John McDougall, MD, is a physician, speaker, and best-selling author who teaches the importance of a whole food, starch-based diet in order to halt, reverse and heal chronic disease.
Dr. McDougall is co-founder of the McDougall Program alongside his wife, Mary McDougall – the original whole-food plant-based vegan and creator of thousands of low fat, oil-free, vegan recipes.
I haven't seen the video and I won't see it, because it would confuse me more and more, I'm sorry. In fact what the Dr. Mc. Dougall says seems the exact opposite of what Dr. Steven Gundry claims in his book "The Plant Paradox".
"His book The McDougall Plan was a New York Times bestseller.[16]
McDougall has been criticized for making unsubstantiated health claims.[4][12] Some of McDougall's dietary recommendations are in line with mainstream nutritional advice, such as an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but others are considered extreme and are not supported by evidence.[4][12] McDougall's diet plan has been called a low-fat fad diet that may lead to boredom with limited food choices, and feelings of deprivation because of exclusion of favorite foods. The high fiber content can cause flatulence and possibly interfere with mineral absorption.[2]
A 2020 review study found that the McDougall diet was a vegan, very low-fat (only 10% of kilocalories from fat), high-carbohydrate diet.[17] Sodium intake is restricted and no animal products or added oils are permitted. The study noted that "iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and omega-3 are potential nutritional deficiencies from following such a strict diet", but also noted that one study had reported "improvements in predictors for cardiovascular and metabolic disease" in people using the diet, and that "improvements in low density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol, insulin, BMI, and fatigue severity scale scores were observed" in people using the diet.[17]
In 1992, nutritionist Kurt Butler described McDougall's ideas as "vegetarian extremism" and McDougall as "Americas most influential vegan zealot" who has taken the low-fat vegetarian diet to extremes.[4]
Reviewing McDougall's book The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, nutritionist Fredrick J. Stare and epidemiologist Elizabeth Whelan criticized its restrictive regime and "poor advice", concluding that the diet's concepts were "extreme and out of keeping with nutritional reality". The authors state that failure to consume dairy products creates a risk for osteoporosis, and that if animal products cannot be replaced with peanut butter and soybean foods, vegans may not obtain enough protein.[18] Reviewing The McDougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health, doctor Harriet Hall wrote that the book is filled with anecdotes and questionable statements, and that it makes many claims which are not supported by science.[12] Hall concluded that "Some of McDougall’s recommendations are in line with mainstream advice, but there is reason to fear that strict adherence to his whole Program might result in nutritional deficits that could do more harm than good."[12]
McDougall's dieting advice has been studied for its efficacy in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis; a 2016 randomized controlled trial did not find significant evidence that the diet affects the severity or progression a patient's multiple sclerosis, but it did find that people on the diet showed lowered cholesterol, improved their insulin levels, experienced weight loss, and–due to the weight loss–experienced reductions in fatigue.[17][19]"
CAUTION: Apologies. My own beliefs are pretty far out there. But there seems to be a consensus that this Dr McDougall is far from accepted science. sciencebasedmedicine.org/th...
The section on Treatment of Medical Conditions included a lot of questionable statements. He says lactose cannot be digested by most adults; that’s simply wrong. Under Diabetes, he claims that patients with childhood-onset diabetes will usually drop their insulin needs by 30 percent and their blood sugar levels will be more stable (less brittle). None of the listed references support that claim. He says insulin dose adjustments should be made “as usual, with the aid of urine sugar and blood sugar tests”. Does anyone still monitor diabetics with urine tests? The references are outdated, all from the 1970s and 1980s. He recommends never taking oral hypoglycemic drugs because they increase your chances of dying sooner. (Wrong! More recent studies have demonstrated that they actually reduce mortality.) And he says he usually stops the pills of adult-onset diabetics the very day they start his Program. That could be dangerous!
He blames diet for hair loss because he read a book review of a Japanese book with the title Can Hair Grow Again? He says treating high blood pressure with medications doesn’t work. Wrong! It demonstrably does. I was particularly intrigued by the discussion of Multiple Sclerosis. He says that for most of his patients with MS, the progress of MS symptoms has been halted. He cites a study by Dr. Roy Swank, saying he treated more than 3,000 MS patients with a low fat diet; he says Swank’s results are unchallenged by other studies and are unmatched in effectiveness. Swank’s study began in 1949 and his results for 144 patients were published in The Lancet in 1990. There was no control group. And his results certainly have been challenged, repeatedly. A recent study reported decreased subjective self-reports of fatigue but “no significant improvement on brain MRI, relapse rate or disability”.
The references listed were far from convincing. For example, there were five references for acne. The most recent one was from 1981; the others dated back to 1964, 1966, 1969, and 1977. More recent articles and systematic reviews with different findings were not listed, such as a 2016 Cochrane review that said “only a small proportion of studies met sufficiently high scientific standards that would enable therapeutic recommendations to be made in practice”.
There are about 15 docs that I regularly watch their YouTube Videos...
Dr McDougall is one of them ...
No question that he is controversial ... but then geniuses often are
My job is to gather as much info out there that might be helpful to improve my health -- then I weigh that info against other respected docs ...
and decide what's best for me ...
After 550 days (exactly) on the O.M.A.D. diet I am very frustrated that I have not lost more weight (about 50 pounds with a STUBBORN 30 - 35 pounds that WON'T come off!).
I think my PD-like internal tremors are rooted in my gut.
So I'm open to trying a new diet ... probably KETO ... since I've watched many of the docs I respect say that KETO shows very positive benefits for PD ... and weight loss.
I'm not trying to be a "Dave" by contradicting this doctor. I just want to warn people because from what I can see his advice is worse than not useful. He seems to be a misguided vegan zealot.
Perhaps you should reread many of your own comments because life, diet and how we live it is very simple and does not need to be complicated by thousands is so called health videos confusing and complicating our simple strategy. Just my thoughts from a 78 year old living life to the full with PD and following the simple successful b1 therapy. Along with a healthy fresh food diet with no crap processed or modified food.
I was excited about Dr McDougall after meeting someone whose chronic Achilles tendonitis went away in 2 weeks on his diet. She also cooked for a relative with arthritis and their pain similarly subsided.
Bit when I looked into it he was so ignorant about Candida that I couldn't go ahead with it. I have too many fungal issues for a high carb diet.
On another note - many years ago I was getting what I now think were internal tremors in my gut. Like a deep quivering / jittering. I went to a cranial osteopath and he resolved it; he said it was shock in my belly. I've only had it since when doing the Whole 30 diet, which is lowish carb, or when juice fasting. I get really awful internal jitters in my belly. They resolved as soon as I reintroduced carbs. I subsequently read that if the adrenals are stressed, the body literally can't switch to fat burning mode, and keto is contraindicated. This is NOT publicised enough!
Anyway I don't think you have cranial osteopaths in the British/European tradition in the US but you have craniosacral therapists who are similar. My osteopath moved away and I've just found a craniosacral therapist who has experience with Parkinson's. Give it a go. There are two main types, the original method, and the modern Biodynamic craniosacral. My chap is old school and of course thinks it's the best, but I would go with whatever you can find. My neck was SO tight and jammed, he said it was affecting nerves and blood flow to the brain! Not good! My neck much better after just one session. And I am having fewer facial tremors.
Yes, sorry, the evidence is weak with this doctor. There is just no science in this (to my high school educated brain). In this article Dr McDougall suggests diet causes PD and maybe his diet can slow or stop PD. I bolded his evidence:
"A Starch-based Diet Helps People with Parkinson's Disease
Prevention of further progression of this form of neurologic deterioration would be expected from removal of the dietary causes.21 However, once the brain tissue is lost it should not be expected to regenerate. Prevention is key.
Dopamine production in the brain is reduced by poor food choices and enhanced when the diet is high in carbohydrates (starches) and low in animal proteins. Carbohydrate increases dopamine production in the brain by allowing easier passage of the dopamine precursor, tyrosine, through the blood-brain barrier into the fluids surrounding the nervous system (the cerebrospinal fluids).22,23 Meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy foods are high in heavy neutral amino acids that block the entry of the dopamine precursor, tyrosine, into the brain.
One case report has suggested a low-animal-food diet is beneficial for people who have already developed PD.24 A 75-year-old man with PD for eight years changed to a quasi-vegan diet for two years. During this time his PD did not appear to have advanced, his dosage of PD medications (levadopa) did not increase, and his quality of life was reported to have improved—an atypical course for this disease.
A healthy diet can also be expected to result in loss of excess body fat, which will allow for improved mobility. People with PD often suffer with constipation, which is relieved by dietary fiber found in plant foods and by removal of dairy proteins, which paralyze the bowels.25 Consider the total picture: Someone with PD needs to be as healthy as possible, and they especially need to avoid the problems, like obesity, type-2 diabetes, vascular insufficiency, arthritis, and bowel dysfunctions, known to be caused by the Western diet. You should not expect the brain tissues that have been lost to grow back; nor lost functions to return. Slowing or stopping progression of the PD is your realistic goal."
You are likely eating GMO foods everyday, possibly without your knowledge. Genetic engineering is used to produce about 70 percent of the foods on US supermarket shelves. And in the US, GMO foods need not be identified as such to the customer. The mandatory labeling of “GMO” foods (which seems only fair) would allow consumers a conscious choice. However, opponents of labeling say it would scare consumers away from safe foods, giving the appearance that there is something wrong with them. (In Europe, China, Russia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand labeling is mandatory. In the US, Canada, Argentina, and South Africa labeling is voluntary.)
Short of universal implementation of mandatory labeling, the two best ways to avoid GMO grown crops are to (1) not buy processed foods and (2) to buy “certified-organic.” Products labeled “made with organic ingredients,”
"Since becoming commercially available in 1994, no reputable medical journal has published even one case of disease in humans caused by consuming GMO foods. Health warnings about GMOs are largely based on a single observation: a close association between the consumption of GMO foods and an increased incidence of weight gain, allergies, and gastrointestinal disorders amongst Americans during the last several years. These population links are supported by a few controversial animal studies.
However, the current epidemics of obesity, and related diseases, like type-2 diabetes, were on the rise long before the introduction of GMO foods fewer than two decades ago. For example, the rate of obesity in the US has steadily increased from 15% before the 1980s to over 35% currently. This shift has been accurately attributed to the dramatic increase in the consumption of sugars and oils, as well as, meat and dairy foods, during this time period.
Furthermore, switching from GMO corn and soybeans to the non-GMO varieties has resulted in no reliable reports of cure of any patient’s ailments. Some argue that the lack of scientific reporting is part of “the conspiracy.” Others say it is just a matter of time: Although no clinical cases of “GMO disease” or “GMO poisoning” have been reported among billions of GMO consumers, the concern is what we may discover 50 or 100 years from now. In the meantime, no one wants to be part of the experiment that proves or disproves, decades from now, the ultimate safety of genetically engineered foods.
There is no denying that the current epidemics of obesity and sickness in Western civilizations are not caused by GMO foods. Our future depends upon us taking actions based upon today’s facts and not upon tomorrow’s fantasies. Efforts refocused off of the GMO distraction and on to reducing livestock production have the potential to save billions of lives from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—long before the first case of “human GMO disease” is ever reported."
mcdougall is not the only one that says "diet" causes metabolic disease and other chronic diseases including heart disease ... cancer... and ALL of the neuro diseases...
the silver bullet guy had on his broadcast a few months ago a neuro doc from new zealand -- did you watch that one?
that doc believes that ALL neuro diseases start in the gut and travel to our brains through our "leaky gut"
Unless you were exposed to chemicals in farm fields ...
work in a dry cleaners and were exposed to dry cleaning chemicals ...
have the lark2 gene (like the founder of google ... sergey brinn who just donated ONE BILLION DOLLARS to fight PD!) ...
then you (like me) have been afflicted with our particular symptoms either through our environment (my home is 50 feet from a GIANT POWER TOWER!) ...
or lifestyle choices ... starting with what we ... EAT
Diet is a big topic, way of life, in our fam! My husband and I, together 43 years now, have been vegetarians for as long as we've known each other. He has full-blown PD, and CLL.
Here's my take... for what it's worth.
Fad and celebrity diets: erring decisions on the side of caution, even when impressed by doctors, is critical. Many doctors have entered the health and vanity market, and although they may have credentials and an epiphany to share, they are profit-driven regardless of the altruistic value statements. please don’t be sucked in after sitting through the passionate long videos claiming science wisdom. I was once a national sales and marketing director for a credible celebrity-driven corp. Even when based on truth, there is a method to the delivery by leveraging credentials, statistics, anecdotal stories, and images stealthfully to get you on board at the core.
Lectins: a big debate. At the end of the day, what is your specific body makeup telling you? Have you read all sides of the topic in the context of what your body can tolerate? Science, history, lifestyle... it's all relevant and can ultimately be productive once you discern how the matter specifically relates to you.
Over the years, we've found the MIND diet to be the most sensible for us, even though my husband and I have distinctively different physiologies. We are fortunate to produce some of our own food. We've read many diet and nutrition studies and texts. We find the blue zones phenomenon fascinating. A few of our favorite guides are Paavo Airola, Maurice Mességué, William Lee MD, Dr Kari Rollins DO, Rudolph Ballantine MD… so many pioneers out there! We've always believed "food is medicine." We learn what our doctors are taught, or not, about nutrition, and we challenge them all the time.
Yes, if vegan or vegetarian, one must be vigilant and keep particular supports in check… B vitamins, collagen, omegas, etc. We test annually. Testing is SOP for conscience vegetarians we know. Interestingly, my husband did not develop deficiencies until he got leukemia (PD came later). We are now pumping up the volume on some supplements because the diet isn't enough in the presence of his extreme conditions.
If you are unwell, I recommend deep diagnostic testing in tangent with whatever your doctors perform as standard health monitoring. These tests can be had without a doctor initiating them. We are fortunate that our GP is on board with us. Many labs are doing this, and it's relatively affordable.
Another test that our daughter went forward with under recommendation from her integrative MD before she began her second tour of chemo after a six-year remission from breast cancer is the RGCC, aka "the Greek test," a liquid biopsy test designed for fighting cancers yet, applicable in our opinion in the sense it's a deep dive that could benefit anyone. My husband was planning to do this expensive test; however, if you've read our recent cautionary post, we are now chasing teeth replacement due to RX medication-related debilitation, so that's where our limited resources are being directed… sigh.
The RGCC tests chemotherapeutic agents, medications, non-toxic IVs, and supplements to see how effective each could be for your specific body and diagnosis. The RGCC has been critically insightful for our daughter, guiding her orthodox, and not-so-orthodox treatments and her dietary and lifestyle vigilance. Her rigorous, customized treatment plan has taken her from Stage 4 to 1 this year, and we believe the knowledge gained from this test has been instrumental.
We strive to practice moderation even when faced with the extremes of my husband's condition, the rollercoaster of debilitating symptoms, going from severe illness to remission, abating tremors, and improving his stability and gate. With all that's accessible nowadays, from articles to Amazon, the "over-Google" syndrome can mess with one's psyche. Beware the rabbit holes that take you down extremes, can blindside you from the reality of your specific makeup, and can carry the risk of alienating you from others.
We hope to learn how to combat these diseases with meds, supplements, diet, and lifestyle, yet as tuned in as we try to be, sometimes we learn the hard way, as at this very moment, discovering too late that "dry mouth" from his medications has caused severe damage.
We believe in the possibilities of "impossible things" and that exciting breakthroughs are in motion, yet a lot of noise exists. Sometimes, we just gotta look up, take a deep breath, and laugh as we roll with the punches.
We love this HU community… the sharing of reports, opinions, compassions and the evolving debates (especially when civil). You keep us moving forward!
Yours is one of the BEST and most heart-felt posts I've ever read ... anywhere.
I try to avoid being "political" on THIS website but I get so DAMN ANGRY at politicians wasting BILLIONS of dollars on various things instead of directing that money to help our medical researchers FIND CURES for EVERYTHING!
God bless you, your husband and family.
STAY STRONG!
I'm confident that science will help us all very soon.
Nutrition research certainly points to a varied whole-food plant-based diet, low in fat (but not avoiding nuts, seeds, and avocado) and avoiding oil (except algae derived omega 3, for instance) where carbs are intact grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables. And excludes processed junk, meat and dairy. With supplementation of B12 (extremely important, even meat eaters should supplement after 50), and D3 if you don’t get enough sun.
The ‘strictness’ of following the diet partially depends on if you are trying to avoid triple bypass surgery, for instance. Different plant-based Dr.s who help very sick people regain their health, like Mc Dougall, have their own emphasis.
But it is certainly not an ‘all or nothing’ type thing. The more whole-food plants you add to your diet, the better - especially adding foods listed on Dr. Greger’s ‘daily dozen’ (there’s an app for that) foods like leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, berries, ground flax, other nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, whole intact grains, beverages (water, tea and coffee (which are made from leaves and beans)), other fruits, other vegetables, spices, and exercise.
Keto and Gundy’s plant paradox are certainly not supported by the bulk of the nutrition research evidence, are harmful, but popular.
NutritionFacts.org (Dr. Greger’s website) is the best site I have found for systematically reviewing the quality of the research, it is searchable, references are linked so you can evaluate the research yourself, if you know how. Let me know if you encounter a better one.
Science is our best bet in evaluating claims, not personalities and best selling books. The bulk of the research continues to point towards whole-food plant-based - and as Greger says, ‘it is the only diet shown to halt and may reverse cardiovascular disease, our number one killer, so should be our go-to diet until the research tells us otherwise.’ What would be great would be a Parkinson’sFacts.org.
Keep on posting PD Warrior. Your posts are very helpful. Dr. Neal Barnard is another plant-based Dr. helping people heal and thrive, that you may want to check out.
I agree with 90% of your comment (and 100% of your compliment to me, LOL!) ...
Here's the part i differ on:
"Keto and Gundy’s plant paradox are certainly not supported by the bulk of the nutrition research evidence, are harmful, but popular."
Dr Gundry has been an inspiration for my O.M.A.D. diet. Today is day #551 of only eating one meal per day (with all calories eaten within a 2 hour window). He's been on O.M.A.D. for 23 years! So I'm hoping this diet is "healing my gut" and so far I've lost about 50 pounds!
But Dr Gundry is an "acquired taste" as I just can't get into following some of his dietary recommendation (not that he is wrong, but his meal preps are far too complex for a simple guy like me).
For almost 2 1/2 years (since I self-diagnosed with PD or "something" is causing my THOUSANDS of internal tremors -- 95% in both of my forearms and most recently into my FINGERS and HANDS!) ....
I have spent THOUSANDS of hours on YouTube to the point where I have given myself a "PhD in YouTube" ... LOL (but I'm still pretty dumb -- too much science for me to absorb and research ... but I do learn a lot...)
1. KETO is broadly recommended to help PD!
I'm not on KETO yet .... But I recommend you visit these TOP DOCS on YouTube to learn more:
1. Dr Mark Hyman, M.D. and functional medical doctor -- he's my #1 FAVORITE
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP” Leonard Nimoy, Feb 23, 2015. His last public message before he passed on the 27th.
A favorite quote of mine. We are big Roddenberry followers.
Leonard is my personal fav celeb of the Star Trek bunch. I met him at a speaker reception at a global conference many years ago. It was such a privilege... a brilliant man of substance with a warped sense of humor (pun intended... ha!). Sadly, he fell to the tragic repercussions from his early years of being a heavy smoker.
Here's a hilarious vid of him starring in the Bruno Mars song "The Lazy Song"
On a more serious note, Elypta received the Roddenberry Prize this year. This is exciting news on the metabolism-based liquid biopsy platform front (related to the RGCC test I mentioned above).
Beyond space travel, Roddenberry imagined MANY impossible things “before breakfast” that today are tangible tools and structures of our reality…. Communicators (cellphones) Tricorders (yes, they are now real!), to name a few:
Now, if "the many" could wrap their minds around a "common good" (prime directive) what a world this might be! Sadly, it seems it won’t happen without a "First Contact" or "Day the Earth Stood Still" otherworldly visitor, hopefully not a "Predator," to shake some sense in humanity. “Klaatu barada nikto!”
Oh, yes, I believe; cures are just around the corner if we can keep working to eliminate the petty barriers and biases that distract humanity from exploring and collaborating on the infinite possibilities that exist in our universe.
As an animal rights activist and an ethical vegan, imho THE Healthiest lifestyle is using your critical thinking muscles, kindness, plus a belief in your own gut feelings. What you eat is what your cells literally vibrate from. So what you believe about what you eat matters. I personally would not eat other animals knowing all that I know (and don't know too!). And I don't think any one person will know what is ultimately the most beneficial diet for everyone. I'm so glad to see the energy generated by this discussion. But honestly, I don't think there is any "right" diet. Perhaps there might be a "right" lifestyle, in that we do as little harm as possible. And the rest will have to stay fallible because human animals are not the superior ones who know all. .. just my opinion. I can imagine the years each of us can spend trying out various ways of eating and reading all the new science, only to learn there was so much left to learn. It feels incredibly daunting to see how quickly these fads come and are debunked, and rebunked again.
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Help! How do you time your eating with taking Sinemet?
HELP! IS THERE SUCH A THING ANYMORE? DR'S PUT YOU ON MEDS, THEN YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN!
You are your own expert.
Parkinson’s disease managing reversible neurodegeneration- retracted!
