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 
The gastrointestinal tract (GI) is the front line, the primary battleground in the invasion of this foreign and poisonous grain, modern wheat, against our bodies. The 10-20 milligrams of wheat germ aggutinin, ingested every day by wheat-consuming individuals, for instance, damages the lining of the small intestine, while the gliadin protein (the very same gliadin that acts as an opiate and stimulates appetite, along with other mind effects) “unlocks” normal intestinal barriers to foreign substances. This last phenomenon, unique to wheat gliadin, is an important explanation for why wheat-consuming people develop autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and systemic lupus.
What happens in the GI tract is often mirrored on the skin. The destruction of the delicate bowel lining, acid reflux, bowel urgency, pancreatic damage, disruption of bowel flora, and other GI-damaging effects can be mirrored by skin dermatitis, seborrhea (most typically along the sides of the nose), psoriasis, dandruff, dryness, itching, as well as a long list of more serious conditions, even gangrene.
Acne is among the commonest expressions of the health disruption of wheat expressed on the skin, something experienced by 90% of adolescents, with continuing struggles for many adults. Here is Kelly’s story of finally being freed from the constant annoyance of acne with her wheat-free experience:
I have been a victim of acne for the past five years and have tried the elimination process food-wise to see what the problem is. Most people around me would say my skin problem was hormone-related but, truthfully, it did not make sense to me as a female to be in a constant ”hormonal imbalance” stage for five consecutive years. I did not want to opt for invasive skin treatments involving heavy medication to ”rid” the acne as that did not solve the problem really. It just did the esthetics.
I instead started the elimination process: eliminated all dairy for a period of time, then all caffeine and alcohol, then I got into blood types and eliminated some types of meat accordng to my blood type. Nothing seemed to work and wheat was not even a candidate on my elimination list, since I held zero knowledge on that front. I then got pregnant and more elimination took place (raw fish, unpasteurised products, etc.) and that’s when I fell on the Wheat Belly book (Thank the Lord!), not for losing weight in my case, but the chapter, ”Yo, pimple face!” caught my eye. To think that wheat could possibly play a role was inconceivable, but I was so keen on eliminating whatever was necessary to find the solution I went ahead and tried it.
Miracle is what happened. Literally.
Within a week, my acne on my forehead became ”inactive” and flattened out. My face was not acne-active all of a sudden. Every week, I had gotten used to a nice new acne pimple growing on my face–-and it suddenly stopped–so suddenly, I could not believe it.
It has been several months now that I am wheat-free and twice I consumed wheat, only to pay the price each time. After my wheat consumption, I had a new acne type pimple grow on my face: literally and unbelievably the day after! Could I be a better guinea pig than this? Putting myself to the test was the best thing ever. I am conscious that, being pregnant, there are real hormonal changes, and sometimes acne problems get worse or better, depending on the person. So I am curious to see once I deliver my baby, how my face will change. I have gotten the best compliments I have received in many years on the quality of my skin.
Health is certainly more than skin-deep. Eliminating wheat helped Kelly erase effects on her skin evidenced by acne, but it also exerts dramatic effects on gastrointestinal health–even if she does not perceive it! Losing the gliadin protein, for instance, means her bowels are going to regain normal bowel flora, resume normal bowel permeability and thereby reduce body-wide inflammation.
So Kelly has more to celebrate than “just” losing her acne: She has now been given back control over multiple facets of health!
Hy. The first step to curing acne is knowing what type of acne you have. Once you know your acne trigger, you are one step closer to removing the acne activator and living acne free.
There are numerous types of acne, which could explain why it is so cumbersome if not seemingly impossible for the acne sufferer to find a cure. As with other types of acne including teenage acne, the exact causes of adult acne remain unknown, but are thought to relate to changes or imbalances in our body’s hormones. It is suspected that these hormonal changes at various times in our lives lead to increases in the amount of oil in our skin which in turn leads to clogged pores or hair follicles in the skin
An excellent post, and most informative. I’m doing some online research about acne (my daughter has it) and I’m thoroughly convinced that there is a strong connection between acne and diet.
But I never considered wheat.
I’ll point her in the direction of this blog. The rest is up to her.
Many thanks,
John