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 
Just think of the enormity of the impact of wheat consumption on the human condition.
Consumption of modern high-yield semi-dwarf wheat leads to:
–Weight gain–especially visceral fat in the abdomen, i.e., inflammatory fat
–Diabetes, pre-diabetes–via the appetite-stimulating effects of modern gliadin, the blood sugar-raising potential of amylopectin A, and the inflammatory effects of lectins
–Hypertension
–Joint pain, arthritis–mostly due to lectins, perhaps gluten
–Acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, worsening symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
–Peripheral neuropathy, cerebellar ataxia, dementia–probably due to gluten
–”High cholesterol“–via increased triglycerides
–Migraine headaches–your guess is as good as mine why this occurs!
–Depression
–Water retention, edema–likely via the increased bowel and vascular permeability of lectins
And those are just the common phenomena. In fact, look at the list above and you will be hard pressed to find someone who is not afflicted with at least one, if not all, of the listed conditions. It means that much of what we do in healthcare treating diabetes, joint pain, acid reflux, etc. is really just treating wheat consumption. We are treating the misguided advice to eat more “healthy whole grains.”
Acid reflux alone afflicts some 60 million people and results in 100,000 hospitalizations every year. In my experience, it’s a rare person who does not obtain total relief from acid reflux with wheat elimination. Eliminate wheat and watch hemoglobin A1c, the value that reflects your previous 60 days of blood sugar, plummet, converting many of the nation’s 28 million diabetics and 70 million pre-diabetics to non-diabetics and non-pre-diabetics.
While we fret about spiraling healthcare costs, the reorganization of healthcare delivery, the deterioration of the health of Americans, there is an incredibly simple and accessible solution to a big chunk of the problem: Eliminate the wheat.
so true Dr. Davis! I wish that my husband would eliminate wheat (all grains), because he has some of the above issues. I already have 8 months agp.
I completely agree and have been wheat free for several months and have seen amazing results. Thanks!
I have to say that the last three and a half months have been some of the most interesting in my life. I found out about this whole wheat issue, stopped eating it (and in the learning process found out how I probably should have been eating all along), dropped 22 pounds (so far), lost my pre-diabetic status, and just bought two pairs of Levis – 29 inch and 30 inch waists. I’m 61 and I’ve had problems with fatigue as long as I can remember and now I know what was causing them.
I’ve put together a graphic which says it all for me: http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/Tyrannocaster/AfraidOfWheat.jpg
And yeah, that’s me in the picture. Pictues DO lie, but I didn’t retouch the body in the photo at all.
Gave me a scare at first, Tyranno!
You look fabulous. It reminds me of what people used to look like in 1960 before the U.S. government got into the business of advising us what to eat.
Dr. Davis, you are really going “against the grain” in so many ways. MN Public Radio had feature stories last week on diabetes, with a feature on the U of M/Mayo Clinic Decade of Discovery project. Really fascinating. I am in no way trained in this or an expert, but I know from helping my mom that the advice given to a diabetic is very flawed. I heard a Doctor/researcher on the radio say that a diabetic (type 1 or 2) has no dietary restrictions when their medications are well controlled and so long as they keep their weight at a normal range – they can eat anything as the meds will balance it out. This seems to me to be a very dangerous way to look at it. If I have learned anything, each diabetic has to watch that carb/sugar intake to make sure they don’t raise blood sugars with the meal. Maybe you need to get involved in that effort! I did not hear any talk about diet other than to eat plenty of healthy whole grains and lean proteins.
Wow, Susie: This is the nonsense that is passed off as health advice. But it sure keeps the drug industry in business, enjoying double-digit revenue growth year over year.
I’ve seen several people this week who have cured–CURED–their diabetes. Not with drugs, but with being shown the right diet, Yes, the diet that is the opposite of that advocated by the American Diabetes Association.
Dr Davis – I have been wheat free now for 20 weeks. I have lost 20 pounds and life is totally different. I also went low carb totally. One question, you said that it is a rare person who does not stop suffering from acid reflux – I still do. I have a diagnosed hiatus hernia, is this why I still get reflux? I thought most people who had reflux had a hiatus hernia so wonder why my symptoms are still there. I admit my symptoms are greatly improved and only need medication every other day now.
Thanks
Lynda
Hi, Lynda–
Don’t know. Perhaps chronic irritation somehow impaired the mucous-production and/or repair mechanisms. I’ll bet that, over time, you will heal even better.
But I suspect that you’ve removed the original inciting cause.
Hi Linda,
There are other foods (in addition to wheat) that are very acidic, and create an acidic internal environment in the body that can lead to acid reflux and a whole host of other problems, including likelihood of disease. Try eliminating dairy and meat, which are both very acidic, and introduce a whole-foods, plant-based diet. My husband (and I) did so over the past year, and his acid reflux is completely gone. (He has also lost 10 lbs. from his 5’8″ 160lb frame without trying/exercising extensively–he’s at his healthiest weight now.)
I also recommend the documentary “Forks Over Knives” and the book “The China Study” for information/science behind the correlations between animal product consumption and disease, acidity, etc.
Good luck!
-Sarah
Do you have any peer reviewed evidence to back your theories up? The reason I ask is twofold:
1) I couldn’t find any evidence that correlated these symptoms to wheat consumption; and,
2) Anecdotal evidence isn’t sufficient to link these conditions specifically to wheat.
The reason I ask is because my brother has many stomach issues that weren’t resolved when he gave up wheat. He went wheat free for more than six months with no change in his condition.
If that’s the case, then it wasn’t wheat that caused the condition in the first place.
Could it be that we in the west consume too much processed wheat products? These same products are generally high in sugar, salt, and starch, all which would lead to some of the above symptoms.
I”ve been ”wheat-free” for seven days. I don”t really follow a fancy list of DO”s and DON”Ts, I just avoid wheat altogether and consume carbohydrates in moderation.
I”ve not even read ”Wheat Belly”. For the past few years I”ve been searching for any ”trigger foods” that might have been causing my psoriatic arthritis. I came across a very extreme diet called the “Pagano Diet” which has so many foods that you supposedly cannot eat, or otherwise it might cause dreaded flareups and joint inflammation. It simply wasn”t viable.
For some reason, I came across this blog. The title itself (“Wheat Belly”) triggered something in my few years of reading health blogs–that all of the alternative health diets have as a common denominator that WHEAT is something to be avoided.
Seven days later, I can quite literally feel my body healing itself. Far less joint pain. All I know that giving up wheat makes me feel like my body has been born anew again.
Barring any health problems (like those genetic freaks who might feel physically and mentally fine by consuming modern wheat), people can even benefit from the hunger control that avoiding wheat provides.
I also continue to have acid reflux issues. I have lost 16 pounds and am almost to my goal weight of 125 pounds after a few months going wheat free. However I still need to take a Nexium every other day (reduced from every day). I have pretty much connected the acid reflux to eating tomato based sauces and to my beloved chocolate (even though it is unsweetened chocolate as in your delicious brownie recipe , Dr. Davis. I’d love to get off the Nexium, but tomatoes and chocolate are good for us…right… Besides tasting so good! Any suggestions for how to eat these and still get to the point of needing no Nexium?
I have suffered from heartburn and acid reflux since entering the menopausal years. Never had it before. Wine, dark chocolate, and tomato sauce of any kind are the biggest culprits. I was advised to try Aloe Vera Juice, or Gel, and I have not had a problem since. Even when I do wake up in the middle of the night, having indulged too much, a couple swigs of aloe vera juice immediately stops the symptoms. You must be certain you are getting real aloe vera juice. The product I use is lily of the desert. They have a website.
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It means that much of what we do in healthcare treating diabetes, joint pain, acid reflux, etc. is really just treating wheat consumption. We are treating the misguided advice to eat more “healthy whole grains.”
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That is a very apt aphorism. I”m thinking of the impact on society if the entire population were to collectively give up wheat. True, the averse effects of wheat probably vary from individual to individual, but on a macro scale it would provide huge benefits.
-less wheat rage (I wonder how much road rage is caused by it).
-a healthier population placing less demand and strains on an overburdened health care system
-less money spent on prescription drugs, and our economic energy can be spent elsewhere
There will be a lot of FUD and uncertainty and doubt, with many monied interests opposing a paradigm shift in how we look at the food pyramid chart and the propaganda regarding “healthy whole grains”.
Yup, you got that right, Hit.
And the “monied interests” have plenty to lose. It means they will put up an incredible fight to preserve the “healthy whole grain” status quo.
Dr. Davis – I think I need a little reassurance. I”ve been gluten-free for almost 5 weeks, and I”ve been having daily bad headaches, neck pain, and increased Trigeminal Neuralgia symptoms. I really want to hang in there because I do believe in the idea of being gluten-free. Is it normal to have these symptoms for so long, and can I expect them to go away soon?
Thanks,
Deb
My Wife has been on the wheat free diet since october and has gone from a life of eating “heathy” whole grains to no wheat. The painfull bloating has mostly subsided, she has lost some weight, still not enough in here opinion. The cooking has been ok, but the last couple of wheat and gluten free cook books somehow list Rye as non wheat. as well as a couple other varieties, which is adding confusion to what is really safe. Can you clarify this?
Hi, Rob–
Yes, a confusing issue.
My take: Wheat and rye have naturally crossbred many, many times over the millennia of their coexistence. Humans have also added to it by crossbreeding intentionally over the centuries. Net result: Rye = wheat, wheat = rye in genetics in many respects, with too much overlap in the adverse effects of both.
Yes, rye is better, but remember: If something is less harmful, it doesn”t necessarily mean it”s great.
I am starting today after reading the first few chapters of Wheat Belly. I have MS and it will be interesting to see how this goes along with that!
Please do, Lew!
And don’t forget the vitamin D, the other “natural” strategy that is showing promise for MS.
I have been off wheat for a couple months now and I have lost 10 pounds and feel great, but I get light headed daily and seem to have chest pain which I attributed to gas. My wife has been doing well and my belly has shrunk but went to the hospital last week thinking I might be having a heart attack and they put me on Prilosec for gas (felt pretty dumb). Anyways I am not hungry and dont eat a lot now but thinking maybe low blood sugar and I drink coffee in the morning and I seem to get gas from that. Any suggestions, should I dig deeper? I did have Nissan surgery because of bad acid reflux so I dont get that any longer just a dull pain in chest and burping. Any suggestions, feeling light headed common from not eating enough maybe?.
Dr. Davis.
Neil Boortz tweeted about your book so I bought your Audio Book. It really made sense. I have been a vegetarian for 30+ years with years of veganism interspersed during that time. LOTS of whole grains. I played contact sports when younger and have always had muscle and joint aches. About 18 months ago I was told I needed a hip replacement as I have no cartilage in my right hip. I don’t want to go that route so your book convinced me to go wheat free. It have been 2 weeks and my hip seems worse than ever, although I have lost 5 pounds. (6’2″; 230# to 225#). Is there a “die-off ” period that I am experiencing? How long before I can expect improvement? I almost called my ortho today to schedule the op! Thank you.