William Davis, MD, is a preventive cardiologist whose unique approach to diet allows him to advocate reversal, not just prevention, of heart disease.
He is the founder of the 
By way of introduction in this new blog, here’s a little bit about me:
If you want the usual “eat this to be heart-healthy” line, then don’t call me.
You won’t get any endorsements of new drugs for weight loss or cholesterol lowering, or gushing commentary on the newest defibrillator or heart transplant device from me. What you will get is plain talk about the largest dietary blunder ever made on an international scale: Cut your fat and eat more healthy whole grains.
There is a germ of truth in this whole grain disaster: Whole grains are indeed healthier than white flour products–just as filtered cigarettes are healthier than unfiltered cigarettes. So should you smoke more Salems in place of your Marlboros? I don’t think so!
Since 2004, I have served as Medical Director of the heart disease prevention and reversal program, Track Your Plaque, an international meeting-of-the-minds to generate a collective effort to find better solutions to the scourge of heart attack and heart disease. In an effort to assist people, as well as my patients, reduce blood sugar–high in over 80% of people nowadays–I asked them to eliminate wheat, including whole grain products, based on the simple fact that wheat products increase blood sugar more than nearly all other foods. The unexpected result: Incredible weight loss; relief from acid reflux and the gas, cramping, and diarrhea of irritable bowel syndrome; increased energy, more stable moods, and deeper sleep; relief from arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis; dramatically improved cholesterol values; reduced blood pressure and inflammatory measures, and on and on. It became clear that this was no coincidence. This was real. And it was all due to eliminating this thing being sold to us called wheat.
‘Cause it ain’t wheat. It’s this stocky little high-yield plant, a distant relative of the wheat our mothers used to bake muffins, but genetically and biochemically lightyears removed from the wheat of just 40 years ago. We have geneticists and agribusiness to thank for this transformation from 4 1/2-foot tall “amber waves of grain” to the 2-foot tall semi-dwarf genetic variant now sold to us in the guise of “healthy whole grains.”
The unexpected results I witnessed in my heart disease prevention program led me to believe that these observations applied to more than my patients and online following. This was a widespread societal problem. It became clear that “wheat” consumption was responsible for an incredible amount of the human illness, obesity, and suffering we are all witnessing on an unprecedented scale. So I wrote Wheat Belly.
So Wheat Belly represents the distilled experience and lessons I’ve learned over these last several years, lessons learned by accident in my quest to help solve the dilemma of heart disease. And, by the way, I hardly ever see any heart attacks any more.
I am a 1985 graduate of the St. Louis University School of Medicine and the Ohio State University Hospitals for training in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases. I even trained in advanced cardiac catheterization techniques and coronary angioplasty in the Case-Western Reserve University system in Cleveland, Ohio. But I’ve essentially left that training in the dust of new-lessons-learned, including this incredible wheat-free world I’ve stumbled into.
I practice preventive cardiology–hardly a stent in sight!–in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I base my practice, writing career, blogging and other activities. I live with my beautiful and triathlon-crazed wife, Dawn; my University of Wisconsin-Madison attending son, Bill; my professional tennis player daughter, Lauren; my still-figuring-out-what-to-do-with-his-life 13-year old, Jacob; and my two unruly and barely tame Boston terriers. And, no, there are no bran muffins or pretzels in the cupboard.
I’m a personal trainer in the South Florida area. Just read your introduction and welcome you to the world of ‘Truth In Fitness’. Looking forward to reading the info you share and educating my clients to how we began a slow de-evolutionary slide beginning about 10,000 yrs. ago when some lazy hunter-gatherer said, “I’d rather watch Oprah than go out today and kill a mastodon! Let me drop this seed in the ground, grab a cold one, and see what happens!”
It’s been down hill from there!
Thanks!
Michael
I love it! A “slow de-evolutionary slide.” That’s wonderful!
What breads, if any, are healthy and safe to eat?
Grain-free nutbreads are relatively healthful compared to grain products. Whether they are safe depends on your individual context. Ultimately, I found it easier to change my habits than to look for substitutes.
As more and more people are becoming aware of problems with gluten there seems to be some speculation as to whether it is really an issue at all for most of us. Recently I watched a television program where a medical doctor advised an underweight woman to try eating everything, including wheat, so that she could gain weight. He didn’t believe her food sensitivities to wheat and dairy were real. (She was only eating 1300 calories per day. It seems to me if she had eaten more calories even without the wheat and dairy she could have gained weight.) Then just this week I heard the CEO of a local company in the baking industry express dismay at the number of questions received about if and when the company would be making any gluten free products. The CEO compared the gluten free movement to the lowfat/Snackwell movement that was thought to make people gain weight rather than lose and even defended the use of corn sweetener as much less expensive than cane sugar since “who is so discerning as to be able to tell the difference?” Anyone can understand the economics of the bakery industry trying to make a profit in high volume sales using less expensive easily available ingredients. That is what got us into this mess in the first place. I guess it should not be a surprise that people want to defend the use of corn sweetener and “wheat” used in most bakery products on the market today. To question the personal choice to live a gluten free diet is harder to understand. I think gluten sensitivity is real, and I think it is due to the changes made to the original grain and to the addition of even more gluten to bakery products. Anyone with a chronic illness may even benefit from a gluten free diet, if they are brave enough to give up something that is apparently sacred to some people. I mean how important is health anyway? Surely giving up wheat to find a possibly remedy is a small price to pay.
I had to get all of that off my chest. Wheat is ever present and it is sometimes hard to stay away from it in an environment where people are implying gluten sensitivities may not be real. I know they are real because I have symptoms when I eat gluten.
Wheat has such a strong hold on a lot of people. It took me about ten years from the time I first read about a wheat free diet until I gave up gluten entirely.
Dr. Davis, I have read most everything you have written but I don’t recall you mentioning when you first began to think wheat was a problem. Was there a lightbulb moment? Did you experience resistance from your family, friends and colleagues?
Hi, Carolyn–
I came at this little by little. What finally made me realize what an incredible issue this was came when I began to see just how much people improved overall health, not just lost weight and corrected the causes of heart disease, but multiple facets of health when they eliminated all wheat products.
Up until then, I had a hard time accepting that wheat could be such an incredible and overlooked problem. Celiac is really just the tip of the iceberg.
I’m going to take the opposite stand of the CEO you quoted: I believe this will go down as one of the most incredible blunders made by Big Food, agribusiness, and geneticists, aided and abetted by the USDA and other agencies, ever made in the history of human life. This is a BIG mistake.
Writing Wheat Belly was a chance to put all of the evidence down in one place. Plenty more to come!
I just read about this diet in women’s day magazine. I’m going to try it. I do Yoga every morning and eat organic and healthly but my I need to lose about 30 lbs. The scale is stuck at 158! I’m only 5′ 3” tall ~ age 59. Overall I’m healthy but getting the weight off is very tough ~ hope this works. If It does I’ll be back for a testimonial.
Hi, Paula–
Please do come back with your story! And pictures, if you’d like–and are that confident of your results.
Dear Dr. Davis;
I had already come to believe that wheat was the problem in my not being able to lose wt. However, I did not think the problem was wheat but gluten. I have been fighting wt and dieting for 40 yrs. I am 71 years old and weigh 288lbs down from 315 so you can see this is a serious problem. I was at Mayo Clinic in 2000. At that time I was healthy and had no plac in my arteries. The cardiologist told me I should not be as old as I was and as healthy as I was at the wt I was. Today I am pre diabetic and taking a low dose of atenalol for high blood pressure. I have to find away to lose the wt.
I have dieted( eaten healthy ) to not gain more wt. but I have had little success in losing wt until I gave up most wheat two months ago. Now I know Ezekial bread is still wheat. Thank you your book which I have ordered it is an answer to prayer. As I age the wt is a real problem for me and I must lose it. Thank you so much.
Carole
Hi, Carole-
I’m sorry that you had to zigzag so long before you found the real answer. I had to go through a similar process, suffering all manner of health problems until the solution became clear: a 100% wheat-free diet!
Thank you. I have shared with my whole family. Those of us with weight problems assumed it was gluten.
This is truly a fantastic break through. My husband is having a little problem as he loves crackers and bread but he to sounds committed to eliminating the wheat. He never gets more than 30 lbs over wt. This has been a real blessing to our whole family. We have one daughter that is so bothered by gluten she has given up wheat. She lost the few pounds she had to lose and has no weight problem. The rest of us are getting the wheat out of our diet.. Thanks again. Will let you know how I do on my wheat free journey.
Hi, Carole–
Please be sure you do!
And it’s not just the gluten; it’s the other components of this product of genetics research being sold to us called “wheat.”
Hey there. I too am attempting (I say attempting because I’m WEAK when it comes to diets…thanks to years of eating bad) the diet listed in Woman’s World. I weigh about 180 pounds and I’m 5’2” so you can imagine that I’m pretty fat.
Anyway, I’m getting ready to start my life with boyfriend in terms of engagement, and I want to have a healthy lifestyle for him and for our kids when we have them. The recipes are awesome in the magazine, but there are only two or three for breakfast and lunch. Do you have a list of other recipes we can chose from, or perhaps could you list some more, so we don’t get tired of the same thing over and over? Thanks so much, crossing my fingers that this works, and I will be back to let you know how it goes!
-Katie
Hi, Katie–
There’s a menu plan as well as recipes in the Wheat Belly book. The Rodale.com people will be augmenting this, as will I in this blog over time.
I had chocolate chip cookies for breakfast this morning that I dipped into coffee, along with a handful of blueberries. Can’t beat that!
Hi Katie,
I had to reply to your post because you sound a lot like me. I am 5’1″ and last Christmas I weighed 175 pounds. I have never been that heavy and since I had my two sons (7 & 4 yrs. old now) I have stayed above 150 and never been able to (or motivated to) get back down into the 130′s, my pre-pregnancy weight.
Last January I became so disgusted with myself and that I decided to try to do something radical. (To be fair, I did try Weight Watchers for about 3 months and lost about 17 lbs. But then I began to plateau, and after searching around I found the Dukan diet. I’ve been on that since mid-May and I currently weigh in at 135. The Dukan diet (not sure what you may already know) is pretty similar to wheat belly in the sense that you eliminate carbs and sugar. Fat-free dairy is allowed, but that is not too exciting. As I’m reading Wheat Belly I am becoming more and more convinced that it is a healthier way to regulate and lose the weight. I am seriously considering switching over to wheat belly to lose the last 10 pounds. I’m excited to eat things like avocado, nuts, cheeses, etc. that are not allowed on the Dukan diet.
I hope you post again and let us know how it goes if you try the wheat belly diet. I will do the same! Good luck!
Oh and dinner, too. Sorry.
I am heading out to looke for the book after reading the article in Women’s Day. I understand the diet is wheat free is also sugar free? I would like to start right away but want to make sure I understand the concept first. I look like the picture on the far right so I can’t wait to see if this works. I also take Synthroid and a very high dose hopefully this will work for me. I will keep you posted. Off to check out Celiac.org
Thank you,
Connie
Hi, Connie–
Yes, wheat-free first; limited carbohydrate second.
This is because the majority of Americans are pre-diabetic or diabetic, or what I call pre-pre-diabetic. That’s nearly 100% of the population. You unwind these abnormal metabolic states by 1) cutting out wheat, then 2) limiting carbohydrates.
I just ordered your book after reading about it in Woman’s World. Gluten free cooking is nothing new to me as my son was diagnosed 2 years ago at age 16 with Multiple Sclerosis. After much research, we decided that a gluten free diet is better for him. Have you had any experience with patients with MS on a gluten free diet?
I, on the other hand, continued to eat my pasta, double fiber bread, etc. After reading the article, I decided to try gluten free and not just cook that way for him. I had been experiencing joint pain after sitting for a short time and a tremendous amount of pain in my feet at night and upon awaking. This would go away after about a dozen steps, but it was painful. I started eating gluten free on Monday, August 29th. By Thursday, I noticed less pain upon getting up from my desk and then by Saturday, I realized that my feet didn’t hurt! I don’t ache like I used to. And, as a bonus, I am down 6 pounds!
I mentioned these improvements in my health to an older gentleman that came in my office that has had joint pain and difficulty walking for as long as I have known him. I could tell by his demeanor that he has absolutely no interest in changing anything. If people would only try this for a couple weeks, they could change their lives dramatically! With the reading I have done since my son’s diagnosis, I have learned a great deal about nutrition. Thinking sure has changed since I took nutrition in college in 1981!
I use an analogy when discussing diet that gets people thinking. I ask them if they would put diesel in their gas tank or sand in the oil of their car. “Of course not!” is their response. My response is “Then why do you do it to your body with the chemicals and garbage that is in many foods?”
Hi, Christine–
Great analogy. Yes, it can be a tough hurdle convincing some people that wheat has been their health problem all along and, no, we cannot trust the advice provided to us by the advocacy group for agribusiness, aka the USDA.
Sorry, no experience and, to my knowledge, no data on MS and wheat elimination. However, my experience has been that, despite lack of formal data, there tends to be improvements in so many spheres of health, that it is worth doing anyway. I wish I knew this when you and I were young; I believe our current health would be better. But better late than never!
I think you are on to something here! It may not be the entire answer but it is a big part of it! I’m skeptical about corn, too. What are they doing to that crop? Maybe rice as well…… Any opportunity agribusiness has to make a profit you know they will! What is the difference between gluten free and wheat free? I have experimented with rice bran pasta and nut-flour breads. What do you think about substituting those items? It is hard to know what crops have been messed with and what crops are still produced the way the Creator intended.
I was recently diagnosed with diverticulitis. My doctor said to cut out nuts and seeds which are allowed on the Wheat Belly diet. I looked through your book and blogs to see if this condition was addressed. What do you suggest?
I to just read your weight loss article in Women’s World. I am going to try this as I to am overweight, if i could shed 50-70 lbs I know i would feel much better. I have been diagnosed with diabetes but have not had to go on any medication as of yet, still trying to control with diet. My blood sugers run high and drop fast if i dont have any carbs. Eating the omelet for breakfast i can do but by noon i would start feeling the effects of low bloodsuger .What do you suggest I eat to keep my blood suger up so i dont plunge? I start feeling the effects of low blood suger between 90-100. Maybe the real question is what carbs can i eat that don’t contatin wheat? Does your book walk through the steps when someone has diabetes.
I have been wheat-free for 9 days after reading the article in Woman’s Day (which I NEVER pick up — don’t know why it struck me that day to read it). I cannot believe the PROFOUND DIFFERENCE in my life.
I have spent 43 years in the throws of what I will call a “food addiction” problem. The CONSTANT fight to win the battle of not -eating too much, not-eating the wrong foods, not eating, exercising more, etc. has taken a toll on my life and is time wasted I can never get back. But my husband described this best when he said “it’s like you’ve been a wheelchair and can walk aga.” Cravings have been ELIMINATED. I mean COMPLETELY ELIMINATED. The ability to recognize ACTUAL HUNGER is so foreign to me that when, in the past eight days, it happened, my husband and I were GIDDY. I actually KNOW when I am hungry. I have NEVER KNOWN what hunger felt like.
PERFECT EXAMPLE: We were at a ballgame and there were few options available and I was, as my husband, GENUINELY hungry. So I ordered a sauage and peppers without the bun and the fries that came with it. Now, I have NEVER EVER EVER LEFT FRIES on a plate and called them a “trigger food” for me for years. But, with out the wheat trigger in my life, I easily knew when I was full and, lo and behold, half the fries were left. Now I am not saying I’ve replaced bread with french fries, I am eating plenty of vegetables, lean meats, brown rice and healthy choices, but when I was in a situation where real genuine hunger and limited choices made a poorer choice the only option — without WHEAT, I was able to eat like a NORMAL human being. I have NEVER had that ability!!!!!!
Oh — and i’ve lost eight pounds in the eight days.
Dr. Davis — have you ever had any long-term “food paralytics” — who have been trapped by an inability to manage food issues experience such dramatic changes? Can you put them together in a support group somewhere.
And I am just 8 days in , so I am not a success story yet, but if this keeps up, I will endorse your books as the solution for MANY,MANY people!!!
Hi and thanks so much for the book. Just bought it today and can’t put it down. Question, a friend says that if I don’t have celiac disease that I shouldn’t cut out whole grains, including whole wheat. Also, I’m confused about yeast free, low carb and wheat free. I’m a fairly intelligent person who doesn’t know how to feed herself!!! Thanks so much.
Hi, Susan–
By the time you finish the book, I believe all your questions will be answered. You will begin to appreciate the absolute folly of the advice to not eliminate “healthy whole grains.” There are a number of recipes at the end of the book, along with advice to get you started on your healthy wheat-free adventure!
Dr. Davis. I just finished your book and thought it was awesome. I have been telling my kids, husband, mom and co-workers all the important information I got from it. I want everyone I love to read this book! I have been on and off of low carb (no bread or pasta) diets before and have decided to stick with a low carb LIFESTYLE from now on! No more DIETS. No more Wheat is the way to go.
Thank you so much for all your hard work and research. I will contiue to praise you and your book until I get everyone in my life to give up the wheat!
Olga
Thank you, Olga!
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Dr Davis:
Just finished reading your book and wrote what I belive to be the first Swedish review of it here:
http://www.lchf.se/Bloggar/Blogg/tabid/83/EntryId/8095/Wheat-Belly-Arets-viktigaste-Low-Carb-bok.aspx
Here it is in a Google translation (as always bringing intresting translations)
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=sv&sl=sv&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lchf.se%2FBloggar%2FBlogg%2Ftabid%2F83%2FEntryId%2F8095%2FWheat-Belly-Arets-viktigaste-Low-Carb-bok.aspx
I love the book!!! It´s the best since Taubes GCBC. The only thing I wish for would be more info on all the other ugly things in weat as wheat lectin and phytic acid and their effect on human health.
/Per W
Thank you, Per! Very nicely done.
I chose to limit some of the discussion. I’ve seen that some criticisms point towards some of the technical discussions that some have found a bit much even as it stands now. No doubt: Lectins are bad, too.
The difficulty with lectins is that, while there are sufficient data to show they are indeed a harmful component of wheat, there has been next to no analysis on the effect of specific removal. I suspect they may underlie much of the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts effect,” i.e., the benefits of wheat elimination are greater than the expected effect of each undesirable component.
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Are there any journal articles backing these observations that I could look over? It’s hard to get a feel for the validity of claims when they’re not backed empirically.
Brandon, Dr. Davis includes an extensive bibliography in the back of his book. I, myself am on the way to my endicrinologist’s office to report in after 2 months wheat free. I have lost 15 lbs, but more to the point, there have been 30 days in that 2 month period that I did not take any morning insulin. This is huge for me…as my endicrinologist said, “Try it for 2 months. It can’t hurt you to go wheat free. We’ll look at your blood sugar counts then and if you get good results, I may use this for other patients.” My blood sugar has never been so stable. I’m taking a copy of the book to him today. I’m sure he will be very pleased with not only my blood sugar counts but my lower blood pressure numbers. There is a lot of evidence for this.
Ricki, thanks for the reply. Obviously I’m all in favor of people rolling with whatever diet’s working well for them, and I’m glad to hear this is working well for you!
That said, anecdotes, even strong ones, aren’t the same thing as data, and I’m interested whether there’s a body of peer-reviewed literature to back the idea that wheat’s automatically terrible for someone. More specifically, I’m curious about the claim that modern wheat is worse for someone than ancient wheat; in the writeup above it mentions geneticists and agribusiness, but doesn’t say anything at all about what, biochemically, is different about the composition of modern wheat.
I probably sound a bit confrontational and skeptical, although that’s not strictly my intention. I’m just a bit dubious of claims that aren’t backed by scientific studies; perhaps this is, but I’d like to see the science.
Just watched Dr. Davis on FOX News and I’m now totally confused. Recently I changed my eating habits to drinking green smoothies and lots of vegetables and brown rice. I went to the doctor and had gained 7 lbs. I have a hypo-thyroid and blame the weight gain on my thyroid condition. Now I don’t know how to eat healthy and lose weight. I weigh well over 200 lbs gained about 40 lbs in the last 5 years. I can not lose the weight no matter what I do. Walking twice a day, riding bike, drinking only water. I feel like simply giving up and just eating what I want… discouraged.
Mary!
Please don’t give up! Go here and read up on Hypothyroid issues: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com
In regards to your comment in Macleans magazine, “dieticians tell people to graze throughout the day which is just nonsense”. I’m assuming in your book you address glycemic load, the impact of an entire meal on the blood glucose level. Dieticians never advocate people to only eat carbohydrate foods through out the day. Eating meals or snacks that include protein, healthy fat and fibre every 4-6 hours for slow release energy to promote stable blood glucose levels is what we recommend. People who eat more fibre tend to weigh less. Weight gain is a complex issue for each individual, there is no one solution that will work for everyone.
Dear Dr. Davis,
I saw your Fox interview this morning and find what you are saying so damn refreshing to hear! I call myself the original Celiac patient. I was diagnosed with Celiac in 1963 at one year old. They thought I had Cystic Fibrosis and was near death. As one last effort the doctor stripped me down naked and placed me in a plastic bag to my neck. They tested my sweat and that is how they discovered I had celiac and was put on a wheat free diet. For years my mother fed me white bread not realizing that this was just as bad. I have shirtless photos of me as child and my poor belly looked like I was a kid from sub Sahara Africa. Bloated like a basketball. I am now fifty years old and have not eaten flower for the past 35 years. I could be your poster child. Today, I am six feet tall, have all my thick blond hair, weight 165 pounds with washboard abbs. I run five miles EVERYDAY and lift weights twice a week. I have been telling people for years that wheat and flower in general should be a four letter word.
I wish you all the success with your book.
After all, if wheat’s bad for someone with celiac disease, it must be bad for everyone. That definitely makes sense and is an entirely cogent position.
Dr. Davis
Thank you so much for your book. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease three years ago. I was so sick I easily stopped eating gluten. I read everything I could find and learned about gluten free products. That sounded good to me. I quickly gained twenty pounds. I became frustrated because I could not understand what was happening. Thank you for explaining the why. Also your explanation of how wheat has changed over the years was eye opening.
I do have a question. I found out about four years before my Celiac diagnosis that I have Interstitial Cystitis. I am thinking the undiagnosed Celiac led to the IC. Does this sound possible?
Thanks You
Denise
Please understand when I said undiagnosed Celiac what I mean is I believe I had Celiac disease then but was mostly symptom free except for unexplained stomach upset at times. After my IC diagnosis I was diagnosed with thyroid disease and later had my gallbladder removed and then the Celiac Disease was diagnosed. In your book you talk about Celiac and autoimmune diseases that is why I am wondering if it is all related.
Thanks so much
Denise
I have been my own human guinnea pig for years on various ways to eat. I am able to maintain a healthy weight no matter what I eat, simply because I don’t eat past the point of satiety, and I exercise often. But that’s not the point. I cannot very easily maintain a flat belly, have high energy, sleep as well at night, or think as clearly when I eat wheat. So, I don’t. When I tell this to people, they seem confused, as if FEELING GOOD isn’t important, as long as you look good. Wow. We’ve really lost our way.
As a holistic health coach, (who looks like she might know a thing or two about health and fitness), I am often asked for weight loss advice. When I say, “First, take out the wheat”, they look at me like I’m nuts. And then the inevitable question: “Even the WHOLE wheat?” And usually, this is followed by telling me about some advice they got from their doctor, about how whole grains are important with every meal (especially the Type II Diabetics, which boggles my brain, really.)
I have grown tired of defending this “no wheat” approach, so it is nice to have a reference such ad your book. I love the title, because that is exactly where wheat ends up….in the bloated bellies of people who mistakenly think they are eating healthy. When someone says, “I’ve tried everything, and I can’t lose weight…” that’s where your book comes in. “Everything” means giving up the wheat, once and for all.
Thank you, Dr. Davis!!
Thanks, Laura.
Isn’t it incredible that so many of us have zigzagged to the same conclusion, each following our own unique paths? But the solution is the same: Elimination of this corrupt product of the geneticists called “wheat.”
Personally, I’ve been Paleo for nearly a year and have suffered no loss of energy, strength, mental faculties, etc. from abstaining from grains & rice; although I do eat more sweet potatoes – which are a whole lot more tasty anyway.
As far as I’m aware, other than gazelles eating the occasional bit of wild wheat, no mammals, and certainly no other primates, have wheat as a natural part of their diet.
However, my wife, who is Type II diabetic, and gave up almost all sugar (cookies etc.) as soon as she was diagnosed, cannot make the mental leap to recognise that wheat is “Public Enemy #2″.
Fortunately I do the cooking most evenings, so I have control over what type and how much carbohydrate she eats, but during the rest of the day it’s a different story. She has a bowl of (a well known brand of) wheat-based, sugar free, muesli for breakfast. For lunch she has whole grain sandwiches (with very little protein in); and then most days she has significant blood sugar low in the early afternoon. Yet she refuses to accept that there is a link. Even if at the weekend I gave her something Paleo for breakfast, and she has a salad (with no bread) for lunch, and experiences no lows whatsoever, she will argue that it’s probably due to not suffering the daily stresses of running a school Monday to Friday!
I don’t expect her to convert to Paleo, but it would be great if I could just help her break her wheat addiction (then I have to try convince the kids). Perhaps, 3rd party evidence on this site will help swing the debate.
Hi, Simon–
That is precisely what it sounds like: wheat addiction.
Wheat’s hold over your wife’s emotional and impulse control is preventing her from seeing the obvious. How about a week-long romantic getaway to a resort that makes wheat-free an easy and tasty option? That way, the withdrawal process can be as painless as possible. She might not fully enjoy the getaway while suffering the throes of wheat withdrawal, but she will emerge a new, and potentially non-diabetic, woman.
Genetically Altered Foods:
Dr. Davis, I watched your interview on Fox and Friends earlier this week. It was interesting to me because my doctor said a year ago that I had a borderline allergy to wheat. Lately, she described it as a sensitivity. She said I might feel better if I cut most wheat out of my diet, that is, any obvious source. She was right. I notice less bloating in my belly and abdomen after meals. I used to feel like every meal, even a small one, was a Thanksgiving Feast! I also felt sleepy and tired after eating. Now I’ve notice that I don’t fall asleep after meals.
I’m sure there are more foods that I’ve been consuming, such as soy sauce, that contain hidden wheat. I’ve not lost any weight since I’ve only casually taken wheat out of my diet. I’m hoping that after a “Radical Wheat-ectomy” I can take off some of this belly fat that both my parents and 3 out of 4 of my sisters also carry. I play a lot of competitive league tennis and I am still carrying around 30-40 extra pounds. That’s like trying to run around with 2 or 3 bowling balls strapped to your body! I never cheat on this diet if I expect to play a match within 24 hours. (Well, at least not intentionally.)
I purchased a copy of your new book immediately after seeing you on TV. I’m in the process of reading it now, but haven’t completed it yet. As I’ve been reading about genetically altered wheat it begs the questions: “Isn’t it possible that most of our commercially farmed foods are genetically altered?” and, “What’s this doing to us? What foods are safe to eat?” In “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan there are very disturbing stories about corn and beef, for example. It doesn’t seem enough to eat organic or simple, unprocessed foods, since you make the point, that the seeds they grow from can be genetically transformed.
It didn’t take me long to decide to change my eating habits entirely rather than try to substitute “gluten-free” foods. Most of them taste bad and are poor substitutes. So, what is left to eat? Please, don’t let it be celery and leafy greens, I may end up living on nuts and berries if that’s the case!
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Dr. Davis,
I have or had Rheumatoid Arthritis for many years (8-10 yr) and used an antibiotic protocol therapy outlined at the Road Back Foundation, which did concur the arthritis, but left joint pain in its wake. After 7 days of the wheat free diet, no pain. I, however, have one complaint/comment on your book. You spend many many pages outlining how bad wheat and all its variations are for a human being (and I’ve no argument there) but then you mention in your recipes that people should use Splenda as a substitute sweetener. I therefore assume you do not have any idea just how toxic a poison Splenda is. So I’m advising you not to recommend to your clients or internet “clients” using Splenda. If you Google it you’ll see of what I speak….HFCS and Splenda and all ose sugars are poisons to the body…better to use Xylitol. TruVia is not much better than Splenda in its ability to pass through the blood brain barrier. Personally, I just dropped sugar from all my meals/foods and was amazed with just that alone how the inflammation decreased. I am a firm believer in your book and the hazards of wheat. Thanks to you I’d have never known how bad it was!
Noted, Tiffany.
If I had a choice, I would use stevia. I have to differ on the Truvia issue. My experiences have been favorable and benign; I’ve not had any adverse experiences noted by the people using it.
Splenda, not the kind with maltodextrin, has been fairly benign in most people, though an occasional person has demonstrated peculiar effects. This stands in contrast to the really weird effects of aspartame. The single rat study on the effects of sucralose on bowel flora needs to be better explored before we accept this as fact.
Dr. Davis,
i just read your article in Life Extension and will get your book. I have been eating gluten/wheat free for over a year. How do you feel about all the other gluten free whole grains such as quinoa, millet, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, etc? Are they genetically modified? You mainly speak of “wheat”, but I am wondering about all the other grains? Are they still healthy for us and alright to eat?
Hi Dr. Davis,
I am a high school student interested in health subjects. Today, I came across your profound discovery of wheat’s connection to health and weight loss. It is intresting and agreeable that wheat may have been modified over the years and that has had an affect on us in an unknowingly manner that many of us are not aware of. Examining the theory, I agree that wheat can be the solution to weight loss; however, (I came across a question) if we decide to not consume wheat, then where would we get all the proteins and nutrients that we essentially receive from wheat? Thank your for your time.
Sincerely,
Kush Patel
Hi, Kush–
The notion that wheat is somehow necessary for fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is pure fiction. In addition to the arguments made in the book, I will be picking this apart nutrient by nutrient in future blog posts, e.g., iron, selenium, thiamine, riboflavin, folates, fiber, etc. to show that you can match or exceed wheat as a source in every case.
Dr. Davis
I listen to all my books while I am working out. So, I am a huge fan of Audible.com, where I purchased your book. From that source it does not come with the CD or recipes. Is it possible to get this information?
My husband and I have been wheat free for a week now. Not a huge jump for us as we do not generally eat processed foods but my husband loves his toast. Once I found a new bread source (Bob’s Red Mill and Udi’s) we are on our way. Thank you for all the great information.
Thank you,
Chelea
HELLO Dr Davis
i have been dealing with my own health issues for at least 10 years and so have been wheat free for most of those years. recently my health has improved to the point where i now occasionally will eat wheat, especially when out socially with friends or when really time stressed for work etc.. i find that i have a number of reactions or sensitivities to wheat when i do eat it. bloating, lightheadedness and joint pain the most apparent. however the thing that is interesting for me is that this past summer i spent 8 weeks in europe. while there i decided to just enjoy the food and the cultural experience, consequently i ate more way more wheat than i normally do. i did not react in any way that i could tell. i spoke to my naturopath wondering whether the fact that wheat is not allowed to be bleached with chlorine in europe may have an impact or perhaps the wheat in europe has not been modified in the same way as in north america. any thoughts
billy
Hi, Billy–
Wow. Your name made me do a double take!
Hard to say. However, I’d be skeptical that it was just the lack of a chlorine bleaching agent to account for the differences. It might be that you are reacting immunologically to a specific group of strains grown in North America, but not to the strains you got exposed to in Europe. Just a guess and tough to prove.
My concern: There are so many reactions to the components of wheat that do not reach consciousness that I’d still be leery, conscious effect or no.
Hello Dr. Davis,
I read of your book ‘Wheat Belly’ in a woman’s magazine and was intrigued by the concept of wheat being a multi health hazard as well as attributing to a bloated belly. For ten years I have suffered from acid reflux, it has truly been a scourge with no relief except from over-the-counter antacids and some very expensive precription drugs —these did nothing but mask the problem — nothing else. I read the article and went off wheat immediately. From that day I no longer have acid reflux. I can’t begin to tell you what a great relief it is — no more bottles of antacids everywhere, able now to lie down at night without the burning discomfort. I also have a gall-bladder problem so I have high hopes the absence of wheat will prove a remedy for that as well.
Thanks so much for alerting everyone. Now we know just how dangerous these genetically modified foods are to our health. I for one am very grateful to you and can’t wait to get my hands on that book.
Thank you again,
Sheila Hamann
Hi Dr Davis, I just heard you on a radio CBC talk show. You have some very interesting ideas that will really shake things up as they become more widely heard. You have hit on a very sensitive issue of obesity in the North America and what is causing it. I grew up in Saskatchewan Canada in the sixties and seventies and growing wheat is the biggest indusry on the praries and the basis of the whole farm family life. The high school I went to organized the students into houses for pep rallies and student support and these were named after different strains of wheat that had been “invented” in the fifties with such names as Fife , Marquis and Selkirk etc. There was a lot of research done in those days at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon on developing strains of wheat and other grains that were resistant to molds, rusts, diseases and that also increased yields. Some kinds of wheat like durman were also improved used exclusively for pasta. We all ate a lot of Bread, and pasta made from local wheat and no one was fat in those days in the seventies and if you go back there today you still don’t see a lot of obesity though it has increased. The wheat of the praries was exported to the whole world. If you go to Russia today where they grow a lot of wheat and even places like Italy and France where they also eat a lot of Bread and pasta you don’t see a lot of fat people. Even Australia and Britain seem to not have the same obesity problems as the US in spite of a meat pie , fish and chips culture who also eat a lot of bread.
The obesity problem and all of its health prblems seems to be centered in the US. It is so visible there just walking down the street of any large US city. Yes it is an epidemic and it seems to be spreading to the rest of the world also but is this because of the US fast food and culture becoming exported also?
My point is that if the consumption of altered wheat strains in the cause of obesity, why then does not the rest of the world have the same problems with eating wheat products that the US has, based on your conclusions? Why also just single out wheat, what about other grains, what about other altered foods such as tomatoes, fruit and other vegetables that have also had their genes modified.
I am in my fifies and have noticed portion sizes in restaurants in the US are double what they were 30 years ago, soda is consumed by many children and adults as their primary source of fluid full of carmalized corn syrup and sugar. People eat out more and only have highly refined high fat food availalbe in these worsening economic times that they can afford. Few of us do any strenuous manual work anymore and must use our leisure time to exercise to stay healthy if we don’t already spend it in sedentary computer related activity.
To conclude that it is just the wheat that is the problem seems to be simple a conclusion that appears to give a lot of people false hope as the cure for their health problems, although you certainly have some great ideas about watching out for the franken foods and will help people to start to question what else is wrong with the food supply . I hope to hear more about the research you have done and hope you have done a good job in your work and really believe in the truth of your conclusions.
Dear Dr. Davis,
Heard you on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations “The Current” this morning. Very interesting. The day before, I heard an interview with the science journalist Gary Taubes who has a book out on why we get fat. I’ve not read either of your books (although they are now on my list!) but are you both more or less saying anything that raises insulin levels (which from what I have heard means most grains) should be avoided? If I read his book, is there anything I should take with a grain of salt? …And finally, where is Dr. Andrew Weil on this?
Thanks,
Kyle
HI, Kyle–
I’ve not read Gary Taubes’ most recent book, only Good Calories, Bad Calories. In GC,BC, Taubes does an incredible job of objectively tearing apart the studies that purported “proved” that total fat and saturated fat caused heart disease. But it’s important to bear in mind that Taubes is not in the business of dispensing a diet, but articulates a problem in nutritional data interpretation. Neither is Wheat Belly a diet; it is an articulation of an incredibly big blunder made in the genetic alteration of wheat, combined with the disastrous advice to eat more of it.
Sorry, I have no idea where Dr. Weil stands on any of this. He’s not on my radar.
My wife read your article in Life Entenshion magazine and I have ordered you book form Amizon but won’t be here for a few days. Yesterday, 10/10/2011 was my first wheat free day.
My breakfast is usually 1/3rd oatmeal, with the rest made up of: blueberries, apple, banana, and strawberries.
Is oat grain in the same category as wheat?
stop calling this a wheat free diet! it took until chapter 13 to find out it is not just wheat but basically all carbs. so what’s new with that? atkins, south beach are all the same premise. what a bunch of bs…i want my $25.99 back.
No, Gina, it’s about wheat. But if you want to go further, then it becomes about low-carb.
Hello Dr. Davis-
I was actually just wondering if you are actively doing research at any university? I am currently applying to PhD programs for research in nutritional science throughout the country, so this subject falls right in my interests and I would love the possibility of assisting you during graduate work on this (plus I’m a Wisconsin native so it’s pretty cool that so much attention has been given to findings from a fellow WI resident)
Thank you and good luck as you continue this study,
Ashley
Hi, Ashley–
No, I am proudly independent. What research I conduct is entirely on my own.
However, the whole wheat-free area is ripe for dissection! It will, in my estimation, yield incredible insights as to why this modern Frankengrain yields such extravagant and undesirable health consequences.
If you are in town, please look us up and we can talk over coffee.
Hello Dr Davis,
I was thrilled to read your interview on Macleans.CA and have looked through your book. I had recently transitioned to a very low wheat diet and the positive effects on my day to day health were almost immediate.
I do wonder what your thoughts on heritage grains are ? For those without any specific health risks of course.
Thanks
-Dany
Better, but not great.
It would be like saying that smoking unfiltered cigarettes is bad, so smoke filtered cigarettes because they are less bad. This is, unfortunately, the same brand of flawed logic that led diet authorities to believe that whole grains are better than white flour.
Hello Dr. Davis
I read the McLeans article and your description of blood sugar highs and lows caught my attention.
We know several Celiacs and IBS people so the elimination of wheat was an easy transition. In one month I have lost 4 pounds and I have not had one ‘sugar crash’.
My sister, who battled weight gain all her life, self-diagnosed herself as Celiac and since she has eliminated gluten from her diet she has won the weight battle.
I’m glad I saw that article.
Thank you,
Duane
Excellent, Duane!
In one of your responses you say: ‘Splenda, not the kind with maltodextrin, has been fairly benign in most people, though an occasional person has demonstrated peculiar effects.’ Is there a Splenda without maltodextrin? I only know of one kind of Splenda, at least they only seell one kind around where I am as far as I know. I thought maltodextrin was essential to the Splenda formula acting as its ‘filler’. Perhaps you can indicate where and how to get it.
Did I really hear you say to stop vitamin D supplemention today on the 700 club! Are yo serious! Have you not studied the importance of vitmain D3 in connection to good health and immune function.
Dear Dr. Davis, Could you please tell me if there is a difference between the wheat you referred to in a CBC interview recently and semolina and durum? Have they all been tampered with? I know two people who cannot tolerate our wheat and other gluten products but have visited France and Tunisia and were able to eat their bread without any problems. I tried to get information online, wondering if perhaps they used a different strain or hard wheat in these countries as opposed to soft weak but to no avail. Can you answer my questions? Thanking you in advance, Deborah Sankey
Hi, Deborah–
For all practical purposes, all wheat, whether in bread or the semolina or durum in pasta, has been altered extensively. So wheat is wheat.
I’ve heard other people say that, at least from a gastrointestinal and mental “fog” viewpoint, the breads in France (Tunisia?) don’t always generate the same response. A very knowledgeable French baker posted some comments here about 6 weeks ago talking about the reluctance for some French farmers to adopt new strains of wheat and the different ways in which French bakers handle their dough, including aging the dough.
I remain uncertain about 1) how true these observations are, 2) what they might be due to (e.g., specific wheat strains that differ, varying techniques in preparation of dough,etc.)
Personally, I am not willing to chance my life on the possibility that a less harmful variety of wheat might–might– be less harmful
Dr. Davis –
I live in Milwaukee. Will you be speaking here anytime soon? I’d love to hear your message in person!
I am, by way of reference, wheat-avoiding (10 years now, 3 years serious about it) dairy avoiding weekday vegan and weekend pescatarian. I follow Dr. Joel Furhman’s Eat to LIve and Eat for Health plans pretty closely and eat no wheat and am 99% gluten free. I would be curious to hear you speak as I think your message might be an easier sell for my husband (Primary Progessive MS) and my sister (needs to lose a lot of weight, and tries, tries, tries and I think wheat could be a culprit) and my son in his thirties with IBS or IBD. They are not willing to jump to the “extremes” but I believe all 3 would be wiling to give up wheat for a time to see what happens.
And, I’d like to hear you in person! Any Milwaukee dates upcoming?
Hi, Holly–
Just talk, right now, no specific places or times. I will make announcements here and in Facebook for upcoming speaking engagements.
I will be sure to announce when opportunities arise!
Dear Dr. Davis, I have read your book twice now and really have enjoyed it. I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and wanted to know if I continue to avoid wheat products, can I stop my Thyroid Medicine? I take 15 mg. per day each morning. I am dedicated to avoiding wheat and realize I have an auto immune disease, not a thyroid disease. Are you aware of patients that have been able to drop the thyroid medicines if they adhere to wheat-free the rest of their lives? I am not a person that wants to take pills forever.
Thank you in advance for your response,
Angie
Hello, I just heard about your work and I’m planning to try this. I”m curious if you’ve done any research regarding cardiac arrhythmias and wheat free diets. I’ve had two cardiac ablations, one of which resulted in a puncture, and yes, I’m alive to tell about it. Amazingly. I did die twice. But the arrhythmias (ventricular) are back. The records review and second opinions are showing issues in right ventricle and possible history of myocarditis but none of the docs really understands what is going on. I’d like to lose weight (30 lbs.) — supposedly my blood vessels are clean as a whistle (according to a cardiac cath). Any possible benefit to arrhythmias from wheat free?
Thanks…Helen
Yes, I have, Helen.
I have seen arrhythmias reduced or disappear with wheat elimination. But I am uncertain on how consistent this effect is.
In other words, of 100 people who have some variety of arrhythmia who then go wheat-free, what proportion can expect improvement or relief? I don’t know. But it’s ast least a few.
Please come back and tell us what becomes of your experience.
Helen,
I think the most powerful and well researched means of controlling arrhythmia is fish oil. It has worked wonders for me, and everyone I know who has used it for that purpose.
Dr. Davis,
I am a 73 year old male and I am in excellent health. My trip to good health started 5 years ago when my doctor wanted to put me on blood pressure and cholesterol meds. I am 6ft 3 and at the time was 240 lbs. I went on a diet and lost 40 lbs and started going to the gym. I do not take any meds but found it a struggle to keep the weight off. Then I read you book and after 2 weeks my whole body has changed and I have lost 5 lbs and my desire and craving for food have been replaced with no snacks and smarter eating habits.
Thanks
John
P.S. My wife loves your recipes.
That’s great, John! And thank you for the feedback on the recipes.
Watch for the holiday recipes I will be posting here, as well, to help you have wonderful, healthy, and slim holidays!
Fascinating book! What about these foods? Cheerios (oat flour and wheat starch), Popcorn, Carbonated Water.
I finished reading the book … forget about the Cheerios … would still like to hear about popcorn and carbonated water. I didn’t see apples listed under fruits on page 211.
Also, I read that a majority of folks who are allergic to peanuts had a lot of soy as kids. Any thoughts on this?
I’ve recommended this book to many. It is the best book I’ve ever read about health!
Hi, CT–
Don’t know anything about the peanuts/soy connection. That would be worrisome, if true.
I would regard popcorn and carbonated beverages as occasional indulgences. They are not healthy by any means, but no so harmful that they must absolutely be eliminated.
I’ve eliminated wheat from my diet for about a week. Tonight I played full court basketball. After an hour, I ran out of energy. Any suggestions?
I came to gluten-free four years ago after my already sensitive digestion virtually collapsed and everything was going straight through me. As the Medical Profession could find ‘nothing wrong’, left to my own devices my research led me to Celiac and gluten intolerance, so I dumped it. Within a few hours the Diarrhea, awful stomach pain and raging restless legs went away. Because my digestion had been sensitive for years, I now suspect I had issues with wheat/gluten for years. Interestingly, my husband decided to join me a an experiment, and to our amazement his long-standing extreme brain-fog, depression, irritability and general debility vastly improved.
I was on a quest though to try and figure out what was happening. I couldn’t understand why this issue was increasing so exponentially. Celiac and gluten-intolerance are generally ‘modern’ problems. So I looked at genetics, and at the wheat, and at us. On thing that struck me early on was the amount of people on Celiac forums who would say that having been diagnosed with Celiac/GI, they now had also developed a problem with corn, or soy, or some other grain/seed-based carbohydrate.
Then a short while ago I came across a couple of clues. One was that all grains, seeds, nuts, pulses, etc., contain phytates. These are nutrient-blockers. Only by soaking them for 24 hours or so to trigger the release of the enzyme that neutralizes the phytase does it make the seed safe to eat. If this is not done, we are consuming the phytase, etc., and it is blocking out uptake of the nutrition.
The other thing I discovered is that the biggest issue with gluten-based products is a lack of time. Ancient bread-makers would make the dough one day and bake the bread the next. Things like sourdough are often left even longer to prove than those made with yeast. But that time is needed for the chemical interactions between the yeast, flour and water to fully convert the gluten into a form the body can process – a minimum of 12 hours. ALL modern grain-based products are produced in a fast-track process which does not convert the gluten properly, rendering it toxic to the body.
Since discovering this, I have started making my own bread. Although I don’t eat it myself because I am still diabetic (at the moment!), I do sometimes make it for my husband (who isn’t). Having read that people with GI can consume the sloooooow bread, I was amazed to find it is true. Whilst gluten will turn my husband into ‘Atilla the Hun’ for the best part of a week, he can eat this bread with no problem at all. Sadly, modern food production has discarded the ancient and tried and tested ways of preparing food in the name of modern ‘progress’ and to maximise profit – and it is damaging us all. The sheer quantity out there of grain-based food that has not been properly prepared is the biggest problem and until that is addressed, people will continue to get sick.
They have exchanged ‘dead’ food for high-nutrition – and as Dr H Curtis Wood said right back in the 1950s in his book ‘Overfed but Undernourished’, “the medical profession has an extraordinary antipathy to the idea that nutrition is important for good health”. That antipathy hasn’t changed – if anything it is worse now than ever. Relatively skinny bodies and bloated bellies are redolent of malnutrition – we are just heavier because we eat more calories, not because they are doing us any good!
You are right Dr Davis, that modern wheat has been modified, but I am not sure that is the only reason it is such a problem. But for those whose digestions have already been damaged by the unconverted gluten, it is best to keep ALL carbohydrates low, because their digestions cannot cope with them. I now eat very low-carb, medium, protein and high-fat – and my body is healing and getting stronger. I am 18 months into a 4 year healing journey, but already I can see vast improvements.
Hi, AB–
Agreed. While Wheat Belly was meant to tackle this incredibly bad thing, wheat, some people arrive at this place so metabolically deranged that additional steps may be necessary to fully regain health.
I also agree that returning to the traditional methods of aging dough, sourdough fermentation, etc. are better, as you have experienced yourself, they may not be ideal. The fact that some people, like your husband, can tolerate it does not necessarily mean that there are no metabolic distortions that develop with consumption, such as glycation and small LDL.
It appears the recommended foods listed in the book could lead to constipation. What would you recommend?
Hi, Tom–
Actually, people experience less constipation with this approach.
However, if you are among the few who experiences constipation, consider more raw nuts, chia, and flaxseed.
Dear Dr. Davis,
I am quite interested in reading about your research on wheat products in our daily paper this morning. I am a diabetic and I watch my diets quite closely. I have alwasy known that rice is not good for people with diabetes. Now you are saying wheat is not good either. I came across a research finding that was published in June by a group of researchers at Harvard University. One of their findings is
” The researchers found that substituting about 50 grams other whole grains (such as whole heat or barley) for that much of (uncooked) white rice each day could reduce diabetes risk by as much as 36 percent. ”
So now, I am really confused. If rice and wheat can not be a regular part of the diet for people with diabetes, what can we eat now in replacement as staple food?
Many thanks.
I eat cooked quinoa, even my skeptical husband found he enjoys it even more than rice. Just make sure you wash it really well before cooking.
As a third generation diabetic and being so over weight, (5 feet, 175 pounds) high cholesterol, irritable bowel I started experimenting with my diet. Cut out all wheat, rice, pastas, white potatoes, ate more fish, chicken, fresh veggies, protein shakes with chia and ground flax for breakfast and all my fruit (mainly berries) before noon. I have lost 50 pounds, my blood sugar levels are normal, my cholesterol is normal, no more irritable bowel, better concentration, I can smell, no headaches and my skin has totally cleared up. Wow! I’ve shared with friends who are complaining about being sick, but they says it’s to much work to cut out the wheat, my response is its to much work to be sick.
Excellent, Debra! 50 lbs lost at your height is truly incredible.
It is indeed “too much work to be sick.” Having known what “wheat sickness” feels like, I never want to feel that way again. Too many people have forgotten what it feels like to feel good.
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I have read in the past about how processing wheat has changed it for the bad and found that an important part of creating a healthy immune system used to come from wheat, (1,3/1,6 gluco polysaccharide)
There are many studies that indicate that this has been processed out of wheat.
What can you tell me about this?
I have been taking a suppliment of this called WGP 3-6 and not only do I not get sick as often, it seems to decrease any illness length that I have gotten.
I came in direct contact with the Swine Flu while taking this product and did not get sick while a friend was down and out for 8 days.
I will purchase your book to learn more.
Sounds like your on to something important, are you the next Dr. Gabe Murcin?
Hi, Tracy–
Sorry, never heard of it. Do you recall where you heard about it?
http://www.lifesourcebasics.com/LearningCenter.cfm
Here is the link to the company that patented and researched this product, I would be curious if this also effects the body the same way wheat does?
It appears to be extracted from the Cell walls of yeast.
What about whole sprouted wheat bread made by silver hills, is it still just wheat?
Yup, Fran: Just wheat.
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Hi there. My name is Jade Wendel, and I’m half way through my undergraduate nutrition degree. I find your statements intriguing and am curious as to whether you have any peer reviewed literature that I could read to support your theories?
Thanks, Jade
Hi, Jade–
There are 16 pages of references listed in Wheat Belly. And that is only a sampling of the literature that condemns this grain.
Hi Dr.Davis
I have just spent most of my morning on your blog reading all the posts. I have
a myriad of health issues which to date have been Tagged as what
to call it when they don’t really know what to call it. Everything from
IBS Chronic Fatigue Restless leg Syndrome Degenerative Disc Diseaese
PSVT etc. Once I was tested for celiac with negative results. But
I do remember a naturopath years ago telling me I was allergic to
wheat. I paid him no mind and lots of cash for that diagnosis and
a bottle of bovine uterus pills. ( did not help). An allergist also told
my daughter when she was a child that she was allergic to wheat.
Then they took out her adnoids. She is now 32 and battles her weight
everyday with high volumes of rigorous exercise My husband suffers
also from belly bulge,acid reflux,IBS and gas troubles. I think I may
have stumbled on the Holy Grail of all our issues thanks to your
research and insight. I intend to track down your book somehow
and “digest it” quickly. My only fear is that because we live in a very
isolated and remote community with one very small grocery store
that does not “special order” anything for anyone, we may be forced
to continue having to purchase poisoned food for another 4 years
until we can retire and relocate to a city. Even gluten free products
are unavailable here. Any suggestions as to how we could still implement
your theory and still eat from our meager choices with out starving?
Gee, Sandra, short of moving out of your small town, I believe you will be forced to do such things as hunt and fish, grow whatever you can in your garden and windowsill, order things like raw nuts online, etc.
Have you thought about assembling your neighbors into a coop and the heck with the unaccommodating grocer?
Good idea. Maybe a health food store.
… small grocery store that does not “special order” …
You can order a surprising variety of grocery items on line.
You could also give a copy of the book to the grocer, and say: “After you read it, ask your lawyer how best to manage your liability for being involved in selling wheat.”
I realize many small-town stores may not have gluten-free items — but they certainly carry eggs, fruits, veggies and meat — which is about all you need to put together a good meal. It can be done — and gluten-free flours can be purchased online. Don’t let this stand in the way of better health for you or your daughter!
What do you recommend regarding children and wheat products?
Hello Dr Davis,
I’m in Australia and just wanted to say a heartfelt ‘Thank you’, for having the guts, and going to the trouble of writing this book.
The Wheat Industry here is enormous, with both massive Government and private interests alike. In fact it is becoming harder to see where the government interest ends and the private interest begins, they’re sort of ‘melding’ together. One of our largest cereal companies is involved with our Institute of Sport, and our Olympic team, and “nutri-grain” is marketed as the elite athletes food of choice, for most popular sporting codes. ALL our ‘pseudo government’ health organisations freely push the ‘Healthy Food Pyramid” from pre-school, upwards. Talk about painting ourselves into a corner!
I can only begin to imagine the P.R. Juggernaut of lies, discrediting, innuendo’s, misinformation and untruths that will be launched once your information becomes more ‘main stream’, and especially when it starts to alter things financially. And I don’t expect the drug companies will be overly impressed either.
Is there a sequel planned!!!!!
Thank you very much for your ‘Due Diligence’.
Thanks, Paul. Yes, it does seem like agribusiness/wheat industry and government are just too cozy. And it has been a wildly profitable relationship. I believe that’s a big part of the reason for their “success.”
It will take decades to unwind. In the meantime, you and I can enjoy enhanced health and weight control while laughing at the conventional advice.
I was born in the mid 60′s so I don’t remember Thalidomide per se, but I have seen and heard about the after effects. One hot potato no one wants to touch!
Then there is the on-going tobacco situation, once loved but now our governments trying to distance themselves more and further from same, but not that far that they lose an ongoing valuable revenue source. That’s why it is not illegal.
Exactly the same with alcohol, but government WILL let them publicly sponsor sporting events – particularly Motor Racing !?!?!?!
This wheat problem is like a nuclear disaster, and may very well become too big, too complex, too involved and too financial a burden to try and correct, or eliminate. The ‘plausible deniability’ and the worldwide inextricable involvement of the multi-national corporations, who are the drug companies on one hand, and the seed and fertiliser companies on the other, who together born the research companies, that then become the various government affiliates and regulatory bodies that adopt and endorse….. ” Look Ollie, Here another fine mess we’ve got ourselves into! “
Based on your assertion that the heavily hybridized wheat plant is the root of the problem, could I receive the same health benefits by simply substituting bread baked using heritage what varieties, such as red fife wheat?
Not really. See:
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2011/07/wheat-belly-frequently-asked-questions/#comment-248
You can also use google, restricting to this site, to search for einkorn, spelt, emmer and durum. This site’s own search engine doesn’t seem to find anything outside Dr. Davis’ own articles.
Hi, Mike–
I believe you’d be better off, but not necessarily without some exposure problems.
I was surprised and disappointed that there was no reference in “Wheat Belly” to the superb contribution that Gary Taubes has made to the current critique of conventional wisdom. Even the martyr Dr. Atkins didn’t get any mention! Not in the index or the bibliography. Dr. Davis, you are not alone in this fight and you’re stronger with them than without them. You are standing on the shoulders of giants, sir, and they deserve to be credited for their fine work in this noble fight. Otherwise, people might think that you thought all this up by yourself. The only thing you’ve really added to this discussion that Taubes and Atkins haven’t already said is a brief description on how wheat has morphed over time from Einkorn to todays “Frankenwheat”. However, you book is very readable and I do give you credit for your groaner humour and your clear, and easy to understand description of lipoprotein particles and lipogenesis.
Understood, Fred. And I am indeed grateful to Dr. Atkins, Gary Taubes, and others who have offered similar dietary messages.
My thinking was this: It is very weak to offer an argument that uses what could be regarded as “pop” literature as evidence. I am mindful that a strong argument requires evidence from the scientific community. That is why I provided the primary scientific references, not the interpretations published for the lay press. Had I said “wheat is bad because Dr. Atkins said so,” I believe that would have been regarded as bunk . . . and rightly so.
Also, note that Wheat Belly is not a diet. I provided a diet that I thought was consistent with ideal health, but that was not what the book was about. Wheat Belly is primarily about the genetic changes introduced into modern high-yield, semi-dwarf wheat for the purposes of increased yield that are responsible for the epidemic of weight gain, diabetes, and other conditions.
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I just finished reading your book this morning which was recommended by my cardiologist. I am 69 years old and have been seeing him for over 20 years (since my heart attack). I got two stents about 5 years ago. He has been advocating weight loss continuously (6′ 1″, 205, all wheat belly) and recommending diet styles similar to the one advocated in your book. Your presentation makes me think I could follow yours but it was not clear if I could have an occasional Guinness or a piece of birthday cake or if I unknowingly consumed some wheat that it would wreck my efforts. I am on my way to the produce aisle but would appreciate your comment on how you think an occasional fall off the wagon, deliberately or accidentally, would impact my efforts to lose 20 -30 pounds. I haven’t had any bread or cereal since I started reading the book – about 10 days – but I know that either knowingly or mistakenly I have had some wheat.
It’s the gliadin, Mike. I call it the “I ate one cookie and gained 30 pounds” effect.
It means going wheat-free and feeling great. You then allow yourself one small indulgence . . . then the floodgates open and you can’t stop. I’ve seen this result in 30 pounds in a month, no kidding.
If you are not prone to this and you do not have positive celiac markers, then you might get away with a wheat indulgence. Just note that the dreaded small LDL particles will be triggered galore and persist for a week. See this post on my Heart Scan Blog: Friday is my “bad” day
I am doing a lot of education about genetically engineered (GE) food or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) because we’re working on a ballot initiative in California to require labeling. What we know is that 90+% of soy, ~80% of food corn (not sweet corn or popcorn), 70+% of canola and 85+% of cotton are GMOs. The canola and cotton are made into vegetable oil and into meal to feed livestock. There has been a lot of research to engineer the Roundup Ready herbicide tolerant genes into wheat and there was contamination of some commercial wheat from test plots in the Northwest, but so far as we understand no GE Roundup Ready wheat has been released commercially. Now a friend I’ve been educating about GMOs says that your book says that wheat is genetically engineered like the soy and the corn, etc. What I’m gathering from your website is that what you are trying to get across is that the wheat we eat today is the result of natural breeding processes that have increased the gluten and maybe other allergenic and/or inflammatory proteins making it unhealthy. What I wish is that you would present the breeding methods in such a way that people can learn that laboratory gene insertions cause collateral damage in host cells way beyond whatever hazard exists from the desired traits. Using a gene gun or an electrical pulse method to make holes in cell walls so bit of foreign genes can seep in and try to align themselves and get incorporated into genomes appears to be potentially more dangerous for all living things than what has so far been done to commercial wheat.
re: Now a friend I’ve been educating about GMOs says that your book says that wheat is genetically engineered like …
The book doesn’t say that, and several articles on this blog reinforce that position. Technowheat was apparently developed “merely” by accelerated hybridization and forced mutation; no explicit gene insertion.
But if you start with tomato, and end up back at deadly nightshade, the specific naming of the genetic malpractice involved doesn’t really matter too much. And it’s only malpractice because they either don’t test for food safety, or suppress/ignore/misinterpret the results when they do.
Thank you kindly, Boundless!
Hi, Jan-
I tried to only cover the techniques used to generate novel strains of wheat in a superficial way, as I didn’t think most people wanted to hear a recitation of Mendelian genetics nor hear about the details of backcrossing and related techniques. I do wish I had covered chemical, gamma radiation, and x-ray mutagenesis (intentionally-induced mutations) better.
You are absolutely correct: Wheat is NOT genetically-modified in the sense of the phrase used by geneticists. Wheat has been subjected to something far worse: less precise, less able to predict unintended consequences. To me, this is the great irony of the criticisms against genetic modification: Genetic modification represents an IMPROVEMENT over the older techniques of “traditional breeding methods.” I am not a defender of genetic modification, but the criticisms against it should also be leveled against all the methods that pre-date it, as well.
Great book just finished it.Just one quest since i am a slow learner.Is Einkorn wheat something you suggest
weather in a flour or pasta or is that to be eliminated to due to the carbs.Would like reciepre book if you have one for sale.Please contact me a email .
Thanks so much for your insight!!!
Alex
Thanks, Alex.
No, I do not recommend wheat in any form. While einkorn is less harmful, it is not entirely harmless.
Cookbook in the works.
I just finished your book and it is a great read. I have celiac disease and have been eating corn chex and rice chex cereals for breakfast. They are supposed to be gluten free. What is your feeling about these cereals.
Clint
Sorry, Clint, but they are like eating jelly beans for breakfast.
This is the fundamental problem with gluten-free: They are made by people who don’t understand or don’t care what they are selling, as long as it makes money.
Hi:
I have a friend that was diagnosed with diffuse schleraderma and the prognosis is not great. There is little known about this disease and little hope given to those stricken with it. You discuss inflammatory disease and your eating plan of no wheat. Since there is no explanation of where this particular disease came from and no known cure, do you deem it advisable for this person to give your plan consideration?
Trish
> Since there is no explanation of where this particular disease
> came from and no known cure, do you deem it advisable for
> this person to give your plan consideration?
That question appears to suppose that there is some beneficial reason to continue consuming wheat. There is not. It’s a bit like asking “would it be worthwhile to try quitting tobacco”.
I’m not a medical professional, but I’d say “heck yes – give it a try”. Ditch the wheat immediately. Wind down the other grains, then carbs generally. Give it a month.
Dr Davis, please comment on the Quest bars.
re: Quest bars, see:
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2011/12/gretchens-cheat-day/#comment-25865
finished your book in early December and want to thank you for the detail you included on how the digestion process works. I can now see how the other nutritional advocates were coming up with their success stories even though it appeared they were not sure on how the process was working. I have pulled out all the othre diet/nutrition books I have acquired over the years and they are all saying approximately the same thing… cut out grain. These other authors, Dr Weil, Ripich, the south beach diet, Dr mercola, Dr douglas etc. all come together saying the same thing but some just holding back slightly in order to keep from scaring people or worse encouraging suits from the Agri Industry.
I am 70 years old, a retired engineer that has been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The first thing the doctor prescribed was 4 additional pills and minimal comment on diet. I personally hate taking pills and felt there was a better way. I just got back from a 6 week tour of Korea and China where I ate what the locals ate. I lost 12 pounds and cut out 3 of the meds (diarrhea for one reason). Then I got your book and recalled that the Koreans eat very little wheat products and none were fat. Things started falling into place. I do consider myself to be a little overweight at 195 with a 34 in waist but a drop of 20 should put me back to my running prime. Thanks for an absolutely great book.
That’s great, Don.
Yes, many of us are coming to similar conclusions from different directions. And I believe that we can all agree: Not only does conventional advice to eat more “healthy whole grains” not work for health, it actually causes the conditions they are supposed to prevent, along with a host of other abnormal conditions.
Dr. Davis: I ordered your book and read it as I know from my years of dieting that bread, and wheat products, always put me over the edge and derail my wait loss efforts. I totaly agree with everything you espouse. I tried the diet for a week and in fact did loose some weight. The problem was I was totaly wiped out and fatiqued. Not that I had any craving for carbs but I just knew that a bowl of oatmeal would have made me feel much better. I felt I had to go off the diet to keep from passing out. So I went back to Weight Watchers with the packaged foods etc and just plateaued. No weight lost. I revisited your book to see what I was doing wrong. Again, I knew that the concept was perfect for me so why the problems? Question: I have a family history of Arteiosclerosis, I am 60 yrs old f, 155lbs,,no gallbladder ( a mistake of the no-fat diet years ago), is the high fat in coconut milk ok for me? I have read much on this and all the Medical folks say No too much fat and all the others say Yes very good. I am too scared to continue. I am very active. Please address this concern as i would like to stay on the diet. I had a pumpkin spice muffin this morning with a little neufchatel crem and 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup of skim milk. I am afraid of the high fat issues. HELP
Hi, Queen–
Most people in your situation do just fine with fat intake. You might increase fat intake gradually to gauge your ability to digest fats. If it yields fatty stools, consider cutting back and/or adding pancreatic lipase, available in healthfood stores.
My friend has recommended I purchase and read “Wheat Belly”. She has told me a little about the book, and it sounds somewhat like Atkins. My problem is I am on Tenormin, and Atkins did not work for me. Will this also be a problem with this diet?
It’s not a diet, Evonne.
First and foremost, it is an articulation of what has been done to wheat and why this has an impact on health. Then, a diet that incorporates this idea is detailed.
Beta blockers like Tenormin may slow weight loss. But if Atkins did not work, this may or may not work for you. But it suggests that there is another layer of problems present, e.g. thyroid dysfunction.
Thanks Doc.
NMR test not done in British Columbia Canada (yet). I will get mine done in the Seattle in a few weeks time. Since I started reading Wheat Belly – Nov 20, 2011, I am down 25.2 lbs with 10 to go. (from 201 down to 175.8).
My wife and I are both feeling GREAT. My HDL is up and my Trigs are way down. I am sure that my particle size will show that they are large and fluffy! I am off blood pressure meds and lipitor after 10 years.
Thank you.
Basil.
Excellent, Basil! Update us when all the data come in.