New Study: More Healthy Eating, Non Smokers Developing Lung Cancer, Dr. Gundry Unpacks The Research

I want to share a brand new study with you that I found very interesting. Now this study from the University of Southern California found that younger non-smokers with lung cancer were actually eating healthier diets than the average American. Now that should make all of us stop and ask a few questions. Let's get into it. Now here's what the researchers actually looked at. They took 187 people who were diagnosed with lung cancer before the age of 50. Now most had never smoked. Are you ready for this? 78% were women and their diet quality score was higher than the average American diet. In fact, they reported eating more fruits, more vegetables, and more whole grains than the general population. Now as you know, I've also warned you for years that modern fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are not always what they seem. And I want to dive into that even more. Now this study was particularly interesting to me because when I was still doing cardiothoracic surgery, lung surgery, we noticed beginning in the early 2000s that we started to see a lot of women who were never smokers develop a very unusual type of lung cancer that's called alveolar cell carcinoma and there won't be a test. It was a very unusual cancer. Most people who are smokers get either squamous cell or adenocarcinoma in the lung. But this was a totally different bird and it was happening to women. And it was a very aggressive cancer. In fact, it would spread very quickly, sometimes so fast that we couldn't get it out of their lungs fast enough it would pop up in another spot. And these are these cancers that are occurring now in very young people. So you got to ask why this would be. Well, there's several possible reasons. First of all, I've tried to convince my listeners that whole grains are terrible for you because they contain lectins. And lectins are one of the best ways to produce leaky gut intestinal permeability. And there is strong evidence that intestinal permeability leads to generalized inflammation not only in the intestines but also the lungs. And there is a strong school of thought that inflammation is actually the breeding ground for cancer. And so if we're irritating, if there's inflamed lung tissue, then cancer cells can foster. So that's number one. Now, number two, I've said over and over again that modern fruit has been bred to be sweeter than it used to be. And modern fruit has more fructose. Now, why is that so interesting? Well, cancer cells have to have huge amounts of sugar to grow and sometimes 40 times more sugar than regular cells. What's their preferred source of sugar? Well, it turns out fructose. And the more fructose in our produce, the more potential fuel for cancer cells. Most conventionally grown produce also comes with chemical exposure. And we know from lawsuits totaling billions and billions of dollars which have been successfully brought against Monsanto and now Bayer, makers of glyphosate, that at least one herbicide, glyphosate, has been strongly correlated with cancer. Which is why today I want to revisit the Dirty Dozen because this study, this brand new study, is a good reminder of why I've warned about these foods for years. So let's go down. Spinach. Here's the bad news. It is the number one on the Dirty Dozen. Unfortunately, spinach has more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce item. Spinach. Also, sadly, from my research, spinach contains a really mischievous lectin called an aquaporin that can cause leaky gut and leaky brain. And so spinach, number one, bad news. Kale, collard, and mustard greens. Now, green does not automatically mean harmless. It's way up there on the Dirty Dozen. But here's the one that just makes everybody cry. Now, strawberries. 99% of strawberries tested had detectable pesticide and herbicide residues, yet Americans average eight pounds a year of strawberries. Grapes. They don't call this nature's candy for nothing. Grapes have been bred for sugar content. Just remember, a cup of grapes has more fructose, cancer's friend, than an entire Hershey's candy bar. Plus, it's incredibly high in pesticides. Now, nectarines. Well, I don't have a nectarine with me because they're out of season. But nectarine and peaches, 99% of tested peaches, had pesticide residues. Now, one peach sample, get ready for this, had up to 19 different pesticides on one peach. 19 different ones. Well, how about cherries? They're really easy to eat a lot quickly, and the sugar adds up fast. And sorry, they're loaded with pesticides. How about apples? It's a classic health halo food people never question, but they're loaded with herbicides and pesticides. Now, here's one that has just been added to the list, and it's a surprising one. Blackberries. I used to say blackberries were pretty safe, but people want blackberries. And of course, to produce them, most of the time they're sprayed with pesticides. How about pears? Well, the pesticide levels on pears have surged over time. The average residue amount doubled from 2010 to 2022. How about potatoes? I mean, for goodness sakes, they're underground, right? Well, sorry, potatoes are a starch bomb. They're a sugar bomb. But it doesn't matter what's already been sprayed on it. And remember, plants can absorb pesticides out of the ground. Finally, blueberries. You know, people think antioxidants, and they load up on them. But remember, modern blueberries are much sweeter than the older wild varieties, and they're part of the dirty dozen. So maybe it's all this healthy eating that women are well known to do, that the pesticides are actually what the big problem is. Add to a really monster dose of fructose in modern fruit, and finally, throw in some good old leaky gut by eating whole grains, and you have a recipe for cancer. All right, you're saying, but what if I buy organic? Won't that help? Yes, but one of the sad things is most organic fruits and vegetables also test positive for pesticide and herbicide residues. I mean, how can that be? They were raised organically. Remember, most pesticides and herbicides are sprayed from the air or sprayed from tractors. And air drift brings those herbicides and pesticides across into an organic field. And we see that all the time. I have a winemaker friend in Santa Barbara, Steve Beckman of Beckman Vineyards, who is a biodynamic organic winemaker. And he has a plot of land where he will not declare that it's organic. And I always go, well, why is that? He says, well, you see that vineyard right over there, they spray. And it drifts. No matter what I do on my land, I can't stop the drift from coming. So I can't certify it as organic. And believe me, a organic grower has to make money. And they can't stop people from spraying right next to them. So just because it's organic doesn't necessarily mean it's safe. Absolutely. It's probably got a lot less pesticide and herbicide residue than other products that are sprayed. But be careful about this organic halo. Plus, organic whole grains are still lectin bombs. Organic spinach is still a lectin bomb. A organic potato is still a lectin bomb. So just because it's organic doesn't mean it's actually healthy. Sadly, this whole health halo has really not been a good thing. Now, remember years ago, I made the statement, give fruit the boot. That doesn't mean fruit's bad for you. But remember long ago, we only ate fruit in season, which was a very short time period. And we use the sugar in fruit, believe it or not, to store fat for the winter, exactly like great apes. Now, something that might have been really good for us in a limited time period, loaded with antioxidants, loaded with polyphenols, now 365 days of the same food may be just the thing a cancer cell needs to get every day, to get the growth food that it needs. So, long story short, do your best. Try to buy organic. The good news of all of this, if something has a peel on it, for instance, like a tangerine, like an avocado, like a nut, then you're really pretty safe because you're going to remove the pesticides and herbicides that may have been sprayed on them. And the inside should be really good. So, takeaway, please ditch whole grains altogether and eat organic whenever possible. Peel whatever fruit you're eating, if you're going to eat fruit. And if it's on the dirty dozen list, just be careful that this chemical baggage that comes with food is probably doing you in. The dirty dozen is dirtier than you think. And particularly, my female patients, who are eating the healthiest, are being exposed, like never before, to all these cancer-causing ingredients.