Review: The Starch Solution
John A. McDougall, MD and Mary McDougall
There are so many WFPB diet programs to choose from. Who has time to read their way through a half-dozen or more books? So I thought it might be helpful if I reviewed some of the programs that I’m familiar with, so you could get an idea as to how each program works and get at least one opinion of its worth. I’m starting today with “The Starch Solution” by John McDougall. As I want to review the program as a whole, I may make mention of one or two things that are on his website but not in the book. Enjoy!
The Starch Solution: Book Review
A stroke at the young age of 18 was the catalyst that set Dr. John McDougall on the path to a career in medicine and a search for an answer to why the stroke happened in the first place, McDougall says in his book. It would take another seven years for McDougall to get the first clues leading to those answers.
On his website, drmcdougall.com, McDougall explains that he did his internship at a sugar plantation in Hawaii and he treated three generations of mainly Asian immigrants. He discovered an interesting pattern along the way. The older generation, he says, who had primarily stuck to the diet they ate back in their native land — rice, vegetables and fruit — remained active and healthy into their senior years. The next generation of workers, who followed a diet that combined Asian staples along with the richer foods of the Western diet had more chronic illnesses. The third generation, who ate almost exclusively a Western diet, were sicker still, according to McDougall.
This was Dr. McDougall’s aha moment that sent him on a path of years of study into the correlation between diet and health. It eventually led him to his conclusions about the important role starch plays in healthy eating. He shares his theories in his book, “The Starch Solution.”
The Program
“The Starch Solution,” written in 2012, is John McDougall’s whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) eating plan. It’s a vegan diet that revolves around eating starch. McDougall, author of 13 best-selling books, believes that humans were meant to live on a starch-based diet and not the animal-based diet that most Westerners eat today. He says that the healthiest nations around the globe, including most Asian nations, are starch-based eaters and you can trace this trend back 13,000 years to the Palaeolithic era.
McDougall discusses what he calls the “poisons” found in animal foods and the diseases they cause. He says changing to a starch-based diet can reverse the diseases that an animal-based diet often causes including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases. He also argues that along with the harm that animal foods are doing to human health, they are also destroying our environment.
In McDougall’s diet plan, he recommends meals consisting of between 50 and 70 percent starch, which he defines as including whole grains, potatoes, legumes and starchy vegetables. The remainder of the plate should be your non-starchy vegetables which includes your green leafy vegetables and those in the cruciferous family among others. Your fats will come from occasional and very limited amounts of nuts, seeds, avocado and unprocessed soy products like tofu and tempeh.
Animal products of any kind are completely off-limits, as are all oils and coconut products. Only the most minimally processed foods are permitted and they must stick to ingredients that are Starch Solution approved. Flour products are permitted in a limited fashion as long as they are made with completely whole-grain flours. Baked goods made with white flour should be reserved for special occasions only.
Salt is unlimited and sugar is allowed on a more limited basis. “these two highly pleasurable ingredients…along with a variety of spices, will increase your enjoyment of your foods and help you stick with “The Starch Solution” for a lifetime,” McDougall says.
Pros and Cons
“The Starch Solution” has several high points. It’s easy to follow since there is no calorie or carbohydrate counting involved. The 50/50 plate, or the alternative 70/30 plate, makes meal planning particularly easy.
Also beneficial are the optional alternative plans that can help with varying situations life throws at you. McDougall includes a maximum weight loss plan for those wanting to lose weight more rapidly and he created Mary’s Mini to act as a short-term reset for those situations where you need to get back on track. It also works well as a starting point for new WFPB eaters. Details can be found on his website, www.drmcdougall.com.
I also like that this eating plan is more SOS-friendly than some other popular WFPB diets. As mentioned previously, sugar is allowed in a limited fashion and salt can be used as much as you like.
There are, however, a couple of drawbacks to the plan. I think he’s a bit too tight on his restriction on fats when compared to other WFPB diets. According to the Cleveland Clinic, unsaturated fat in the diet is important in lowering the risk of heart disease or stroke, maintaining brain health, enhancing vitamin absorption and fighting inflammation. However, McDougall advises that you keep your fat consumption as low as possible. He’s not in favor of tofu or tempeh except in very limited amounts despite their being two of the best sources of vegan protein. He also won’t allow regular use of foods like nuts, seeds and avocados and places coconut products completely off limits.
The main theory that drives the “Starch Solution” is the idea that a starch-based diet is the healthiest diet humans can consume, but he has little to no scientific evidence to back this claim up. No medical studies are cited. His argument is completely backed up by anecdotal evidence found in archaeological and anthropological sources. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of this way of eating and don’t disagree with these principles, but compared to the other WFPB authors out there, McDougall does a weak job of supplying us with solid evidence to back up his claims.
Conclusion
I’m a big fan of the WFPB way of eating and “The Starch Solutions is one of the most popular diet plans out there. I like how easy it is to follow this plan due to McDougall’s 50/50 plate concept. Other WFPB diets focus on complicated recipes and weekly meal plans. McDougall also offers great options that allow you periodic resets for when life throws you off track as well as an accelerated plan to allow for faster weight loss. It’s also more relaxed than other plans when it comes to salt and sugar which makes the plan easier to stick to.
It does have a couple of drawbacks. It’s overly concerned with limiting the consumption of fat to the point where McDougall’s restrictions infringe on efforts to get proper protein in the diet. And while the diet is based on principles of WFPB eating that have been proven valid by scientific studies, McDougall’s specific claims as to the importance of basing the diet on starches are weakly supported.
In the end, the shortcomings take little away from the benefits of this eating plan as is evidenced by the fact that “The Starch Solution” is one of the best-selling vegan books on Amazon.com. I highly recommend this book and this way of eating. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend you check it out if you’re looking to give your diet a healthy makeover.
Look for reviews of other WFPB programs and other posts on WFPB eating here at wholefoodplantbest.medium.com. I post weekly and new book reviews will show up periodically.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a medical professional. The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making dietary changes or using any advice given here.