Should you follow The Plant Paradox Diet?

Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of the American Idol (2002), who once had a fuller figure, has now shed 37 pounds. After being tight-lipped about her weight loss secret for months, the 36-year-old singer recently revealed that she has been following a lectin-free regime religiously. She claimed in an interview that she decided to go ahead with it after reading The Plant Paradox by Dr Steven Gundry, which advocated this diet. She decided to take it up as she suffered from an auto-immune disease and faced a thyroid issue as well. 

WHAT’S THE DIET ABOUT?

Dr Gundry, creator of this diet claims that going lectin-free is beneficial for health. Lectin is a protein that is found in most foods. However, pulses, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, in particular, contain high amounts. Plants produce lectins as a defence against attack from insects and animals. According to him, consuming lectins disrupts the gastrointestinal tract and allows bacteria to enter the immune system thereby causing a leaky gut syndrome, inflammation and weight gain.

FOODS HIGH IN LECTINS

• Grains like wheat, quinoa, rice, oats, corn and flours and products made from them.
• All types of beans including sprouts, lentils and peas.
• Edamame and tofu.
• Veggies with seeds or beans and zucchini.
• Nuts like peanuts, cashews, chia, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
• Cow’s milk and dairy products like yoghurt, cheese, ice-creams.
• Veggies like cucumbers, pumpkin and types of melons. Also, veggies with nightshades like tomato, peppers and brinjal are to be avoided (tomatoes and cucumbers can be eaten if they’re peeled and deseeded).
• There’s a detailed exhaustive list of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ list of foods, you need to follow on this diet.

EXPERT SPEAK

Lectins have positive as well as negative effects. On one hand, a few studies state that lectins in certain foods like red kidney beans may cause diarrhea, nausea, etc. However, on the other hand, the presence of it in legumes and vegetables has health benefits. Pallavi Srivastava, fitness nutritionist and proprietor, Q-Slim Fitness Studio, says, “Some studies claim that excluding lectins from our diet can have an anti-inflammatory effect, but it hasn’t been proved yet. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.” She adds that boiling, pressure cooking, sprouting, peeling, etc. can reduce the amount of lectin present in legumes. “Also, one can achieve temporary weight loss by eliminating a  particular food group, but in such a case, it’s usually  water loss and not fat loss. Doing so, can lead to deficiencies too,” she states.

NOT FEASIBLE FOR INDIANS

As Indians follow a vegetable-rich diet, it would be tough to follow a lectin-free regime. Avoiding legumes and grains can lead to lack of fibre and also result in gastrointestinal issues. Amreen Shaikh, Head Dietitian, Wockhardt Hospital, says, “We recommend a high-fibre diet to people with gastro-intestinal issues. There are no studies to prove this diet can improve health. Nutritionally speaking, it’s restrictive so much that  even a plant-based one like the vegan diet fares better in comparison. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Instead of this, go organic.” 

JUST ANOTHER HEALTH FAD?

This Plant Paradox Diet seems like a tactic to create something different and new because only then it catches people’s attention. Just like fashion, it’s you don’t have to blindly follow what’s trending. Eating legumes, beans, pulses is a part of our culture. The typical Indian thali minus the generous dose of ghee and oil, is a balanced meal and that is what will help one to lose weight the right way, opines nutritionist Pooja Makhija. “My belief is that all foods need to be taken in moderation. Choose the middle path and not adopt a diet that steers towards elimination of any food groups,” she says.