Did you ever click on a photo that says, “This doctor gives you three foods you should never eat”? Evidently many of you do because it’s another question I get a lot. In this case, it takes you to a page that’s called an advertorial, a combination of a news release and an advertisement. In this case, you click on another link and a video by Dr. Steven Gundry starts.

Gundry is a former cardiologist turned health guru and a self-declared expert in digestive physiology; his discoveries “will change your life!” He has determined that plant-based lectins, a protein found in fruits and vegetables, are the cause of leaky gut syndrome. He has the solution: stop eating foods that contain lectin. Those top three? Let me save you some time, unlike the hour-long video which droned on and on, because of course, the magic foods weren’t named until the end. Those foods are wheat, which contains gluten, tomatoes, and eggplant. Actually, most vegetables and fruits contain some lectins so the list is extensive. The alternative solution? Buy his latest product, which will fix you up. You’ll lose weight, have no more gas or discomfort, your joints will feel better, and on and on.

Like all of these types of videos, there are more claims than science, and the supportive science is hand picked to support his position. He has picked a position, supported it under the guise of his expertise as a physician, and has written books and manufactured supplements that are the answer to just about every health issue you have. He has become yet another physician turned run-of-the-mill health guru who pushes pills. He should have stuck to what he knew, because by all accounts, he was an excellent cardio-thoracic surgeon.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet