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Lewis HowesTHIS IS WHY People Are Getting SICK & NOT STAYING HEALTHY|Dr. Steven Gundry & Lewis Howes
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Chapter summaries
From Heart Surgery to Reversing Disease: Big Ed and the Callus Analogy
Lewis Howes introduces Dr. Gundry's path from heart surgeon to nutrition-focused doctor. Gundry tells the story of Big Ed, who cleared half his coronary blockages in six months, and compares arterial plaque to a callus that goes away once the irritation is removed.
- •Gundry was taught that heart disease is inevitable and can only be slowed
- •Big Ed, a 265-pound man with inoperable coronary disease, shrank his blockages in six months after changing diet and taking supplements
- •Plaque is compared to a callus, a response to irritation
- •Gundry has spent 20 years teaching people to remove the irritation inside blood vessels
The Terrified Patient and Eating for Your Microbiome
Gundry describes a diabetic patient who avoided surgery by following his program, then explains Jack LaLanne's line "if it tastes good, spit it out" as a call to eat for your gut bacteria. He says we are a "condominium for bugs" and that most of our genetic material is non-human.
- •A frightened patient in pre-op avoided surgery and has had no coronary disease or diabetes for 10 years
- •Jack LaLanne's saying means eating for the microbiome rather than for the tongue
- •Over 100 trillion bacteria and 10,000+ species live in us, and 99% of the genetic material in us is non-human
- •Gundry cites a Nature article suggesting only about 7-8% of outcomes come from genes, with the rest from environment and food choices
- •Family history often reflects shared eating habits and inherited bacteria
Fiber, Bacteria, and Why We Need Our Microbes
Responding to Lewis's challenge about his own white hair, Gundry brings up Dr. Terry Wahls and her nine cups of vegetables a day. He explains that stool is mostly bacteria that have eaten fiber, and that germ-free mice have poor immune systems and short lives, so bacteria and viruses are essential.
- •Terry Wahls reversed her MS through diet, starting with nine cups of vegetables a day
- •Most of stool is "baby bacteria" that have eaten fiber
- •Germ-free mice live short lives with horrible immune systems
- •Bacteria even in the placenta inform the baby's immune system
- •A virus cannot replicate itself and must take over a cell's machinery
Time-Restricted Feeding and the Leaky Gut Wall
Gundry describes how he and Wahls use time-restricted feeding and say they are de-aging. He then uses Red Rover to explain the one-cell-thick gut wall and its tight junctions, and says that as the wall becomes leaky, aging and disease begin.
- •Gundry eats only in a two-hour window during the winter and has done so for 18 years
- •Wahls and her wife report their kids say they are getting younger
- •The gut surface area equals a tennis court, held together by tight junctions
- •60-70% of white blood cells line the gut wall
- •Gundry claims autoimmune disease, high blood pressure, coronary disease and diabetes all go with a leaky gut
Lectins and the Foods to Avoid for Gut Healing
Gundry explains lectins as plant defense proteins that stick to sugar molecules and break tight junctions. He says the key to healing is what you remove: grains including rice and corn, nightshades, peanuts and cashews, and American cow milk. He also describes a paper he presented on this approach.
- •Lectins are plant proteins that seek sugar molecules and can irritate tissue and open the gut wall
- •Rule number one is what not to eat: no grains, including rice and corn
- •Nightshades, peanuts and cashews, and American cow milk are removed, and beans should be pressure cooked
- •In his paper, nine of 10 people no longer reacted to gluten after the gut was sealed
- •Lewis asks whether occasional indulgence is acceptable once the gut is healed
Turning Autoimmunity On and Off: Gundry's Own Story and Study
Gundry recounts testing positive for anti-nuclear antibody, clearing it in two weeks, and triggering it again after four days of pizza and pasta. He also cites a study of 102 autoimmune patients, 95 of whom tested negative and were off drugs at six months.
- •He tested positive for anti-nuclear antibody despite no lupus, with a family history of psoriasis
- •Two weeks of strict eating turned the marker off
- •Four days of pizza, bread, ice cream, pasta and tomatoes turned it back on, and two weeks cleared it again
- •In 102 patients, 95 were negative and off drugs at six months, a 94% success rate
- •He calls autoimmune disease a manifestation of leaky gut
Tomatoes, Peanuts, and Why Allergies and Chronic Disease Raise Virus Risk
Gundry says to peel and deseed tomatoes and peppers, and explains why peanut allergies have become common using a police analogy for a hyper-alert immune system. He argues that chronic conditions raise virus susceptibility because a leaky gut pulls the immune system away from the nose and mouth. He also describes gut bacteria signaling to blood pressure.
- •Peel and deseed tomatoes and peppers as traditional cooks do
- •94% of people are born with an antibody to the peanut lectin, and a leaky gut keeps the immune system on hyper alert
- •People with chronic conditions are more susceptible to viruses because the immune system is distracted in the gut
- •Olfactory receptors in the kidneys and heart sense bacterial gases that affect blood pressure
- •Patients on his program often needed less blood pressure medication
Nut Butters, Goat Milk, and the Spinach Surprise
Lewis asks for nut butter and milk alternatives. Gundry suggests peeled almonds, pistachios and macadamias, and goat or sheep milk. He also describes a newly identified class of lectins, aquaporins, with spinach as an example for people who still have problems on his program.
- •The lectin in almonds is in the peel, so peeled almond butter is an option
- •Walnuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts are named as good choices
- •Goat and sheep milk are suggested over cow milk, since goat milk is closer to human milk
- •Aquaporin lectins appear in spinach, corn, soybeans, tobacco and green peppers
- •Removing spinach helped some strict patients who still had symptoms
Nine Cups of Vegetables, Label Lies, and Mitochondria
Gundry explains why vegetables matter by describing how food labels hide sugar, using a bagel with zero listed sugar as an example. He says starved gut bacteria stop sending energy signals to mitochondria, which are themselves ancient bacteria inherited from our mothers.
- •Subtract fiber from total carbohydrates to find sugar, rather than trusting the sugar line
- •A bagel with 35 grams of carbohydrates equals about nine teaspoons of sugar
- •Gundry says it enters the bloodstream faster than a Coke
- •Finely processed food starves gut bacteria that make compounds to seal the gut and signal mitochondria
- •Mitochondria are engulfed ancient bacteria passed down from the mother, and C-section babies take longer to build a normal immune system
Boosting Immunity in a Pandemic: Avoid Sugar, Add Supplements
Asked how to protect the immune system in a pandemic, Gundry says to avoid simple carbohydrates and sugar, which suppress white blood cells. He recommends olive oil, mushrooms, high-dose vitamin D, timed-release vitamin C, zinc, quercetin and astaxanthin. He also says a strong immune system can block a virus.
- •Sugar suppresses white blood cell function and packaged foods are often simple carbohydrates
- •Olive oil polyphenols and mushrooms support immunity, partly through gut bacteria
- •Gundry recommends vitamin D at 5,000 IU daily normally and about 10,000 IU now, and describes taking much larger doses if feeling ill
- •He also recommends timed-release vitamin C, 30 mg of zinc, quercetin and astaxanthin
- •A healed gut and strong immunity mean a person may not get sick, as one patient's story illustrates
Antibiotics, Probiotics, and Prebiotics
Gundry says broad-spectrum antibiotics damaged the microbiome. Asked about probiotics, he says most never reach the gut unless protected by encapsulation or spores. He argues that prebiotic fiber is more important than probiotics because it feeds the bacteria.
- •Broad-spectrum antibiotics were like napalm on a rainforest
- •Most probiotics are destroyed by stomach acid and bile
- •Look for spore-forming or encapsulated probiotics
- •Prebiotics are the food probiotics need, and he compares probiotics without them to grass seed on sand
- •He mentions his own probiotic and prebiotic products
Social Distancing, Connection, and the Heart
Lewis asks how isolation affects the heart and immune system. Gundry says humans are deeply social and ill-equipped for distancing, and suggests getting or fostering a pet, calling or video chatting, and making eye contact. Lewis adds his view on interview seating.
- •Humans are social primates and distancing is not in our DNA
- •Gundry suggests getting or fostering a pet
- •Phone and video calls give human voice and facial expression that Twitter lacks
- •Lewis explains why he sits across from interview guests
Bacterial Clouds, Mouthwash, and Olive Oil Pulling
Gundry describes a bacterial cloud around each person and says kissing may let bacteria check compatibility. He warns that mouthwash kills oral bacteria needed to make nitric oxide and raises blood pressure, and recommends baking soda, coconut-oil toothpaste, or oil pulling. The episode closes with book and resource mentions.
- •Gundry says there is data that a bacterial cloud affects personal space and that bacteria may help choose a partner
- •Mouthwash kills oral bacteria needed for nitric oxide and is linked to higher blood pressure
- •He suggests coconut-oil or baking soda toothpaste
- •Swish a tablespoon of olive oil for a minute or two, then swallow it
- •He points to The Longevity Paradox, his podcast, drgundry.com and gundrymd.com
