Dr. Steven Gundry, a renowned heart surgeon and medical researcher is the leading expert on the effect of lectins in our diet. What really interested me during this interview (below) was his explanation of why people in Mediterranean countries who, despite eating a fair amount of animal protein, tend to avoid the effects of carnitine and choline and the production of (TMAO) Trimethylamine-N-oxide a compound produced by bacteria in the gut that appears to correlate with risk of heart disease and Alzeimer’s disease. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30579367
He goes on to say that the Cleveland Clinic, who made this discovery, concluded that the consumption of polyphenols in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and red wine paralyse the enzyme systems of these bacteria so they are unable take choline and carnitine and produce TMAO. Should you not want to view the whole interview, you can scan to 33 minutes in and draw your own conclusions.
The myths of aging and longevity and the Mediterranean diet (32:37)
Also in this interview, he talks about how some of the foods we think are healthy, may play a role in leaky gut, autoimmune disorders, and other diseases due to these plant defensive proteins called lectins.
