Could a Vegan Diet Reverse Disease?

The creators of the documentary “What the Health” join The Doctors to debate the benefits and potential pitfalls of a vegan diet as it relates to diseases like diabetes.

About The Doctors:

The Doctors is an Emmy award-winning daytime talk show hosted by ER physician Dr. Travis Stork, plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon and OB-GYN Dr. Nita Landry.

The Doctors helps you understand the latest health headlines, such as the ice bucket challenge for ALS and the Ebola outbreak; delivers exclusive interviews with celebrities dealing with health issues, such as Lamar Odom, Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham, reality stars Honey Boo Boo and Mama June, and activist Chaz Bono; brings you debates about health and safety claims from agricultural company Monsanto and celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy; and shows you the latest gross viral videos and explains how you can avoid an emergency situation. The Doctors also features the News in 2:00 digest of the latest celebrity health news and The Doctors’ Prescription for simple steps to get active, combat stress, eat better and live healthier.

Now in its eighth season, The Doctors celebrity guests have included Academy Award Winners Sally Field, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Marcia Gay Harden, Kathy Bates and Marisa Tomei; reality stars from Teen Mom and The Real Housewives, as well as Kris Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner, Melissa Rivers, Sharon Osbourne, Tim Gunn and Amber Rose; actors Jessica Alba, Christina Applegate, Julie Bowen, Patricia Heaton, Chevy Chase, Kristin Davis, Lou Ferrigno, Harrison Ford, Grace Gealey, Cedric the Entertainer, Valerie Harper, Debra Messing, Chris O’Donnell, Betty White, Linda Gray, Fran Drescher, Emmy Rossum, Roseanne Barr, Valerie Bertinelli, Suzanne Somers; athletes Magic Johnson, Apolo Ohno and Danica Patrick; musicians Tim McGraw, Justin Bieber, Clint Black, LL Cool J, Nick Carter, Kristin Chenoweth, Paula Abdul, Gloria Gaynor, La Toya Jackson, Barry Manilow, Bret Michaels, Gene Simmons and Jordin Sparks; and celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Guy Fieri and Curtis Stone.

[abeedaa]

Never taking advice from the doctors on this panel ever again. Thank you Dr Garth Davis

[juXnchoDgX]

Dr. Garth Davis thank you (and Kip) for being the voice of science and reason, and for standing your ground. Your important message was clear and your evidence outclassed baseless, silly & unscientific arguments. Thank you for your advocacy. Your work helps people attain a true quality of life and benefits more people than you'll ever know. It's a shame the industry puppets on these shows have such a far-reaching platform.

[simstardust]

Sugar in an apple is different to sugar in pop tarts ....has anyone ever thought that the combination of overconsumption of meat mixed with refined sugar such as coke is the problem!

[searchingsoul]

It helped toward reversing my dad's diabetes, chest pain, valve closure. It's not reversed completely but drastically better.
He was on insulin. Even with insulin, his fasting sugars were 200+. He could not walk more than 2 laps around a kid park. A few yards and he was breathless.
They were telling him to get an angiogram, and the same day he would get a mitral valve replacement because he also has a murmur and the cardiologist using his experience (or his profit mindset) said that diabetics typically will fair better with a valve replacement anyway so might as well. My dad's body is not a car. We don't need to pull everything out because it's convenient or profitable for the cardiologist.

His cardiologist did not listen when I mentioned the studies and treatment suggestions. He basically wanted to open my dad up.
I am a doctor; my brother is too. However, I was the one that told my dad not to rush into surgery. With my dad finally listening to me, I worked with him for 6 months. In 6 months, he dropped his weight, most of his meds (He only takes metformin now.), he went from 2 tired laps to walking 10 miles DAILY, no huffing, no chest pains. 6 months....He also took vitamin supplements, which is always a good idea when switching to ANY diet. His face is glowing. He looks younger. And my dad talks about his journey now nonstop.

He prefers raw veggies more now. He does not consume sugary drinks or processed foods.
His main diet is steel-cut oats with cinnamon, veggies, sprouted beans in the noon, seasoned rice and beans in the evening. When his premeal sugars are in his 80s, he eats other foods like steamed chickpea flour pieces, tortillas, other processed vegan foods, fruit of his choice, etc... When he's given other foods he refuses to eat them because he recognizes that it was the poor food intake that got him into trouble in the first place. He self regulates for the most part. Yes, there is a situation with him eating tons of fruit....but I'd rather him sneak fruit than junk any day. He's 67. The surgery talk and the cardiologist's pressure to get it done really scared him shitless....

On the yearly cardiologist visit, the cardiologist had to note that his valve had opened ever so slightly.
And his internal medicine physician (internist) and team were really happy with the change.

It's been 2.5 years. It's sometimes up and down. My dad is stubborn and diabetics are notorious for not sticking well to a plan....
I'm looking for improvement, not perfection.
And we are getting there.

This is my personal anecdote.

One day I hope to practice medicine where I will be reversing disease, not just treating it and tossing medications at my patients.


To those out there, why not try? Try it out sincerely....I know my dad would be in an even better place if he was 100% sincere.
Don't lose hope with your conditions. There are all kinds of doctors. Some do not keep abreast with current info. But there are those, who do. Shop doctors. Speak up for yourself. Counter the doctor's statements (politely of course) but never be intimidated.
There are now many plant-based doctors, researchers, nurses and nutritionists available. Pick their brains. Life Medicine is also a new residency branch that pushes for lifestyle medicine versus just pills and tablets. Things are changing. The panelists will change....

[joeparker]

In the 60's there was a similar debate about smoking and cancer. Guess which side was attacked like this...(I help you, the one which claimed smoking is bad for you.) History repeats itself.

[GaryHighFruit]

Dr. Stork, Garth was not recommending people eat a high-sugar diet. ... but a high-carb diet, with a lot of whole grains and fruit. I've been eating like that on a vegan diet for 27 years. I'm 53 and in great health.

[beUtyista]

What!? The science shows a Whole Foods plant based diet is the way to go! One may be industry funded but all industry funded ones paid by the meat/diary/egg industry say they are healthy which other not funded says otherwise! Way to just be mean/unscientific and say but “vegan agenda though.”

[missiris]

People want good news about their bad habits😞

[veg]

"When a vegan knows your own study better than you do Mic the Vegan.

[SoniaAnastasiaaa]

I loved this video ! Veganism is the Future :)

[johnpaton]

"I have nothing against a vegan diet", umm what!! Yes you do your book sales!

[searchingsoul]

3:09 The whole idea is vegan is different from whole food plant-based DIET.
Vegan is an animal rights lifestyle choice.
And a diet is just a diet.
Vegans are both healthy and not healthy; having said that vegans however will be more healthy than the American Diet consumer counterparts as a whole.
Coming back to Travis's point, The documentary was advocating a WHOLE food plant-based diet, not a junk food diet.
Dr. Davis was never giving a blanket statement that all vegan diets are the same. So if that was never in the discussion, why did Travis feel compelled to bring in his "vegan unhealthy friends"? Was he putting words in Dr. Davis's mouth to then also try and rebuke?

[jenniferhckmn]

I’ve been vegan for over two years now and I am much healthier I feel better I don’t have any more aches and pains and I am 57 years old! I could never go back to eating meat and dairy! If I go back I know I will have nothing but aches and pains like before!

[JoJo-rgkt]

Does anyone know what industries fund this show??

[Meepmeeph]

Wait, so people who eat a standard diet don't eat junk food? Give me a break.

[haleylynn]

I'm vegetarian. And I agree with Dr. Travis when he said every vegan he knows just eats junk. I've had the same thing with every other vegetarian I've met. If you're gonna be vegetarian/vegan you have to actually eat healthy. Not just eat all the junk you want and think you're so much healthier because you just took meat out of the equation.

[Feeldealheal]

Did you just ask a personal trainer for health research? WHAT

[wolfieblackheart]

Processed food (both vegan and non vegan) is bad for you since it reduces the natural occurring nutrition and increases the poisonous artificial nutrition which has a 1/100 chance of making a small group of people really ill.
Whole foods are healthier because they don't have any (or at least very little) artificial chemicals in them that increases the chance of diseases in some way, and arguably in the whole foods department vegan food is on average 10x better for you than non vegan due to whole food meats having the possibility of pathogen transfer from cow/pig/ chicken etc to humans and also has a higher level of the nutrients we need in them per table spoon of food (ie cashews have 1.8g of protein per table spoon compared to 0.9g in meat) so the doctors panel and the guy live streaming don't have a fucking clue what they're talking about.
The food industry and media is feeding everyone lies about how "healthy" things are so you should look for yourself in the whole foods sections rather rely on people who don't actually care about your health as long as your trust in them lines their pockets with ill gotten cash.

[Shiroahlberg]

Be observed that the people in the video lashing out, being mad and shouting is more interested with their ego being right than actually wanting to help people being healthy. If everyone here wanting to improve their health should with an open mind listening to ALL science and not just one bias and after collecting enough data from every party decide for themselves what they believe in and execute on that. Second I recommend everyone to search information about the damaging effects of sugar and how it literally are changing peoples behavior, mental state and metabolic disease. All diets are healthy if you cut out prossesed food, sugar and everything unnatural. By eating mostly (or fully) plant based than change the level of fat, protein and carbs to fit your unique body! Don’t be to set in your way you actually miss out on other very valuable information 🧡

[pakau]

where is the part where garth davis calls him a liar ? so epic