Is Dr. Gundry and "leaky gut" a scam?

Posted by millerdust @millerdust, Apr 21, 2023

I want to know if Dr. Gundry's program and medicine for "leaky gut" a scam? Lucien

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@ess77

@jord, @tabithatwitch, and all...I'm so sorry your mother is having these issues as well as so many others. It's not fun and can be disabling as well. BTW: you said your mother is 'old'...please, please find other words to use for us older folks. My son all too frequently that I'm an old woman, etc. I take offense at that and it doesn't make me feel loved or healthy or good in any way. Your mom may not have those reactions, but bet inside she'd prefer a different phrase...I like older, older middle age, fierce older woman!!! We are, you know. Fierce. At least inside and many of us are also fierce through and through, or we wouldn't be OLD!

Enough of my soap box...I get my UTI supplement from the same company I've gotten the Probulin, probiotic. I decided since it's the same company, I was fairly safe taking it and gave it one bottle try. I'm now taking it every day, 2X. I'm experiencing a UTI now and am on Macrobid. Doing the same thing I do with antibiotics...adding an additional probiotic in the morning as well as at night, and if I develop diarrhea, I'll take a Lomotil daily until I don't need it. That's my system approved by the PCP and others.

I hope she can find help with this supplement. It's full of all the herbs and fruits we're told to load up on to avoid UTIs but rarely can do that. So, this is good for me. This is the 2nd UTI so far this year. Definitely an improvement. Drinking a lot of water, and eating some but not really hungry, so just enough to know I'll be ok.

Blessings. Elizabeth

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Let me tell you about my experience. I’ve had chronic UTIs for 30 years. For the past 2 years I had been taking nitrofurantoin daily for prevention. (Just the way I’m built says doctor.) Last fall on vacation, I got another but different bacteria called pseudomonas., despite taking the antibiotic daily. Very strong bacteria, To make a long story short, the first alternate antibiotic wasn’t effective either so I got a stronger one, then a anti fungal to kill the yeast infection caused by the antibiotic.
All the drugs burned my digestive tract leaving me allergic to lots of different foods- gluten, apples, onions garlic. This created chaos in my system with terrible debilitating diarrhea. Now 8 months later I’m still trying to find out what I can eat and have a very limited diet. Lost 15 lbs and lots of muscle mass, so that it’s difficult to sit for any length of time. I was in bed for days at a time and had brain fog, and the antibiotics Aldi caused nerve damage in my feet.
So think long and hard about taking antibiotics. Can’t eat at restaurants for fear that they will put some garlic salt on food.
I could go on an on, but you get the picture I hope

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Yes it is. No science backs any of his claims, and in the countries where people have the highest longevity, the diets highly consist of the foods that are banned by Dr. Gundry.

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@tabithatwitch

Well, I have been researching anything that can return my regular BM since my intestinal prolapse surgery in October and now I am becoming more than a little concerned. I also read Dr Gundry's excerpts from his book and I think he sounds like he just wants money from people. Not an expert as he calls himself. I don't know what to use anymore because nothing is really working.. Doctors have prescribe the Miralax, Lactulose, Bisacodyl, Phillips Milk of Magnesia (yuk) and other over the counter things- such a waste of money .... the list goes on... I was so desperate last week I bought one of those liquid enema apparatus kits.. but I felt it was too dangerous and that I may harm myself even further... my PCP suggested eating 2 Kiwi's Fruits and at least 64 ounces of warm lemon water per day.. Apparently Kiwi's are the new "Prunes" Yoga and different types of twisting exercises sometimes gets things moving a bit, but none of this gives me the relief that is needed to be normal. I am literally full of ___ !! Today I decided I am no longer eating because it is not being eliminated properly. I can't go on this way any longer.. Each doctor seems to be of no help. This is such a condition that is difficult and embarrassing to talk about, even to a gastrologist .. I don't know... I feel something is terrible wrong.. Please, does anyone have any have any other suggestions about what I can do this weekend? Thank you so much for any response 🙁

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Look into the healing powers of intermittent fasting / time restricted eating. It seems unrelated, but if you read "Why we get sick" you'll learn it's ALLL about insulin and food quality (for everything from leaky gut to Alzheimers!).

IMO the first book to read to set a framework is "Fast, feast, repeat" by Gin Stephens. She explains (in simple easy to read language) why to fast (or do time restricted eating) and HOW to fast.

She bases all of her writing on other's research and the findings of Dr. Jason Fung -- who's has AMAZING results and research on fasting and disease... but can be a bit convoluted in his explanations of WHAT to do to solve your issues.

Nevertheless ... I recommend listening to Dr. Jason Fung's podcast. Reading Gin Stephan's Fast, Feast, Repeat, and Benjamin Bickman's Why we get sick. All soooooooo eye opening, and instructional as to how to elevate / cure IBS and other gastro-intestinal issues as well as everything from type 2 Diabetes and Depression to preventing Alzehiemers. Who knew they were alllll related?!!!

They'll explain the role of insulin and how you might be spiking your insulin (and thus not giving your digestive tract time to rest) without even realizing it, and how important digestive rest is to give your body time to clean up "junky" cells and other issues by use of Autophagy.

Once you start down this health rabbit hole, you'll realize, it's the real thing!
I recommend:

Gin Stephens' book "Fast, Feast, Repeat" and her podcast "intermittent fasting stories"

Canadian Dr. Jason Fung's' you tube videos (or if you're really sciency his booksDiabetes Code and Cancer Code)... and his co-aministrators' podcast "The fasting Method"

Researcher Tim Spector's YouTube talks about gut health

Benjamin Bikman's book "why we get sick"

These will blow your mind, but also give you an understanding as to how to heal your digestive tract issues and health overall.

They've really helped me.
Good luck!

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@ella1234

Look into the healing powers of intermittent fasting / time restricted eating. It seems unrelated, but if you read "Why we get sick" you'll learn it's ALLL about insulin and food quality (for everything from leaky gut to Alzheimers!).

IMO the first book to read to set a framework is "Fast, feast, repeat" by Gin Stephens. She explains (in simple easy to read language) why to fast (or do time restricted eating) and HOW to fast.

She bases all of her writing on other's research and the findings of Dr. Jason Fung -- who's has AMAZING results and research on fasting and disease... but can be a bit convoluted in his explanations of WHAT to do to solve your issues.

Nevertheless ... I recommend listening to Dr. Jason Fung's podcast. Reading Gin Stephan's Fast, Feast, Repeat, and Benjamin Bickman's Why we get sick. All soooooooo eye opening, and instructional as to how to elevate / cure IBS and other gastro-intestinal issues as well as everything from type 2 Diabetes and Depression to preventing Alzehiemers. Who knew they were alllll related?!!!

They'll explain the role of insulin and how you might be spiking your insulin (and thus not giving your digestive tract time to rest) without even realizing it, and how important digestive rest is to give your body time to clean up "junky" cells and other issues by use of Autophagy.

Once you start down this health rabbit hole, you'll realize, it's the real thing!
I recommend:

Gin Stephens' book "Fast, Feast, Repeat" and her podcast "intermittent fasting stories"

Canadian Dr. Jason Fung's' you tube videos (or if you're really sciency his booksDiabetes Code and Cancer Code)... and his co-aministrators' podcast "The fasting Method"

Researcher Tim Spector's YouTube talks about gut health

Benjamin Bikman's book "why we get sick"

These will blow your mind, but also give you an understanding as to how to heal your digestive tract issues and health overall.

They've really helped me.
Good luck!

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No science backs up leaky gut syndrome.

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Where did you learn it’s not backed up by science?

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@gigi4

Where did you learn it’s not backed up by science?

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Several Sciencewebsites and there are MDs who will vouch that Dr. Gundy's claims and references are bogus. Dr. Khan proved him to be a scam on YouTube

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Leaky gut by definition is intestinal permeability. Mayo, Harvard, John Hopkins and Cleveland medical institutions all state this. That means the lining of the intestines has broken down allowing bacteria and toxins to leak through the intestinal wall. So it’s real. What is not understood by these medical institutions is how or if this is the cause of diseases.
I agree Dr. Gundry is a scam in terms of trying to sell his products. Foods he believes should be omitted also baffles me. One example is avocados that are highly nutritious. There are others like him who have these 30 minute videos and in the end talk about why you should buy their products. And in my opinion there’s nothing unique about their products that you couldn’t find elsewhere.

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@jakedduck1

@millerdust
In my opinion everything about him is a scam. He’s probably already selling every vitamin known to man to try and make up some of the nutrients in the foods he says we shouldn't eat.
As a scientist he should know foods provide more nutrients than supplements.
Save your money. He's looking out for himself not you.
Jake

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This is difficult, becuase he is presenting himself as a successful doctor, but doesn't seem to have any research background. To add to it, the goal of all of his work appears to be to make as much money as possible, using a power conspiracy type formula. While its possible that his conclusions are not completely wrong, using some unproven conclusions that seem to go against rational decisions about what to eat - in an effort that seems to be focused on profit and not truely on the health of an the people he is influencing - seems to indicate that his opinion should be taken with a big grain of salt. There is no requirement for sure to buy any of his products, and people should definitely not stop eating fresh food. Of course you need to carefully design your diet and eat in moderation any food that contains way too much sugar, fat or salt or unheathy ingrediants. In summary, be careful with any health advice, get well informed opinions from real nutritional experts, do your own research always.

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@tabithatwitch

Well, I have been researching anything that can return my regular BM since my intestinal prolapse surgery in October and now I am becoming more than a little concerned. I also read Dr Gundry's excerpts from his book and I think he sounds like he just wants money from people. Not an expert as he calls himself. I don't know what to use anymore because nothing is really working.. Doctors have prescribe the Miralax, Lactulose, Bisacodyl, Phillips Milk of Magnesia (yuk) and other over the counter things- such a waste of money .... the list goes on... I was so desperate last week I bought one of those liquid enema apparatus kits.. but I felt it was too dangerous and that I may harm myself even further... my PCP suggested eating 2 Kiwi's Fruits and at least 64 ounces of warm lemon water per day.. Apparently Kiwi's are the new "Prunes" Yoga and different types of twisting exercises sometimes gets things moving a bit, but none of this gives me the relief that is needed to be normal. I am literally full of ___ !! Today I decided I am no longer eating because it is not being eliminated properly. I can't go on this way any longer.. Each doctor seems to be of no help. This is such a condition that is difficult and embarrassing to talk about, even to a gastrologist .. I don't know... I feel something is terrible wrong.. Please, does anyone have any have any other suggestions about what I can do this weekend? Thank you so much for any response 🙁

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I don't know about Dr. Gundry, but I do know that a healthy gut is important concerning the issues you are mentioning. Have you tried probiotics. I take them everyday as they provide good bacteria for gut health. It is true that the supplement should also contain prebiotics. The one I use has 10 strains and 60 million CFU's. Not only am I regular, but I feel really good. I will be 70 next year and I started taking probiotics after being on anti biotics for a while. Antibiotics kill all the bacteria in your gut (good and bad). I did my research and now my gut health is wonderful. It won't hurt for you to start taking probiotics. Check with your doctor. Make sure it has multiple strains and at least 40 to 60 million CFU's (colony forming units). God bless.

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