Are Vegetables BS?
If you have ever seen Paul Saldino, his famous line is that Kale is BS. He even sells the shirt. But are they? Saldino isn't the only one who proposes this.
Dr. Gundry, a former heart surgeon, has his own take. Gundry claims modern health problems come from eating lectins. Lectins are compounds found in beans that are natural pesticides. Thus, Gundry claims lectins harm people. Copying destroys lectins.
Toxins in Vegetables
Plants make compounds to protect them against predators - other plants, pests, and the like. But do they harm humans?
It turns out that some plant defense compounds are beneficial to humans. Take coffee. Yes, coffee - the caffeine is a defense mechanism. Some people will tell you that coffee is bad for you - but they don't get up in the early morning or have kids.
List of the "Toxins"
- Gluten
- People who don't have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity do not need gluten-free diets (ref).
- Oxalates
- Potassium-rich vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale reduce calcium loss and prevent kidney stones from forming. These vegetables are rich in antioxidants that decrease the risk of bladder, prostate, and kidney cancer. Check with your local dietician for a diet based on the type of kidney stone you have. (ref)
- Caffeine
- If you don't drink coffee, you will lose all joy in life. (reference is me)
- Polyphenols
- Plant polyphenols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-atherogenic, anti-thrombotic, and anti-mutagenic effects - they are healthy for you (ref)
- Phytates
- Consuming a phytate-rich diet, such as a colorful, plant-based diet, the benefits exceed the impacts on mineral absorption. In addition, phytates are anti-oxidants. (ref)
- Saponins
- These compounds are among the most well-studied compounds to decrease risk and help treat cardiovascular diseases. (ref)
- Isothiocyanates
- Brassica vegetables contain many valuable metabolites that are effective in chemoprevention of cancer (ref)
- salicylates
- These anti-inflammatory compounds are the basis of aspirin
- Phytosterols
- phytoestrogen-containing foods, such as legumes, grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other health-promoting phytochemicals.
- Lectins
- Cooking destroys lectins. Lectin-rich foods, legumes, and whole grains show reduced inflammatory biomarkers in both animals and humans (ref).
What the literature says
What do human trials say about vegetables? They improve health, reduce the risk of heart disease, and reduce the risk of cancer.
Do some of them contain anti-nutrients? Well, some do bind them, but health benefits outweigh any potential harm.
Who to believe?
You can believe a shirtless salesman of supplements and scams. Someone who was trained as a psychiatrist, who goes into a grocery store shirtless and yells at kale - or you can believe science.
Fiber as an essential nutrient
Fiber
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