad like Sucralose, saccharine, aspartame.
  - A duke university study showed that a single Splenda packet destroys 50% of normal intestinal flora.
  - Even fructose the sugar in fruit is poison to mitochondria
  - Common causes anti inflammatory: ibuprofen and Advil blow gaping holes in the intestinal barrier
  - Calorie restrictive diet - dramatically decrease bacteria growth and distribution. It also stimulates cell autophagy in the gut (where cells eat the bad cells) thinning the gut bacteria to only the strongest fittest ones that will work the hardest to maintain gut wall integrity
  - Pu’er tea - promotes bacteria that makes you form more mucous to strengthen the gut bacteria
  - When you can get stem cells from your body from fat and bone marrow, and reinjecting them it promotes less aging. They can become any type of cell. Regenerate aging tissues. Stem cell therapy.
  As we age stem cells start to lose the ability to regenerate unless you activate them. Temporarily stress yourself out can activate it. “Keto diet” ketosis.
  - University of Southern California study - participants that underwent a 5-day vegan calorie deficit once a month or a few days of water only fasting had increased levels of stem cells. Fasting also triggers auotphagy in immune cells. Fasting makes the bag guys tear away at gut lining so your body sends stem cell reinforcements. So fasting is good for you because it is bad for you. But if you’re lacking in Vit D3 then the stem cells reinforcements don’t get activated - malnutrition
  polyamines - at least 10% increase in life expectancy, it promotes cell autophagy. Examples: shellfish like squid oyster crab scallops, fermented foods, cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, mushrooms, matcha green tea, nuts and seeds hazelnuts walnuts pastachio, chicken liver, aged cheeses, lentils
  - Eat polyphenols- plant compounds that nourish gut buddies and stimulate autophagy - best most powerful resveratrol found in grapes, wine and berries and the reason why red wine is protective against heart diseases
  - 7 deadly myths of aging: Mediterranean diet promotes - grains. Resistant starches increase your gut buddy population, enhance digestion and nutrient absorption and foster growth of gut buddies that nurture the all important mucus layer in the gut. Do not eat large amounts of animal protein it gives inflammation myth #2 animal protein is essential for long term strength and longevity.
  - Eating meat is linked to Alzheimer’s
  - Another myth is high metabolic rate keeps you young. Meat makes you spend a lot of energy digesting that’s why carnivores like lions are always sleeping.
  - Myth it’s important to get plenty enough iron as you age. People who donated blood often loved significantly longer than people who donated less often. Lots of iron in meat. Women live longer and the time of the month releases some iron
  - Myth Saturated fats should not be demonized.
  - Myth: milk does the body good. If you have milk then don’t pick cow, pick goat and sheep milk
  - Cancer thrives off sugar
  - Anti cancer foods are tree nuts. Two servings per week cuts your chance of getting cancer in half
  - Heart disease and arthritis - make your guy buddies happy and it could cure arthritis. Arthritis isn’t caused by wear and tear it’s the gut buddies.
  - Remove foods with WGA in your diet, in all whole wheat, whole grains including pasta, bread and crackers, barley and brown rice
  - monosodium glutamate (MSG) - “Natural flavours”, aspartame converts to MSG in your gut
  - Try and leave a full 4hr before bedtime to not eat so if you go to bed at 11, stop eating at 7. This gives the chance for your gut to digest most of everything so your brain can sleep soundly at night
  - Big on olive oil - anti inflammatory properties because of the polyphenols. Spikes cell atophagy. Helps neurons repair themselves from inflammation. Supports growth of new neurons
  - Omega 3 and eating baked fish promotes longevity. Daily sardines, herring, small fish.
  - Regular Daily Leafy greens too
  - Meditative yoga makes gut buddies happy, lowers stress
  - Stray away BPA so avoid canned foods, buy frozen food if you have to. Use glassware instead of plastic for food storage. Never hear up food in plastic container, even receipts have BPA
  - Taking vitamin c prevents sun damage. It’s also a beauty vitamin but the issue of that it is water soluble is you let it out in your urine. If you have too much vitamin c you’ll get diarrhea. Truce a day 1,000mg time release is good
  - Arsenic is a well known poison is also antibiotic and hormone disrupter. Stop eating conventional chicken, avoid grains like rice
  - Avoid blue light especially at night
  - Stop using anti-bacterial cleaners on skin you’re killing the bad and the good
  - Cranberry oil is good for your skin too, lots of polyphenols
  - Take prebiotics. Probiotics are the gut buddies themselves, prebiotics are the fibrous long sugars they eat
  - Yams, rootabega, sweet potato, mushrooms, artichokes, endives are good sources of prebiotics
  - More acromencia bacteria is good you’ll look younger
  - Ground flaxseed, it’s has prebiotics fiber and significant type of polyphenols and b vitamins, omega fatty acids, intoanflammatory too. Once it’s grounded though it goes bad fast so keep it in the fridge or grind it when you eat it
  - Artichokes - lots of prebiotic fiber. Vitamins a, b, c and e as well as calcium and magnesium. High antioxidant and polyphenol which helps your liver. Just buy frozen artichoke hearts
  - Leeks - loaded with polyphenols and alison a compound that increases blood vessels flexibility and reduces cholesterol. Cut them in half long way and wash them thoroughly
  - Okra - prebiotic fiber. Vitamin c and a, iron and phosphorus and zinc. Sautay over very high heat or roast it until crispy. Can get them frozen too just make sure to thaw and pat dry to cut down on slimy factor
  - Cruciferous veggies - broccoli cauliflower and Brussels sprouts
  - Cashews are seeds and full of lectins
  - Real nuts - walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios
  - Mushrooms -heat does not affect them,
  - Low sugar fruits - avocado, green bananas, raspberries and blackberries, figs and coconuts,
  - Healthy fats - fish oil shell fish egg yolk,
  - 70% and above dark chocolate
  - Green tea
  - Bad bugs - simple sugars and starches, glucose sucrose fructose, incl fruit. Avoid grapes they’re high in sugar. Mangoes tons of sugar. Bananas. Lychees. Apples. Pineapple. Pears but Anjou is fine. Sugar substitutes. Conventional dairy products because of caseine. Bad fats like saturated fats. Peanut oil full of lectins. Grape seed oil, canola oil.
  - Even if you take calorie deficit for 5 days out of the month its as much as a whole month calorie restrictive
  - Omega 1000mg DHA, nature’s bounty at Costco is fine, or cod liver oil
• 
  Trace Nichols

  You have to know how to read these books. Don't go in to them thinking you are supposed to take every bit of advice and piece of information as "do it or die". Assimilate what you learn from the research contained within that supports the daily plan for living and make it your own - specific to your health needs, abilities to source the materials, and lifestyle goals. There is a LOT to be gleaned from this book. If you are a reader of this genre, you will find it very reminiscent of other works in its class today. This is where your intuition and developed knowledge of the subject needs to play a precedent role. Be smart, embrace the new information this book provides, and make a plan to live by that can actually become your way of life versus a momentary burst of fad focus. Did I say already... lots of good stuff in here!
• 
  Joy D

  Recommended to me by a medical professional, this book provides information on how to live a longer healthier life. It focuses on a person’s microbiome, which is filled with both good and bad bacteria. He calls the good agents “gut buddies,” probably in an effort to make this material more “digestible” (if you will) for the general public. He offers some of the latest research on digestive health and how it impacts the other parts of the body. He debunks some of the commonly held dietary myths.
  
  Dr. Gundry’s recommendations include limiting animal protein, and avoiding grains, legumes, sugars, and lectins. I have heard some of this advice before, but there are enough differences to make it worth reading. However, much of the evidence is anecdotal and a number of cited studies were not performed on humans. Many of the foods he recommends are expensive and hard to find (assuming you have even heard of them); however, there are a handful of foods that are easy to incorporate into an already healthy diet. It is worth mentioning that Dr. Gundry is selling supplements, but he disclaims that the reader does not need to buy his products to attain a healthy diet.
  
• 
  Suzanne

  I just cannot get behind a book that promotes eating "good" and "bad" foods. It's yet just another "diet" or "food craze" (think: Atkins, Keto, etc...) that will eventually (already?) prove unhealthy and unwise. I didn't realize this was the type of book it was until I started reading it - definitely would not have picked it up if I knew it was just another one of those "I'm a doctor and hey, buy my supplements," book.
• 
  Donna

  Update: As I listened to this one today, it sounded so familiar. I thought it could have been from a TED talk or youtube, but I realize now that I had already read this one earlier this year. I think though, that I'm changing my original 3 star rating to 4.
  
  
  I enjoy reading health and science books. And what always amazes me is how different the information is in each one. Often scientific studies are cherry picked to illustrate the point of the author. This one is no different. I tried reading this authors
  The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain a while ago and I couldn't do it. It sounded so extreme.
  
  I liked this one though. Did I drink all the kool-aid? Um....no. I never do, but I think there were some good points and there were things I could actually get behind and apply to my own life. I found all the info on the microbiome kind of interesting. I've read a few books that have spent considerable time on that very thing. It is amazing how that topic is getting a lot of buzz. So overall, I found this informative, but I am unable to let go of my original "extreme" judgment. So 3 stars.
• 
  Yesenia Cash

  This was a lot! I always have a hard time with scientific information because it’s so dense and my poor brain can’t process fast enough but I love it anyway! I need to read the plant paradox ASAP!!!
• 
  Wendy

  I can't take this guy seriously. He cites a lot of studies on mice. I didn't finish it, so maybe I missed something, but if you want to be healthy, take the advice of a doctor who does meta-analyses of long-term studies on actual people: Dr Greger. HOW NOT TO DIE is based on years of research on humans, not mice.
  
  Dr. Gundry also recommends consuming a WHOLE LITER of olive oil EVERY WEEK. That's a crazy amount of calories consumed as relatively low-nutrient fat. He also says to avoid beans and legumes which is ironic considering this book is supposed to be about gut health. Nothing makes my gut happier than beans. The Good Gut is a much better book if you're concerned about gut health.
  
  For anyone interested in long-term, sustainable health, I recommend you read HOW NOT TO DIE by Dr. Greger who runs a non-profit and has no monetary agenda. I absolutely DO NOT recommend Dr. Gundry's books. He DOES have a monetary agenda and would love for you to purchase his many very-expensive products.
• 
  John

  This was a very interesting look into Dr. Gundry's theory on gut health. There were a number of spots where I thought he may have confused correlation with causation, but that may have just me missing something he has pointed out already. Being an endurance athlete I was a bit put-off by his take on distance running. I have read the research on this and I'm not convinced that it is complete. However, that just may be my confirmation bias at work defending my favorite pastime. All in all I really enjoyed this in-depth look at the care and feeding of my gut buddies.
• 
  Robert Yokoyama

  I read this book because I am interested in living a long healthy life. The information in this book is very insightful. I learned that sleep helps clean out the brain. A good night sleep prevents plaques in the brain from growing. These plaques can lead to Alzheimer disease to develop. I will try get quality sleep by going to bed earlier and eating dinner earlier because of this information. I will eliminate the blue light that comes from my computer because it interferes with my sleep. I have never taken a cold shower, but I learned using cold water in the shower for a few minutes keeps me alert.
  
  I know that eating too much animal protein is bad. Now I have a reason to eat less meat. I learned that eating meat will age me faster. I will try to get more protein from plants like beans and mushrooms. I learned that having a high metabolism stresses my body and ages me quicker too. I will shorten the intensity of my work outs after reading this.
  
  I love to eat fruits daily especially grapes, apples and pineapple, but I learned that they contain a lot of fructose and this promotes diabetes. I will try to eat this fruits in moderation from now on. I have never eaten green bananas. I learned that they are good for me because they don't contain the starch and sugar of ripe bananas. I learned that rice contains arsenic poison. This scares me because I eat rice every day. Gundry recommends eating cauliflower rice. I have never tried this before, but it sounds interesting.
  
  I also like his advice to try to get out to connect with people and kiss them, This motivates me to try and find a girlfriend. I use a wheelchair so I can't jog in place or do squats, but I can continue walking with my walker and doing push ups on the floor to stay in shape. The Longevity Paradox gives me hope that I can die young at an old age if I strive to do the things that Dr. Gundry suggests.
  
• 
  Guilherme Zeitounlian

  This is not a complete waste of time... but it comes close.
  
  What Gundry gets right:
  - what you eat (and your overall habits) influence your microbiome,
  - sleep, exercise, and diet are important for longevity,
  - relationships (family, community, a dog) also help.
  
  What Gundry gets wrong (or at least a little bit mixed up):
  - avoid protein,
  - do complicated fasting regimes (only you never "fast", you just restrict calories),
  - buy all his supplements (I'm not kidding, he suggests over 30 different substances. I don't feel "the old people in Italy and France" buy all his crap).
  
  In short, this is more hype than science. (Never mind the "notes and references list" at the end - the studies don't actually say what Gundry tells you they say.)
• 
  AnaMaria Rivera

  Dr. Gundry is above all a scientists and he does a very good job at distilling his wisdom in ways that are understandable for someone that does not have a medical background. Having said this, the book is at times heavy, due to all the science involved, and the longevity paradox program in practical terms is difficult to follow, unless you have fierce determination and perhaps are already a vegan...
• 
  Ginger Hudock

  Some of the science is good, but others not so much. He is selective with his data. Many of the long lived populations that he sites consume lots of beans, but he ignores that fact. Many of them also consume grains, but he advises against all grains. His proposed diet is overly restrictive, based on science that he ignores.
• 
  Gaili Schoen

  This book is mostly about avoiding LECTINS, which the author posits are responsible for all of the major diseases of aging. But he writes in such a patronizing style- calling the good bacteria in the intestinal tract "gut buddies." It got extremely annoying reading "gut buddies" a thousand times. And by the end of the book when you read his list of supplements -- he takes 79!-- you realize he is pretty out there. He also manufactures his own supplements, so of course he believes that people should be taking them.
  
  I think the information is well worth reading in spite of his patronizing tone, but if you read websites from other doctors you might get a more balanced view:
  https://draxe.com/lectins/
  
  
• 
  Nicole

  Ok seriously I’m a physician and I know true scientific data is very difficult to obtain as there is a lot of bias and manipulation that can occur when collecting and calculating statistical significance. It may take years and still be difficult to obtain due to variations in the population studied and accounting for multiple other factors. So I can only say that his food eliminations and avoidance suggestions have helped me lose weight that I could never lose and now my BMI is 19 and I am not on any medications! I had terrible GERD. This is my goal in life to remain healthy and sharp without meds. I don’t use any of his vitamins but use vitamins from other providers that I like. So try it and tweek it a little but use his recommendations it can’t hurt may actually help.
• 
  Jason

  The overall message is good: treat your body well, stay active, prioritize sleep, eat things (mostly plants) that promote health, and use products on your body that don’t contain endocrine disrupters, carcinogens, etc. I did learn some new, interesting, and useful bits of information on how to eat and live better, longer.
  
  Additionally, remember Gundry is a doctor, not a writer. Some of his phrasing is repetitive, which I didn’t like. His attempts at humor are often akin to dad jokes. But I also understand it is a lot of medical information and he mixes it up with witticisms so it doesn’t come across as too dry. At times he makes questionable assertions I’ve never heard before; I didn’t care enough to follow up and research them.
• 
  Gordon

  Must read for anyone interested in long term health and well being. Dr. Gundry’s third and most well researched book. It includes new discoveries and explanations of the human body’s digestive, immune, neurological, and cellular regeneration systems...and how to ensure the right nutrition and habits to keep all functioning extremely well into a ripe old age.
• 
  Sharon

  Overall I think that this book has good information about the microbiome and how your diet is linked to your health. I was a little put off by the supplements section, I don’t think that consuming so many supplements is feasible. I also think that you can go overboard thinking about food and health.
• 
  Matej yangwao

  It's not about intense exercise but more about what we put into our gut. Following advice from this book I bet you can change how you feel daily and mitigate your inner inflammation for your wellbeing.
  
  Definitely few rock solid advices, good (for your parents) book to cut down animal protein and be more vegan and others.
  
  >If you want to look after your body and prolong your life, you need to start living for your microbiome.
  
  >Antibiotics are the gut equivalent of a nuclear bomb. They take out everyone, good and bad, and leave nothing behind. Yes, that means your infection is gone, but it also means your microbiome is devastated.
  
  >every course of broad-spectrum antibiotics affects your gut biome for up to two years.
  
  >To avoid this response, you should cut lectins out of your diet, avoid taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and Advil), and try to eat more butyrates — a short-chain fatty acid your gut buddies love that helps strengthen the gut wall.
  
  >You can’t even blame illness and aging on cholesterol, as many studies have shown no real connection between heart disease and cholesterol. Instead, it’s more about triglycerides, which are increased with the amount of sugar or simple starch you consume.
  
  ≥If you want to significantly reduce your cancer development risk, make sure you eat foods containing exogenous ketones, such as MCT oil, solid coconut oil, red palm oil, and nuts that come from trees, especially macadamia nuts, pistachios, pine nuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts.
  
  ≥fooling your body into thinking that you’re fasting so that autophagy begins, strengthening, thickening the gut lining.
  
  >The best foods for your gut buddies are:
  • Prebiotic foods
  • Fruits that are low in sugars
  • Healthy types of fats
  • Dairy alternatives
  • Millet
  • Coffee or coffee fruit
  • Extra dark chocolate (not milk chocolate!)
  • Green tea
  
  >Brainwash days. On these days (once or twice per week), you will avoid eating dinner to clear out your brain.
  
  >Days when you restrict your calorie intake to 600 calories per day, once or twice per week. This is optional.
  
  >Days when you mimic the effects of fasting. This will be five consecutive days at the beginning of every month when you will eat 900 calories per day.
  
  >During your brainwash days, you need to ensure that your body has finished digesting the last meal you ate, and this should be four hours before you sleep. All of this helps your lymphatic system wash out your brain while you sleep and avoid a toxic build-up of amyloid, which is responsible for those memory problems and degenerative diseases.
  
  >You could even try to take a ‘Scottish shower’ once a week. This means having a warm shower and then gradually cooling it down until the last couple of minutes is only cold water.
• 
  Malynda

  I liked it overall, but I didn’t really get his humor when he was trying to be cheeky and light hearted. It just didn’t flow. But I didn’t read it for his humor. I got a few gems out of it.....and reinforced some of the other learnings I have had in other similar books. I do highly recommend the breakfast smoothie recipe!!! Never been much of a smoothie gal, but this one I can get behind!!! I have had it every day for the last week and not tired of it yet.
• 
  Emily Hunt

  Like most health/nutrition books- you have to take everything with a grain of salt! There is some speculation in the book, and not everything is 100% factual. That being said, I love learning about the brain-gut connection and found many parts of the book very interesting and informative
• 
  Jenna

  very good, informative and interesting. seems almost impossible to follow but definitely got some new information that I will implement.
• 
  Jessica McDonough

  A very scientific book but I loved all the information contained. The program is quite strict. There are many great suggestions though that I plan to implement into my days regarding which foods to eat and supplements to take. I may even try to work up to fasting as it seems to be very beneficial to the body.
• 
  Cathy Savage

  This is another book purporting to give heath advice. This time it is lectins to avoid rather than gluten. It also advocates intermittent fasting and high vegetable intake. Many of the foods we consider part of a healthy diet all contain lectins in varying amounts. Fortunately cooking destroys most of them. There are time tested reasons we can eat some foods raw and others only cooked! This book has a bibliography full of scientific studies to support the author's position. Who would think to question something so well supported by science? Who would take the time to think critically and actually read some of the references used? Not your general layperson. Coming from both science and health based professions I did some of my own literature research and reading. (Google Scholar) Although lectins can have both positive and negative actions on gut wall integrity a normal North American diet provides little in the way of lectins as most have been destroyed by processing aka cooking. The studies cited all utilize purified lectin sources so do not reflect a normal diet. The positive health outcomes touted by this book all hinge on cutting foods with lectins and taking supplement combos which the author (a medical MD) does tell you about but also manufactures. To take all the supplements would leave little room for actual, nutritious food -never mind the expense! It was well written but I found the language very patronizing if not downright condescending. Anyone without any science background could easily be taken in by the "reasonableness" of the presentation and "scientific" language. An article to read for clarification is:
  
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...
  
  I gave it 2 stars because there are some pearls about healthy eating that can be mined from this book. As with everything that looks to good to be true, there is just enough truth embedded to suck people in.
• 
  Laura Papla Ford

  The book seems based on science, but some claims, especially about lectins has little scientific proof.
  
  Also, writers own supplements, that he does not push, but mentions prominently enough, makes one slightly concerned about objectivity of his advice.
• 
  Jenb16

  Such an interesting read about the connection between longevity and gut health. This book had so many great insights into the best foods to consume to keep our bodies youthful and our guts happy and healthy. Gundry believes jn a primarily plant-based diet, eliminating or greatly reducing the consumption of animal proteins, lectins, and dairy. While I agree with his theories, I do find that putting this into practice long-term is difficult for a food lover like myself. He goes on to talk about the importance of movement, encouraging low-impact activities like walking and some strength training. Dr. Gundry also makes note of how important our sleep cycles are, the significance of connection and relationships, the benefits of meditation, and so on. This book has definitely given me some tools to reflect on and put into practice moving forward. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about their health.
• 
  Sherri

  This is a very restrictive diet. Yes, it sounds healthy and all. That’s fine. But I’ve found in my 50+ years that restrictive diets ultimately fail. Especially when you have a profession where you travel a lot, and a lot of the healthiest food options just aren’t available.
  
  I agree with him completely that sugar, and junk food are the ruination of good health, and contribute to heart disease, diabetes, etc. and how gluten can adversely affect you.
  
  My husband and I have recently made the choice to eat healthily. We follow a “combination” of Mediterranean and Ketogenic diets. Lots of vegetables, low carb, limited protein, limited dairy, no sugar and the high “good” fats that Keto allows.
  
  The results are: less feeling deprived, less hunger pains, less snacking and, being a type II diabetic, my A1C has dropped just over 2 points.
  
  I can use the information in Dr. Gundry’s book as a guide to further understanding how certain foods act within the body. I may even use some of the recipes. But as a lifestyle, it would be really difficult.
• 
  Jane

  Steven Gundry's "The Longevity Paradox" gives one a lot to consider, even if the reader is not interested in following all of his advice to the letter. As a physician, Gundry has treated plenty of patients but found himself most intrigued by those who appeared much younger than their ages. While I know giving up dairy is not in my future, a lot of his practical advice is not unexpected: Limit or completely eliminate processed foods, fast foods and sugar from your diet. With his diet, he asserts, a person can practically plan on reversing the aging process--almost like a Benjamin Button-type of experience. Gundry recommends eating more mushrooms, cruciferous vegetables, dark chocolate (YES!), pomegranates, avocadoes and a few other foods that I can totally get behind. Of course regular exercise is vital, as is adequate sleep...yawn! I'd better hit the sack to keep myself young (even as I feel older by retiring earlier!). Take what you like, or follow Gundry's advice closely: It's up to you.