I would like to know Mosley’s view of lectins in foods. PLEASE ANSWER, DR MOSLEY!……

On the one hand Clever Guts advocates the use of legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans etc) and bioflavanoids (found in colourful veg like peppers and squash etc) and cashews and various seeds and yet Dr Steven Gundry – renowned heart surgeon and author of The Plant Paradox – says we should avoid these foods like the plague because they basically rip holes in our gut and wreak havoc with our system.

Both Mosley and Gundry are reputable Doctors and both of them agree on the standard practice of eliminating sugar and processed foods and bread etc (who doesn’t already know this?!), but which Doctor should we believe about lectins, or in fact believe about anything (we all remember Dr Atkins!)? Are the nightshades, pulses, seeds etc friend or foe?

Mosley says “Trust me I am a Doctor” but Gundry is a Doctor too, as was Atkins. So with such vast conflicting information, who should we actually trust?

As with many message boards, this is for mutual support from other readers. AFAIK Dr Mosley does not read or reply here.

When the experts appear to disagree, it is helpful to consider their background or angle on the subject, the *precise wording* of any claims made, the target audience or population, the published evidence offered, the opinion of other experts in that specific field.

Clever Guts, for example, is focussed on health not weight loss (as many commercial diet books are), particularly those with gut symptoms or diagnosed gut conditions. Both Dr Mosley and Dr Bailey trained and worked in the non-profit UK National Health Service as General Practitioners, with a broad cross section of the general public. Likely very different diet/ lifestyle/ weight/ medical history than Dr Gundry’s cardiac patients.

Dr Mosley and Dr Bailey’s books and TV programmes steer clear of scaremongering and dramatic claims (no wholefood plagues or holes ripped in the gut). They advocate a really wide variety of different wholefoods, including sensible serving sizes and frequencies, and to include or exclude foods based on the individual’s detailed food and symptom diary (p.187).

If even modest servings of any beans or lentils are problematic *for you* do not eat them. If you are considering eliminating entire food groups or multiple food groups/ types long term, your diet is likely not to be properly balanced and varied. Please consult an appropriate health professional (registered dietician, doctor) who has access to your medical history and your food diary.

HTH!