If you’ve spent any time in the wellness world, you know the name Dr. Steven Gundry. He’s the guy who told everyone to stop eating beans and tomatoes because of "lectins." He’s a former world-class heart surgeon who pivoted to nutrition, and his credentials are, frankly, massive.
But there’s a specific question that pops up a lot in circles focused on longevity and blue zones: Is Dr. Steven Gundry a Seventh-day Adventist?
It makes sense why people ask. The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church is famous for its health-centric lifestyle. They’re basically the reason Loma Linda, California, is the only "Blue Zone" in the United States—a place where people live significantly longer than the average. Since Gundry spent a huge chunk of his career at Loma Linda University, people naturally assume he’s part of the flock.
The short answer? Dr. Steven Gundry is not a Seventh-day Adventist. However, the "long" answer is way more interesting. His life and career are so deeply intertwined with the SDA church that you can’t really understand his nutritional philosophy without looking at that connection. It’s a classic case of being "in the world but not of it."
The Loma Linda Connection
For about 16 years, Gundry was the head of cardiothoracic surgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center. If you don't know, Loma Linda is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It’s the epicenter of their health mission.
While he was there, he wasn't just some guy in the background. He was performing complex infant heart transplants and working alongside legendary surgeons like Leonard Bailey.
He lived in the heart of the SDA culture. He worked with Adventist doctors. He operated on Adventist patients.
What it’s like in the Blue Zone
Living in Loma Linda means being surrounded by people who view health as a spiritual duty. The SDA church officially promotes a vegetarian diet, avoiding "unclean" foods, and staying away from alcohol and tobacco.
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Gundry saw the results of this firsthand. He noticed that his Adventist patients generally recovered faster and had better outcomes than people coming in from the outside world. He has even mentioned in interviews that he spent years eating a "standard Seventh-day Adventist low-fat vegetarian diet."
Ironically, he says that diet didn't work for him personally. He was 70 pounds overweight despite following the "healthy" rules of the community.
Where He Diverges from the Church
This is where things get spicy. If you know anything about the Adventist diet, it’s heavy on whole grains and legumes. They love their beans. They love their brown rice.
Gundry’s entire brand, The Plant Paradox, is built on the idea that these exact foods—beans and grains—are actually "poisoning" us because of lectins.
It’s a massive theological and nutritional clash.
Imagine working at a university where the "gold standard" diet is a bean-heavy vegetarian lifestyle, and then you start telling everyone that beans are the enemy. That’s essentially what happened toward the end of his tenure there.
The "Big Ed" Turning Point
The story Gundry tells often involves a patient he calls "Big Ed." This guy was a total mess—overweight, clogged arteries, the works. But Ed managed to clear his own blockages using a weird mix of supplements and a specific diet.
This blew Gundry's mind. It was the catalyst that led him to leave his prestigious position at Loma Linda in 2002 to start his own practice.
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While the SDA church focuses on a "Garden of Eden" style diet (mostly plants), Gundry’s current recommendations are more "Paleo-adjacent" but with a heavy focus on specific fats like olive oil and avoiding certain plant proteins.
Common Misconceptions
People often confuse "being at Loma Linda" with "being an Adventist."
- Employment vs. Faith: You don't have to be a member of the church to work at the university, though most of the leadership is.
- The Vegan Label: Many Adventists are vegan or vegetarian. Gundry is often associated with plant-based living, but he actually eats animal protein (specifically wild-caught seafood and some pastured meats).
- The "SDA Biography" Confusion: If you search deep enough, you might find his name in the "SDA Biography File" at the Loma Linda library. This doesn't mean he's a church member; it's a historical record of people who significantly impacted the institution.
Why the Rumor Persists
Basically, Gundry speaks the "language" of the Adventists. He talks about longevity. He talks about the microbiome. He talks about living to 100.
He has a very "missionary" vibe to his teaching, which resonates with the religious background of his former employer. Plus, his brother, Robert H. Gundry, and other relatives are actually very famous biblical scholars. While Steven went the medical route, the family definitely has deep roots in academic theology and Christian circles—just not the Seventh-day Adventist branch.
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The Actionable Takeaway
Whether Dr. Gundry is an Adventist or not doesn't actually change the validity of his medical advice, but it does give you context. He developed his theories as a reaction to what he saw in the healthiest community in America.
If you're looking to apply his (or the SDA's) principles to your life, here’s how to navigate the middle ground:
- Focus on Longevity, Not Labels: You don't need to join a church or follow a strict "Paradox" to get healthy. Start by looking at the commonalities: both groups prioritize whole, unprocessed foods.
- Test, Don't Guess: Gundry often says "the proof is in the bloodwork." If you’re trying a lectin-free diet, get your inflammatory markers (like hs-CRP) tested.
- The Olive Oil Secret: Both the Blue Zones and Gundry agree on one thing: high-quality olive oil is a liquid gold. Aim for at least a couple of tablespoons a day.
- Pressure Cooking is Key: If you love your beans (like the Adventists) but are worried about lectins (like Gundry), use a pressure cooker. It neutralizes most of those pesky proteins.
By understanding that Gundry is a "product of Loma Linda" without being a member of the faith, you can see his work for what it is: an evolution of the longevity science that started in that small California town.
Check your own pantry for those high-lectin culprits like "whole wheat" bread or un-soaked beans. Try swapping them for pressure-cooked legumes or grain-free alternatives for two weeks and see if your "brain fog" or joint pain changes. Experience is often the best teacher.