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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 Track Your Plaque program. He lives in Wisconsin.
Nothing here should be construed as medical advice,
but only topics for further discussion with your doctor. I practice cardiology in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Office address:
2600 N. Mayfair Rd., Suite 950
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53226
Phone 414-456-1123
Fax 414-456-1766
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wheat-Belly/209766919069873
Blogs:
Wheat Belly Blog: http://www.wheatbellyblog.com
Heart Scan Blog: http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog
MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY at this email, please!
MEDIA INQUIRIES Email: contact@wheatbellyblog.com
(Any questions or personal stories should be posted on the blog as a comment.)
Dr. Davis,
Bottom Line Up Front: Are there any edits to your book? I bought my copy in September, and I wonder if there are mistakes or changes.
Background:
1. Your list of “consume in limited quantities” includes butter. (I”m at work and don”t have my book in front of me, thus cannot site the page.) I can”t understand why butter would not be on the “consume in unlimited quantites” list (like olive and coconut oils).
2. You list mayonnaise in your “consume in unlimited quantities” list but have soybean oil in your “consume rarely or never” list. I have not been able to find a mayonnaise that does not list soybean oil as the first or second ingredient.
Additionally:
In your professional opinion, is there any validity to the warnings of soy/flaxseed consumption for males? (concerning soy blocking the ability of nutrient absorption and the estrogen content of both items)
Thank you.
Paul
————-
Off Topic: Loved the book. I found it through the Fat-Head movie blog (Tom”s review of it). Implemented a wheat free/low carb life-style (with a few unfortunate social ”consumptions”) in mid-October. I haven”t lost much weight (from 219 to 211 at 73 inches tall). However, my waist has slimmed, and I”m lifting heavier weights. I don”t have measurements on my muscle growth, but my girlfriend has certainly noticed an increase in muscle mass. On top of a body composition transformation, I feel better. At a doctor appointment in December, my blood pressure was 104 over 60. A typical reading for me has historically been 120 over 70. I chuckled when I saw this because I”ve increased my salt intake since my new eating habits (However, I understand that one reading is not overly significant). I”m thinking of trying a 24 hour fast in the near future (could never understand how that would be possible).
Your book explained things that were swimming in the back of my head, and now allows me the completed puzzle pieces to not only understand it for myself, but to communicate it with others. My parents aren”t readers, and thus will not read your book, but I”ve explained it to them, and my father has initiated a lower-wheat lifestyle in January. He lost ten pounds in one month, and his pre-diabetic blood sugar readings are dropping significantly. I”m still working on him.
I”d like to emphasize to readers that your book is not just for over-weight individuals. Most people looked at me and thought that I was in excellent shape… by most standards, I was (and am). Yet with implementation of the base of knowledge you”ve provided, I”ve increased my level of fitness AND I know that I”ll maintain better health throughout my life. Above I mentioned that I found your site through Fat-Head. I found Fat-Head through Netflix, but also through doing research on Type II Diabetes (since a good number of my 60ish plus relatives have developed it).
Yes, indeed, some inconsistencies. I have to admit that, in trying to craft a diet that suited most genetic variants, you end up vacillating a bit.
For instance, people with the genetic pattern apo E4 (around 30% of the population) are indeed fat sensitive to varying degrees. People with this pattern should not consume butter willy nilly.
Soy is an issue that has changed rapidly over the past 10 years, as it has become increasingly genetically-modified. So I am tending towards the “less soy” advice, though the oil is not much of a source of the problem proteins in soy, just the oil.
Thank you for your rapid response, Doctor Davis.
I have some of the very same questions. Mayonnaise is supposed to be OK, but they all have either canola or soybean oil, both of which are to be avoided, correct? Even the Hellman’s Olive oil mayo has canola in it. Salad dressings are notorious for saying olive oil, and then you read the ingredients and it’s just a small addition, while the main oil is soybean or canola.
I did a search of your book for canola, but didn’t find a specific reference to it, although I’m pretty certain it’s on the avoid list. Can you confirm?
Thanks so much!
Michelle
Farmers Bulletin by the USDA (#112) from 1900, when reviewing wheat noticed that it had laxative properties for constipation. Page 710 of below google book link. Amazing they didn”t look into this further.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Iye-rQaPLQQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=farmers+bulletin+1894&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cwg0T4WTM8iZiALA492rAg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=farmers%20bulletin%201894&f=false
Hmmmm. Interesting insight, Dan.
Has this aspect therefore changed in modern wheat?
It would seem that it is actually worse based on your book, but there was one study from the 1800”s about an observational study with a subject that had a hole (from a gun shot wound) in his stomach, that the dr was able to see how long food took to digest by looking right into his stomach, even then they noticed that when bread was consumed the time to digest was increased by 30-40%.
Also in Jack LaLanes last book he mentioned that wheat had a laxative effect.
So it would seem that people are in the know but they never tried correlating it with anything that could cause harm, with the exception of Dangerous Grains by James Braly MD & Ron Higgins MA
Dear Dr. Davis,
I”m giving up, I haven”t lost a single pound in almost 2 months. I”ve busted my butt eating a vegetarian wheat free diet and haven”t seen any results other than I”m not ravenous all the time, which is great but it”s not making a difference. I work out about an hour every other day with the Tracy Anderson Method so I”m not just sitting on the couch. But again, no difference. Is it just not the right diet for me? I really enjoyed reading your book and was so excited! I thought I finally found the answer to me losing my big mom belly. But I guess not. So depressed.
I wasn”t sure where to contact you for an answer back. No one around me seems to be able to help.
Thanks
Remember, Mrs. O: There is more to health than just weight loss.
There may be confounding factors at work preventing your response. This cannot be answered, unfortunately, here but will require a formal health assessment.
After you obtain your answers about thyroid status, adrenal status, etc., then it may again be time to try to use this strategy to lose weight.
Let us know what comes of it.
Dear Mrs. O,
I can detect the frustration in your note and I feel for you. Nothing is more frustrating than being religious about a diet and getting no results
Two ideas:
1. I don”t think this diet is easy for a vegetarian — and if you are relying alot on nuts, they are very caloric.
2. After many diet failures, I had success with the Dukan Diet. Basically alternating days of protein and protein/veggies (and daily oat bran and some nonfat dairy). It was inadvertently an elimination diet for me. Lost 12 lbs in 6 weeks. AND blood pressure, cholesterol, LDL”s , triglycerides all went down 20 points and my joint pain went away!
Just a thought — I had no luck with anything else. All low calorie diets failed and left me cold all the time. My doctor”s helpful advice was that I just wasn”t hunting and gathering enough.
Good luck –
Chris
Dear Mrs. O,
I can detect the frustration in your note and I feel for you. Nothing is more frustrating than being religious about a diet and getting no results
Two ideas:
1. I don”t think this diet is easy for a vegetarian — and if you are relying alot on nuts, they are very caloric.
2. After many diet failures, I had success with the Dukan Diet. Basically alternating days of protein and protein/veggies (and daily oat bran and some nonfat dairy). It was inadvertently an elimination diet for me. Lost 12 lbs in 6 weeks. AND blood pressure, cholesterol, LDL”s , triglycerides all went down 20 points and my joint pain went away!
Just a thought — I had no luck with anything else. All low calorie diets failed and left me cold all the time. My doctor”s helpful advice was that I just wasn”t hunting and gathering enough.
Good luck –
Chris
sorry == I posted twice.
OOps
So good luck 2 times!
Chris
Dr. Davis,
I have been wheat free for 18 months. I have lost 25 pounds. My weight stopped coming off after about 5 months. I am lactose intolerant, so dairy is VERY minimal for me, I have not used any sweetners except stevia or on the RARE occasion 1 T honey. I have pretty much gone Paleo since August of 2011 because I was still having some digestion issues…I now don”t have them any longer since removing all grain. I am puzzled. On the exercise part, I work out with kettlebells once a week and do 75 min. of a TOUGH water fitness classes twice a week. Plus walk the dog at a good pace about 60 min. a day. What am I doing wrong that I am stuck. Specifics:
Female – 53 yr. old
height: 5”7″
weight: 215
Post menopausel
Can you help me get the rest of this weight off?
I can only speak in general terms, of course, Anita. But consider:
1) Thyroid assessment–free T3, free T4, TSH, reverse T3. Iodine supplementation-I use 500 mcg per day.
2) A salivary cortisol assessment–to look for circadian disruptions of cortisol cycles.
3) Hidden sources of fructose
4) Progesterone–an underutilized hormone in females.
There are certainly other causes for stalled weight loss, but that”s a pretty good start.
Thank you Dr. Davis, I will speak to my physician about your suggestions. It will be a place to start. Since I don”t eat processed food in any form and don”t have sugar or grains in the house I know I”m not getting it here… however it may be elsewhere when I am not in charge of the food. I”ll be certain to be more attentive.
I quit wheat 3 weeks ago and immediately my stools returned to normal, my headaches went away, I had much less gas, and the patch of psoriasis is going away. As soon as I quit wheat, I was glad I did and committed to keeping it out of my diet. I have recommended to my 28 year old daughter who has acne and a wheat belly, to try going wheat-free for a week. I think she”d be surprised at her results.
It would be useful to have an eBook compilation of recipes. I bought this book on Amazon.com as the Kindle version, so I can”t easily access the recipes, and I think it would be easier to access the recipes as just the recipe portion for my kitchen.
I have had experience using the raw vegan diet which is a great source of how to function without wheat, rye, or barley, in addition to promoting copious consumption of vegetables. Raw vegan soups are a great way of getting a lot of veggies, no gluten, no sugar, and delicious. Also, raw vegan “breads” and crackers, including flax crackers, are a good substitute for commercial products. Raw vegans also do delicious gluten free desserts, too.
Hello Dr. Davis!
I am currently reading “Wheat Belly” and it is very enlightening. I am very tempted to cut wheat out of my diet, considering all of the evidence you provide. However, I am already vegetarian. I am so because of animal cruelty, but also because of the negative health effects of meat. I have also heard many studies that say dairy products is not the best for you either.
I am wondering about how you feel about the claims against animal products.
Would it be fair to say that a diet solely on organic fruits, vegetables, and nuts is best for human health? Wold you not agree this is rather restrictive and would be extremely hard to maintain a healthy body?
Lastly, how can the average person not have fear when placing anything in their mouth with studies from every direction telling us that it can potentially harm us?
HI, Stephanie–
Somehow your post is over here in the Contact area.
I don”t like animal products very much (taste and ethical issues), but I believe that consumption of animal products is compatible with health and that vegetarians have a hard time maintaining healthy intakes of multiple nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, and vitamin K2.
I have read a lot about nutrition and I am always learning more and more. I have recently realized that wheat has been what is causing so many problems for me… I am sure you know them all. My question has to do with our oldest daughter though. She was diagnosed with Uveitis about 3.5 years ago now. It is an auto immune disease that affects her eyes. It is also linked to juvenile arthritis, although she has been tested and we have been told she does not have it. This disease makes her eyes produce too many white blood cells which then can affect her eyes. She is on CellCept, an immune suppressant. We have been told it is basically liquid chemotherapy. I don”t take this lightly, however, the only other option that we know of is steroid drops which will cause many other problems. Ok, my question… obviously this has to do with inflammation. I cannot help but wonder if wheat and anything like it could be causing some of these problems. Do you have any information on this? It is so hard to find answers like this in the medical community. Thank you for your help!
Rachelle
One of the great problems, Rachelle, is that rare problems are rarely linked to wheat consumption in formal analyses.
But there is NO downside to conducting your very own wheat-free experiment. I can tell you, having witnessed many, many people do this for other inflammatory and autoimmune condition, it”s a rare person who does not at least experience marked improvement, if not cure.
It”s worth a try.
Thanks so much! I am trying it with my daughter. It is tough, but I think it will be worth it. I believe it will be. I am not sure it will “cure” the Uveitis, but I do believe it will help. I know how much it helps me!
Dr. Davis,
I am a freshman in college involved in a research project for a composition class. The subject of my research includes the adverse health effects of genetically modified wheat, particularly focusing on how GMO wheat influences type 2 diabetes. Besides using your book as one of my major sources, I would appreciate it if you could recommend any references that could be of use.
Thanks, Chris
Hi, Chris–
A great topic!
However, not that, in the language of geneticists, wheat is not genetically-modified, i.e., gene splicing technology has not been used to insert or delete genes. Instead, wheat is the product of techniques that predate genetic modification, such as hybridization, backcrossing, embryo rescue, and chemical mutagenesis.
For references on the relationship of wheat to type 2 diabetes, see the references in the back of the book. All of the important arguments made are referenced.
Dr. Davis,
Thank you for your fascinating and well constructed book. It provided medically sound answers to so many questions I”ve had regarding wheat for a long time.
My questions to you are these:
1) You hilariously refer to ”bagel butt”, which more aptly describes my body shape. I”ve never really carried weight around my midsection until the last 10lbs or so that I”ve gained (thanks, in part, to wheat). Can I expect to see a dramatic reduction in my bagel over time?
2) I”m currently traveling extensively with my family. Presently we are in SE Asia where it is easier to avoid wheat but not as easy to avoid rice, rice noodles, etc. I may choose Vietnamese Pho, for example, but it is difficult to fill myself up here without actually eating the noodles or rice and the vegetables are present but scant. I am also careful about the meats in Asia as well. Any recommendations? I”d love to land back in the US in May with dramatically less ”luggage”.
Thanks again for your brilliant book.
LQ
Massachusetts
Hi, Laura–
Yes, for those who selectively gain weight in the pear shape, you can lose that, too.
But, sorry, no specific insights into healthy eating in Viet Nam beyond what you are already doing. However, I”d love to hear your take on the experience and how you have come to deal with it.
Thank you for your speedy reply. I will keep a journal of what I”m eating in each country (following your guidelines as closely as possible) and the results that follow. I know that being on the road is especially difficult for anyone following specific dietary guidelines. Hopefully I can produce some useful insights.
Will report back in May.
If the problem is eating genetically modified wheat, would that mean if I only purchased non-GMO wheat/wheat products that I could still eat wheat?
Or more specifically I mean wheat that is specifically non-hybrid such as Red or White Hard Wheat?
No and no. Avoid all forms of modern wheat, even wheat dextrin.
Modern wheat isn’t GM, strictly speaking, but is a genetic mutant nonetheless. Until RoundUp-Ready wheat hits the market, there is no non-GMO wheat.
Heirloom wheats, like einkorn, might be a bit less harmful, but are still gluten-bearing grains, and are still high GI carbs. The WB message seems to be somewhat misunderstood, perhaps due to the book title. It isn’t just about modern goat grass, aka technowheat, misleadingly called “wheat”. The core message is go low-carb grain-free paleo, and make all the remaining carbs zero GI.
The 14 Best (and Worst) Gluten-Free Beers
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/03/the-best-and-worst-gluten-free-beers.html
Beer may be another case of “GF does not mean healthy”. I suspect that high GI carbs abound, and have given up on beer. “GF” also does not mean Wheat Free. Some of those tested beers were clearly based on grains with the gluten removed, and the grain threat is not just gluten.
It would be nice if beer had Nutrition Facts labels, but in the long-running battle between the FDA (who require it), and the BATFE (who prohibit it), the BATFE still prevail.
Hi Dr. Davis! Appreciate all of your hard work and I’ve been wheat free for more than a year with your blog posts and podcasts close at hand. I was wondering what blood tests you would recommend for cardiovasculoar health beyond the “typical” cholesterol tests an average doctor would prescribe???
I understand your views on the standard tests, but beyond LDL particle size I’m unsure what else you feel would be a GOOD representation of heart health. Thanks in advance for any advice. I’m considering a trip to ‘Tosa for a Brewer game and may try to get a consoltation from you soon. Thanks again for all you have contributed.
Dr. Davis,
Since following your diet plan in Wheat Belly, I have lost (and kept off) around 10 lbs (~180 down to 170 at 5’11”) and cannot thank you enough for your important work. I wanted to ask you what you think of Dr. Eric Westman’s diet plan as described in Gary Taubes “Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It,” which I noticed was lacking some foods such as cocoa, blueberries, almonds, etc. that (I suspect) you recommend for cardiovascular reasons. Along with Taubes, Dr. Westman and his colleagues feel that any form of sugar is not worth the exposure, and fruits and nuts are not recommended except in very modest quantities, if at all. Do you feel this approach is appropriate for both cardiovascular and weight loss goals?
Thanks,
Brian
Dr. Eric Westman is a very forward-thinking guy. I value his ideas, too.
I agree on the fruits, though I like nuts more. I use them frequently in the recipes here.
I have eaten low carb for many years. In the beginning it was simply a way to loose weight but I do it simply to stay healthy. I have had a hard time convincing my husband that this is the best way to live and so him and our 3 daughters still eat much higher carbs than I think they should be and grains. My girls do eat much less carbs than other kids and most are whole, fresh foods but there are still foods I’d like to eliminate. (Grains being top of my list!)
The main reason I’m writing to you is to ask your opionion about my 8 year old with a variety of problems which I have always believed come from something in her diet. She was tested for celiac a few years ago and it was negative, but I still think wheat is the problem. She was also tested for diabetes and a host of other problems which were all negative except for her iron was very, very, slightly low once. (The doctor had no concerns about this and only recommended that she eat more iron rich foods but that it was such a small difference he didn’t see a reason to test her again for it.)
Here is a list of her problems:
- Since she was small she’s had bouts of constipation
- Always had an upset stomach. We finally found a doctor who believed us when she was about 4 1/2 years old – he sent her for all the tests and then prescribed her acid reflux meds. She was on zantac for about 2 years. She did great for a long time but then it got worse and she is now taking 20mg of nexium.
- She’s had several urinary tract infections
- She’s had vaginal skin infections (yeast and possible bacterial) and the dermatologist now believes she has a mix of eczema and psoriasis that covers her vaginal area and her bottom. She thinks this has caused her skin to be succeptible to the other problems. She now uses dermatop 0.1% when needed twice daily, but no more than 7 days in length and then at least two weeks of rest in between. In between she can use a high zinc diaper cream to help the skin heal or just a protective barrier like vaseline.
- She has keratosis pilaris on her arms.
- She has very mild asthma, seasonal allergies and animal allergies.
On top of all this there is a strong family history of skin problems, digestive problems, asthma, allergies, heart and stroke, and diabetes in both his family and mine. My husband had an aunt who died in her mid 50′s and when they did the autopsy her intestines were so badly damaged they could not determine what problem she had to cause the damage.
I have finally convinced my husband to work with me in eliminating wheat from her diet this summer to see if she has any improvements. (I want to be able to monitor everything she is eating, so until school is over for the year, I am simply working on transitioning her to alternative home made foods.) I’ve also been wondering about dairy. She isn’t a huge fan of drinking milk and with her digestive problems I’ve never forced her to drink it, but she loves yogurts, cheese, creamy salad dressings and dairy based dips to eat with her veggies.
Would there be any advantage to eliminating wheat and dairy at the same time? I’d like to simply eliminate wheat and grains first, and then if there are still problems eliminate dairy too. Are there other foods I should maybe look at?
I have been reading your blog, listening to podcasts watching your videos and really respect your opinions. I just recently picked up your book but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I plan on starting it tonight. My husband won’t read it since he isn’t a big reader and will just leave it all to me. Do you think there is a particular chapter in your book I should force him to read to try and show him how important this is and maybe it will motivate him to read the book or at least watch some of your videos? Or perhaps a particular video or podcast I should start him on? I really want my daughter to be healthy from the inside out, and I’m going to cut wheat and grains from my other two daughters diets at the same time because I think it’s the best thing for them for now and in the future. So I’d really like him to believe it is best too.
Thank you for your time and for all the work you have done trying to lead to a healthier world!
Amanda
Boy, Amanda: Your daughter sounds, for all the world, like she has a wheat intolerance.
This is the folly of the thinking of many of my colleagues: If you test negative for celiac markers, then wheat is not a problem. This is absurd. You can have terrible, even life-threatening, wheat intolerance with negative testing.
Wheat elimination is the key. I don’t know of any specific book chapter or video that fully encapsulates the entire argument. Perhaps your husband will be persuaded by the health success your daughter experiences.
Dr. Davis,
Quick question: Do you have any known associations between effects of wheat and stroke/TIA? A friend of mine just had a TIA and I had to wonder if perhaps there is a connection since she’s a wheat eater.
Thanks!
Dr. Davis,
ABC World News just had a story about Domino’s Pizza and their new gluten free pizza. They interviewed a Dr. who claims gluten gree isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I wonder why they didn’t interview you? The segment also credited the ‘gluten free craze’ to Hollywood stars who swear by the diet for weight loss.
???
Got me, Eugene!
But gluten-free is a destructive blunder that needs to be discreted, else knuckleheads like my colleague will start to say stupid things like, “I told you so!”
I have been carb free for the last two months… but now I wonder about popcorn at home. (Not movie popcorn.) For example, Jolly Time that is oil popped on the stove. Is this a no-no? (Fingeers crossed) I do not eat corn, of course. (For the carb angle) Would love an intelligent answer on this… (yeah, yeah I know popcorn is corn)
Thank you!!
Georgia
More than 3 cups (popped), you chance an excessive carbohydrate exposure sufficient to drive blood sugar up too much.
So small servings of less than 3 cups at a sitting are very helpful.
Thanks for your quick response. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your book and have told many people about it (I actually mentioned it on TV as well.) I recommended it to my own medical guru and after he got it, he emailed me and said, “Wow. I can’t put this book down. And he’s right.”
I sleep better; I have no heart burn; I am more clear-headed (so important!); and I am happier! For the first two months, I really did not lose wieght, but now I have lost about six pounds. Your book is the most life-changing book I have read in 30 years. (The last “life-changing” book made me a Buddhist.)
BTW we share Rick B as our agent.
All good things,
Georgia
(off to pop two cups of popcorn.)
Dr. Davis, my husband and I, together with my 76 yr old mother, have started/are going to be starting on the Wheat Belly diet. I have concerns however, due to the amount of fluids lost in the 1st week of the diet, that my mother may become dehydrated, perhaps causing a fainting episode, which could lead to a sprain or break (she has severe osteoporosis) – she has fainted 2x in the last few years from dehydration. She doesn’t drink a lot of water (and won’t no matter how much I hound her) and gets most of her fluids from fruit. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks so much.
I think I posted this incorrectly – will repost in FAQs