Consumption of modern wheat distorts health at many levels. Remove wheat, like removing a splinter that makes your finger hot, sore, and open to infection, and the body needs to readjust to this new lifestyle.
There are a number of strategies to consider to accelerate the adjustment. And there are other strategies worth considering that help recover overall ideal health. This last item, of course, is a huge issue, but there are several basic efforts that provide outsized benefits.
Among the issues/strategies to consider:
Bowel health
Remove this great disrupter of normal bowel flora called modern wheat and you need to transition back to healthier bacterial populations. After removing wheat, some people experience constipation and bloating (often misinterpreted as lack of fiber), more rarely diarrhea. Both situations can be addressed by taking a probiotic preparation that provides 50 billion CFUs (colony forming units) of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria species. I’ve had success with Renew Life and Enzymatic Therapy brands. Because intestinal bacteria should repopulate fairly quickly, 4-8 weeks of probiotic replacement usually suffices. (Continuing need usually signals that something continues to disrupt resumption of healthy bowel flora.) If this dose of probiotic is rough on your gastrointestinal tract, you can try a lower potency preparation, e.g., 10-25 billion, for the first few weeks. A softer, slower approach is to take advantage of the “prebiotic” effects of inulin, a fiber/polysaccharide contained in some of the sweeteners used in Wheat Belly recipes, such as powdered stevia extracts with inulin, Swerve, and others; inulin encourages growth of lactobacillus species.
If this fails to provide relief from bowel complaints, such as acid reflux/heartburn, constipation, thin or liquid stools, cramps, or bloating, then it is best to undergo formal evaluation to assess for pancreatic insufficiency/failed cholecystokinin signaling, biliary insufficiency, bacterial overgrowth resistant to wheat elimination/probiotic supplementation, and hypochlorhydria. This evaluation is best undertaken by a functional medicine practitioner, naturopath, or chiropractor with interest in these conditions. An occasional person does fine on his/her own by supplementing with a pancreatic enzyme supplement such as Enzymatic Therapy Mega Zyme or Renew Life ParaZYME.
Vitamin D
I count vitamin D as secondary only to wheat elimination as among the most powerful strategies I have ever witnessed to regain ideal health. While a wheat-free diet is richer in vitamin D from eggs, mushrooms, fish, and meats, most people nonetheless remain deficient. Because most of the people I know refuse to run naked outside in a tropical sun but live indoors and/or wear clothes, and because we lose the ability to activate vitamin D as we age, supplementation is necessary for most people to achieve desirable blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Having restored vitamin D in thousands of people over the past 6-7 years, I have found that most people require 4000-8000 units per day in gelcap form to achieve a desirable 25-hydroxy vitamin D level; I aim for 60-70 ng/ml (150-180 nmol/L). (Tablets are poorly or erratically absorbed.) Just as removing wheat mimics the natural diet of Homo sapiens that was without grains for 99.6% of the time we have walked on earth, so vitamin D supplementation restores the vitamin D we should have obtained from consumption of organ meats, mushrooms, fish, and the eggs of birds, as well as skin exposure to sun when possible.
The list of potential benefits of restoring vitamin D include relief from winter “blues,” heightened mental clarity, elevation of mood/relief from depression, improvement of memory; increased bone density/protection from osteoporosis and fracture; increased HDL cholesterol, reduced blood sugar/enhanced insulin sensitivity, reduced blood pressure; enhanced athletic performance; protection from colon, breast, prostate and other cancers; among many, many others.
NOW, Carlson, Nordic Naturals, as well as Sam’s Club and Costco, sell excellent vitamin D preparations at reasonable cost.
Omega-3 fatty acids
If you were a wild-living Homo erectus living one million years ago, hunting the African savanna, or an Ice Age Cro Magnon scratching out a living in the cold Northern European Plain of stone blades, you’d consume the snout, brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and hindquarters of auroch, ibex, reindeer and other creatures. Several pounds of animal flesh and organs per day was not uncommon. If you had access to coastal waters, you might also spear fish or scavenge shellfish. In the appropriate environment, you might also consume seal, whale, or walrus. You would thereby obtain rich quantities of omega-3 fatty acids that play varied roles in the human body, including participating in brain health and modulating the after-eating (postprandial) processing of meal byproducts.
Modern diets in which we are advised to cut fat and cholesterol and eat more “healthy whole grains” are woefully deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. A typical RBC omega-3 index (one method to gauge your omega-3 fatty acid content, obtainable as a blood test via fingerstick) of an average American is 3%, i.e., 3% of all fatty acids in red blood cells are omega-3s. The omega-3 RBC index of a wild living Homo sapiens who consumes fish and animal flesh/organs would be 8%, 10%, even higher (depending on the environment and the mix of animal and fish food sources). Interestingly, the risk for sudden cardiac death and cardiovascular events has been shown to drop off dramatically with an omega-3 RBC index of 10% or greater.
Nearly everyone achieves an RBC omega-3 index of 10% or greater with intakes of EPA and DHA (the two principal omega-3 fatty acids) of 3000 to 3600 mg per day, readily obtained by supplementing fish oil. (This is NOT the quantity of fish oil, but the quantity of EPA + DHA contained within fish oil.) The best fish oils are in the highly-purified triglyceride form, a form that requires additional purification steps beyond that usually taken to create the common fish oils on the supermarket, drugstore, or health food store shelves (the less well-absorbed ethyl ester form). The additional purification means triglyceride forms contain fewer parts-per-billion mercury, PCBs, dioxin, or other contaminants, and is better absorbed. (Notably, the prescription form of fish oil, the widely-prescribed and perversely expensive Lovaza, is the ethyl ester form.)
Supplementing omega-3 fatty acids reduces the postprandial excursions of lipoproteins (thereby reducing cardiovascular risk), reduces triglycerides, raises HDL cholesterol, reduces the proportion of small LDL particles, reduces blood pressure, enhances parasympathetic (“relaxation”) tone, and exerts anti-inflammatory effects.
The best sources of the triglyceride form of omega-3 fatty acids include NutraSea from Ascenta, Nordic Naturals, and Pharmax.
Iodine and thyroid health
If thyroid function is low, even if just by a bit, it will 1) impair your ability to lose weight, even adding weight, sometimes substantial, 2) increase LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and thereby 3) increase cardiovascular risk. It can also be responsible for low energy, inappropriately cold hands and feet, constipation, thinning hair, and other abnormal phenomena.
Iodine is crucial for health; without iodine, thyroid hormone levels decline, you develop colds hands and feet, become tired, constipated, retain water, gain weight, develop heart failure and can eventually die. Iodine is critical for thyroid health, as it is required for the thyroid gland to manufacture thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. Iodine is also important for breast health (reducing fibrocystic breast disease, a potential precursor to breast cancer) and oral health (as salivary glands concentrate iodine for antibacterial effects).
Problem: Unless you live in a coastal environment, the food you consume likely lacks iodine if it is sourced inland. (All the iodine on earth is in the ocean.) It means that people in the midwest or other inland areas can experience iodine deficiency, as they did up until the first half of the 20th century when goiters (enlarged thyroid glands due to iodine deficiency) were everywhere, affecting 25% of the population. This is why the FDA passed a regulation in 1924 that encouraged that iodine be added to table salt, a time in which there was no TV, radio, internet, and much of the U.S. was illiterate and/or rural. Early 20th century Americans were therefore encouraged to use more salt to “Keep your family goiter free!” (This was the actual motto on the Morton’s iodized salt container.)
Excessive salt use (along with the salt-retaining properties of modern wheat) led to problems with sodium in some populations. The FDA responded by urging Americans to cut their salt consumption. People listened . . . and iodine deficiency reappeared, showing up as the symptoms listed above, the symptoms of underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism.
Iodine deficiency is readily reversed by supplementing an inexpensive iodine supplement in capsule, tablet, or liquid form. I generally ask patients to supplement 500 mcg per day, a level higher than the 150 mcg per day RDA but a level that does not generate toxicity. (Rare side-effects are generally confined to people who have been severely iodine-deficient for an extended period and develop an overactive thyroid response, signaled by jitteriness, anxiety, and lab values suggesting an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism. This is distinctly uncommon.)
Along with iodine deficiency that impairs thyroid function, we have all been exposed to a wide range of organochemicals: perchlorates residues from synthetic fertilizers in your produce, polyfluorooctanoic acid from non-stick cookware (which can persist for 10 years or more in your body or in groundwater), and many others. This can result in hypothyroidism, a very common condition. While approximately 20% of people will experience partial or total restoration of thyroid function with just iodine supplementation, the other 80% with hypothyroidism will require prescription thyroid hormone replacement. The great majority of people do best with restoration of both T4 and T3 thyroid hormones, not just T4 (Synthroid or levothyroxine). It means taking levothyroxine (T4) with liothyronine (T3) or a combination tablet containing both, such as Armour thyroid or Naturethroid. The hurdle is in trying to find a practitioner to 1) perform a full thyroid assessment, then 2) address all aspects of thyroid health, including T3.
Magnesium
Wheat consumption over many years impairs intestinal magnesium absorption. To make matters worse, modern water treatment (either municipal or home water filtration) removes nearly all magnesium from drinking water and modern produce generally contains much less magnesium (60-70% less is typical). The result: widespread magnesium deficiency. This expresses itself as cramps in the hands and calves; constipation; heart rhythm disorders; and (modest) distortions of blood sugar and elevated blood pressure.
To remedy, consume foods rich in magnesium. While green vegetables and nuts contain some, seeds–sunflower, pumpkin, sesame–are unusually rich in magnesium. Most people, however, do better by supplementing magnesium. Magnesium malate is my preferred form, such as Source Naturals, 1200 mg (total tablet/capsule weight) two or three times per day. The malate form (the malic acid “salt,” an acid from apples and fruit) is well-absorbed and least likely to cause diarrhea. (Most other forms of magnesium cause loose stools, especially the oxide form.) If constipation is a real bother for you, magnesium citrate is a better stool softener, though a bit less well absorbed; 400 mg two or three times per day.
Eliminate all modern wheat, eat real single-ingredient foods, and follow the suggestions detailed above, and I predict that 80-90% of all modern chronic conditions, including hypertension, “high cholesterol,” diabetes and pre-diabetes, joint pains, gastrointestinal struggles, depression and other psychiatric difficulties, as well as literally dozens, if not hundreds, of other conditions, will recede, if not outright disappear.
Interestingly, note that, by eliminating wheat, supplementing vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and iodine, we are recreating the life of a primitive human–no primitive human consumed wheat or grains; they obtained vitamin D through sun exposure by living outdoors with greater surface area of skin exposure and/or consumption of foods containing it; obtained omega-3 fatty acids through consumption of animal organs, especially brain, and fish and shellfish, and (ideally) consumed coastal plants and animals containing iodine; consumed nuts, seeds, and drank water from a flowing stream rich in magnesium. In other words, these are the strategies we KNOW are consistent with the life created by human evolution.
This is great information. Could you also please add some comments on the need for Vitamin K supplementation while taking Vitamin D3 and also how Potassium supplementation relates to iodine. This is starting to get a little confusing for some of us……Thanks Dr. Davis!! Been wheat free for 4 months today and my husband joined me January 1st!!
While I am fascinated by the vitamin K2 issue, it is definitely does not play the same crucial role as vit D. I do indeed have many people taking K2 in some form, e.g., MK-4 or MK-7, but I have a question about K2, as well as any nutrient for which there is an apparent need and a deficiency syndrome with its lack or absence: As wild, free-living humans, where are we supposed to obtain K2? Only from animal meat and organs, or should we rely substantially on the conversion of K1 to K2 by bowel flora, and is the apparent deficiency really a consequences to disturbances in bowel flora? Could the solution be a shift in 1) diet, then 2) bowel flora, and supplementation becomes superfluous?
I don’t have all the answers (nobody does, some pretend they do; I generally call them “marketing people”!). But the answers will likely become available in the coming few years.
I suspect Dr. Mercola is driving much of the interest in Vitamin K. He doesn’t have a lot of credibility with me (just check the NF for his bars), and his site is marketing-heavy, but he may occasionally have some insight.
He claims that there’s no risk of overdose, so there’s apparently no downside to including K2 in the daily pill pile. He emphasizes that it must be consumed with fat.
I’m not a very big believer in taking lots of supplements, preferring to obtain my nutrients from my diet, for the most part. That said, I do believe that we have really diminished the nutritional value of most of the foods we eat. Our ancestors ate a diet that was far more nutritionally dense – no edible part of the animals were left out, with the fattiest parts (which contain most of the nutrients) being the most prized.
Perhaps, as you say, with a healthy bowel flora and proper diet, the conversion of K1 to K2 would be sufficient. However, recent studies have shown that as we get older, our body’s ability to perform the conversion decreases for both K1 to K2-MK4 in our tissues and K1 to K2-MK7 in our gut .
In the Prospect-EPIC study, which followed over 16,000 people for 10 years, researchers found that each additional 10 mcg of K2 in the diet results in 9 percent fewer cardiac events, whereas vitamin K1 did not offer a significant heart benefit. Granted, it’s only an epidemiological study, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to increase your K2 intake.
There is compelling evidence for K-2 for women with osteoporosis, as you pointed out here:
http://blog.trackyourplaque.com/2010/09/homegrown-osteoporosis-prevention-and-reversal.html
Thanks Jeff G for posting the link. I desparately needed some guidance and failed to check Dr. Davis’ Track Your Plaque for information…..dang, I’ve about read the entire web for links to my problem. ;)
Just an update….once I visited the newly acquired endo and his staff, I was advised to only take 2000 D3 and any other number that I felt I couldn’t live without. Since I’d posted in my disclosure to them and that I was only taking the RDA of iodine and K2 I was promptly told to drop those. So I did. Well, the determination was that I had hyperparathyroid and needed to see a surgeon pronto. The surgeon said to get a ionized blood calcium test – then to be sure another a week later, which did not show the parathyroid doing anything other than showing a large loss of calcium but could skate by with the numbers. Back to the endo…..didn’t believe the ionized test so sent me off again for more blood draw (I swear I’m keeping a vampire well fed). So now they’re wanting to put me on Vasomax or a choice of two others.
I’m stubborn, so came home and took a liquid calcium (the heart palps quieted down, went back to iodine, potassium, K-2, and doubled the Vit D3 to close to 5000 a day. Some tell me I’m nuts not to follow drs (intentionally lower case) but until I’m satisfied they know what they’re doing I’m not going the route of adding one drug after another until I’m convinced it’s the thing to do.
The only naturepath in the area even has her own ‘pharmacy’ on premise, and they’re really expensive, so I don’t feel too assured there either.
I wouldn’t send my dog to an endocrinologist, Neicee: a more useless brand of specialists I have never encountered.
Dr. Davis, I’m on Warfarin and I can’t see how it could be safe for me to take K vitamins since it would affect the thickness of my blood. I asked Dr. Jack Kruse this question many months ago, and he said not safe, to get off Warfarin, then take K-2. He’s another one that’s all for K vitamins. I’m not likely to get off Warfarin anytime soon. Can you give me any knowledge on this?
Taking any form of K1 or K2 is possible with warfarin, but it MUST be conducted with the supervision of a knowledgeable practitioner to monitor your INR changes.
In fact, there are data that your INR control is smoother, with fewer unexpected extremes, with low dose K1.
You just can’t take too much, else you will “turn off” your warfarin’s effect.
I check my INR myself once a week and send it to a company who then faxes it to my doctor. If its too high or too low, my doctor contacts me. Unfortunately my doc is the other kind of SAD (standard American doctor). Do you think it would be safe for me to try a low dose of K under those circumstances? And, if so, which one and how much? Thanks for the info. I know that you know that most of us are just out here on our own.
Thanks for the interesting read. It sure makes a nice change from the same ultra-basic spiel regurgitated to a different interviewer, which is what this blog usually seems to consist of (unfortunately). More posts like this would be very welcome, whenever new information becomes available or once your copious spare time (/sarcasm) permits you to summarise what you’ve figured out.
PS: Any chance you could sell your book by the box at some sort of bulk discount? They make great gifts, but due to the cost, I’ve only bought two copies.
PPS: The captcha on this blog doesn’t work on Safari 6.0.2 on my brand new Mac Mini running OSX 10.8.2. It kept saying ERROR: Could not read CAPTCHA token file.
> ERROR: Could not read CAPTCHA token file.
Are you sure that’s not just a captcha timeout?
It appears that when you nav to a comments page of an article, the blog software issues captcha tokens for every _Reply_ link visible.
If you take more than a few minutes to write a reply, the captchas have all timed-out, and you get that impertinent error message. The work-around is to:
a. copy your reply to the local machine clipboard just in case (or compose off-line)
b. refresh the page – that issues fresh captchas
c. click the Reply link again (what you had been typing is usually there, and if not, paste)
d. proof-read [ Post Comment ]
Noted, Peter. It is a blog, after all.
The publisher sells the books, so I don’t control such things as price and volume discounts. Rodale customer service should be able to help you, though I can tell you that, whenever this question comes up, the discount has been rather modest.
Thanks for the information!
Question: What is the difference between vitamin D and vitamin D3 – will taking D3 give the same benefits? And is a liquid form ok?
Thanks!
Of course I could be wrong but usually when a recommendation for vitamin D is given it usually means vitamin D3. Rarely is vitamin D2 ever given as it’s not the best form of vitamin D.
Yes, thanks, John.
Vit D3 only, the human form; NEVER D2, the mushroom form. Last I checked, only humans read this blog but no mushrooms!
And a lack of omega-3 fatty acids is indeed among the sacrifices of the vegetarian/vegan life, as sources of linolenic acid, such as flaxseed, chia, and walnuts, are insufficient to provide full benefit.
Huh, my mushroom D is D3, not D2.
I got liquid Vit D3 through my doctor.
Thanks for the information Dr. Davis. I went ahead and purchased what was recommended but bought a combination fish oil and Vitamin D – Nordic Naturals – Ultimate Omega D3, Source Naturals Magnesium Malate 625mg, Country Life Norwegian Kelp 225 mcg.
This came at an appropriate time for me, as I’m trying to reduce the number of supplements I take daily. Last count was 14 – way too many for someone in relatively good health. And I’m not even trying to live forever, just to remain independent until my expiration date comes around. :-)
I take Nature’s Plus Source of Life Garden Vitamin D3 which is derived from mushrooms as opposed to most manufactured D which comes from sheep lanolin.
As a vegetarian I don’t eat fish or take fish oil capsules. My approach is to attempt to bring Omega 3 and 6 into balance by eating less 6 as opposed to balancing a high 6 intake with 3. I would probably be healthier if I ate fish a couple times a week but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
Excellent article and very timely for me, as we have just gone wheat-free, it’s been 6 days and already seeing a difference. Both my partner and I are heavy vitamin & mineral supplementers and I am concerned that we are now over supplementing. Seems we need to sit down and take stock of what we are eating to ensure we do not go overboard.
I noticed the high amount of vitamin D. I have read several articles, some from the Mayo clinic, talking about the dangers of too much Vitamin D, as it is a fat soluble vitamin.
Has anyone had any experience with the absorbancy of Shaklee’s vitamins and minerals? According to the website, they are of the highest calibre and absorbancy. Any thoughts?
We love being wheat free!
Ann Marie & Paul
Ann Marie,
I was concerned about the same thing after hearing all the hoopla about the toxicity of vitamin D. The lecture given below put my fears to rest, and is worth watching if you are really interested in vit. D: A study by Dr. Robert Heaney suggests the upper limit for daily intake is somewhere between 10,000 – 50,000 IU. That part of the lecture is at 30:00 if you want to skip right to it. Dr. Davis’s recommendations are well below that, but high enough to maintain optimal levels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emjCzaHtSrg
I love your book and this article and believe everything you say about wheat. My only problem is that you seem to have a very atheistic evolutionary view of life when it is God who made the human body so astoundingly regenerative and God who gave you all this wisdom that you are able to pass on to us. I don’t care to eat like primitive man, but eat the way God designed my body to eat.
As a deeply Christian man, I asked myself this: Was it God’s will that we tinkered with wheat’s DNA, and mass cultivated it to the point that it excluded nutrient-dense plants and animals in our diets – single-ingredient foods that He created? I don’t think so. We’ve done this to ourselves by our own free will (motivated primarily by greed in the food industry). Perhaps primitive man was living in better accordance with God’s plan than we recently have. Evolutionary biology poses no threat to the faith.
Dr. Davis, What is your opinion of Carlson Fish Oil? This is the brand I take http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=CL-1938&sourceType=sc&source=fg&adGroup=Top20SKU&keyword=CL-1938&cm_mmc=Google+Shopping-_-Product+Listing+Ads-_-Top20SKU-_-CL-1938&gclid=CLaxm_uj47QCFQJx4Aod6AsAew#.UPGVCW9pfj4
Is it the “highly-purified triglyceride form”? or should I be taking one of the one’s you listed above?
Dr Davis, is it true that if you take magnesium supplements, you should take calcium too? My nutritionist insists on a combo magnesium/calcium citrate pill. I’ve been taking it for almost a year now and getting worried about the level of calcium I’m taking in. I would appreciate your view.
Sue
See:
https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/08/slave-to-wheat/comment-page-2/#comment-14484
where Dr. Davis, says, in part:
“…
Obtaining sufficient calcium in the diet is likely not an important factor for bone health. New data, in fact, is suggesting that calcium taken in supplement form increases risk for heart attack by 25-50%, likely because calcium is passive and just goes anywhere, including arteries and heart valves where it does not belong.”
Dr. Davis,
I take Cod Liver Oil which I know contains vitamins A and D. Does this oil have both vitamin D2 and D3? What is your opinion of cod liver oil?
Also, what is the difference between magnesium malate and chelated magnesium? I had a natural health practitioner who told me to take chelated magnesium.
As far as salt, I use Celtic sea salt. If I take 500 mcg of iodine as a daily supplement, will I become toxic if I continue to use the Celtic sea salt in cooking?? Thanks!
Sincerely,
Angela
Thanks Doctor for these informations! I suspect I may have some pancreatic insufficiency, but I didn’t get any formal evaluation by a professional. I would like to take some enzymes anyway. Could it be dangerous if I take enzymes without knowing if I need them?
I Have the same questions about taking iodine supplements without knowing if I need it. My doctor thinks my thyroid is functioning normally, but I can not lose weight. so I want to start iodine capsules. could it be dangerous?
Evening all, haven’t written for a few months but wanted to say thank you, again, Dr. Davis for this current list. I’ve had some recurring problems so finally scheduled a blood workup, bone density scan, and discussed some things with a new doctor. The nurse called on Friday and everyone in their office is sick with the flu….but, I seem to have developed osteoporosis, high count of calcium in the blood, plus on the high side of high blood pressure. After much searching on the net, something is certainly leeching calcium out of the bone, and rapidly. They seemed to insinuate it’s parathyroid. Any thoughts? Anyone?
Forgot to mention, it all started with heart palpitations and I started getting worried. Haven’t taken calcium since the earliest reports of connections to female heart problems developing from it’s use. I’m scared spitless and haven’t a clue what I’m facing. All other stats were normal and my triglerides were very low. Unfortunately, I’ll have to go in as soon as the office clears of flu bugs and make some hard decisions. From what I’ve read the only solution to parathyroid is surgery, after a battery of costly tests. Any thoughts or recommendations from anyone is appreciated.
Hi Neicee,
I would recommend Dr. James Norman’s website parathyroid.com for comprehensive information on hyperparathyroidism. I was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism (one bad parathyroid gland) in 2010. Surgery is the only treatment for this condition and possibly could resolve your hypertension, heart palpitations as well as the osteoporosis. My surgery was performed by a Cleveland Clinic surgeon at my local hospital. Now that I have figured out the missing component for better health was going wheat/grain free, I feel the best I have in decades.
Best of luck to you in getting the proper diagnosis. I hope you can resolve this health issue and find your way to a better state of health.
Gayle
I’m very sorry you’re having problems, niecee.
I’ve only heard and read about this. Autoimmune parathyroid attack can cause a lot of calcium problems. It dissolves calcium from where it belongs, and places it in circulation. Doctors have medical solutions. I only have this. All autoimmune disease is caused by food antigens attacking tissue from the bloodstream. The parathyroid is an organ. In the case of organs, food peptides plug into nerve transduction processes. The immune system responds by removing the affected tissue. So I’m guessing you are ingesting a food peptide which is causing this.
Are you ingesting dairy? The A1 peptide of beta casein is responsible for lots of autoimmune attacks. If I was in your shoes I would trim my diet back to meat, green non-legume veggies, and rice. You might be able to expand from there, but test and stabilize before attempting to branch out.
Calcium is an extremely important cellular and communication chemical. You probably have some metabolic and nerve things going on too. Good luck.
My humble thanks to both Gayle and Uncle Roscoe. I just felt that someone in our community would have some recommendations. So glad you responded. Doctors appt. next Friday for followup. Will update at that time. Crossing fingers and toes…..
Hi Dr. Davis,
What are the recommended acceptable levels for the following:
Cholesterol? Is it 100-200 mine was 202 (which I know is high)
Triglycerides? Is it 35-150 mine was 74
HDL? Is it 40-99 mine was 56
LDL? Is it 0-100 mine was 131 (which I know is high)
Free T4? Is it 0.61 – 1.12 mine was 0.75
A1C? 4.6 -6.3 mine was 0.75
My Glucose was at 116
These are the values that caused me to seek out a change & why I found WB. I thought I was eating healthier by eating brown rices and whole wheat pasta vs regular. But my doctor said my cholesterol is up & I had been gaining weight. Maybe you can post your value chart on the blog so that we can all monitor our levels.
I ask this because I found your value for TSH which should be at 1.0 MiU or less and
mine was 1.93 but according to the range included with my test results they said I was within range, but I tend to believe you more.
These results were taken 08/27/12 and I am scheduled for testing
March 6, 2013. I started Wheat Belly on December 9, 2012.
Thanks
It would help me too, Dr. Davis, to know upper and lower ranges from you. My doctor conceded to testing my:
Free T4 = 1.3
Free T3 = 2.8
Reverse T3 = 36
But then I didn’t know what to do with the results.
I was on Synthroid for several years. I switched to Armour Thyroid December 2012 and haven’t been tested since. I’ll be scheduling that shortly.
I live near the coast, so I was wondering specifically how you get more iodine. I would prefer to not take any supplements also and do eat quite a bit of fish/seafood and spend time outside.
Eat fish and seaweed.
Dr. Davis,
I love this post. It gives us clear direction on what we should be doing. I was wondering if you could do the same thing with sugar levels. What our levels should be at fasting, before meal, an hour after, etc. Also, what we can do to correct our sugar level if it goes too high. How we can test to see if we are over sensative to carbs, etc.
I did read your post of a few weeks ago, about what to do if you are not losing weight, but are wheat free. However, it didn’t really go into details about sugar levels.
Thanks
Okay, good idea, Janet!
When you recommend various supplements you mention several sources, but you do not mention Life Extension. Since you are on the Medical Advisory Board of Life Extension I wonder why you do not include LEF as a reliable source of supplements?
Perhaps he does not wish to end up in the middle of a “conflict of interest” brouhaha.
Forgot!
Yes, Life Extension is a good all-around source.
I was thinking the same thing about vitamin K2. If gut flora is changed when wheat is avoided, possibly more vitamin K2 is fermented in a healthy gut. I suppose In the mean time, till further news come out I’ll keep taking a little K2. K2 pills certainly seem to create shiny hair and nice skin tone.
Thanks for the additional suggestions for a healthy bowel. Having an IBD disorder myself, experimenting with probiotics and digestive aids comes up at some point for all of us. From my experience having tried probiotics in the past, different formulations did not help my condition. I was reading this morning on a Crohns forum of many finding probiotics, along with diet changes, to be greatly helpful placing some even in remission. Others were similar to me, reporting that they where not finding probiotics of much help. Everyone is different I suppose.
In a broader sense, it has been a frustration of mine with our health care system looking little into dietary ideas to address IBD conditions. I can recall years ago being told a number of times by physicians that diet played little to no part in most bowel disorders. Really, I would think? Diet is thought to play a part in major disease of cancer formations, heart disease, and yet our organs that digest foods are not effected by what we eat? It often reminded me of reading many being told that diet plays no part in the formation of acne. Any teenager could tell you that wasn’t the case.
I’m on a special diet at the moment that seems to be having some success. if this doesn’t pan out, I’ll retry some of probiotics mentioned. I don’t want to mess with things when I’m doing decently well. I’ve been able to get the gut healed on special limited diets in the past. The problem is when I broaden the diet. Trying to figure out trigger foods is difficult.
Dr Davis,
I’ve been wheat free and relatively low carb for over two months now, and suddenly carb cravings are coming back. Isn’t this a bit late in the game for all that?
On a completely separate subject, I’m curious what you think of this article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC373256/
Eat more oils and fats, Ev, along with other healthy foods like vegetables, eggs, cheese, etc. Perhaps your hunger is natural.
The article simply suggests that there may be nuances in the thinking about grain consumption that were not fully appreciated. However, the bottom line remains: Grain consumption was a relatively recent addition to the human experience.
To Dr. Davis & Donna:
Donna’s question about including Vitamin K2 when supplementing with large doses of Vitamin D3 is a valid concern based on a recent book by Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue entitled, “Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox.” She writes that the fat soluble vitamins that include D3, K2 and A have to be present is reasonable proportion to each other to provide the most benefit. A big intake of Vitamin D3 without sufficient balance of the other two can be bad. She was interviewed on Dr. Mercola’s website and suggested for every 1000iu of D3 you should take 100mcg of K2 (preferably Menaquinone 7). Personally, twice a day I take 100mcg of K2 with 2000iu of Vitamin D, with additional K2 coming (hopefully) from my diet.
The author says the way food is sold today makes it difficult to get K2 from your diet. You need to eat things like milk, eggs, butter and beef. But these foods are not typically eaten by most people today in their proper form. For example, how many of us eat eggs and butter from free-roaming chickens and pastured cows? That’s the way people consumed these foods in the good old days. How many of us eat grass-fed (and may I add grass-finished) beef? Most beef sold today comes from feedlots. It doesn’t help much if the cattle were raised without hormones and antibiotics if they were fed corn. Even grass-fed meat loses much nutritional benefit if the grass-fed cows were grain-finished for the last portion of their lives (prior to slaughter). You need grass-fed and grass-finished beef to get the dietary benefit Dr. Rheaume is talking about. How many of us eat that type of meat? I have found a local store that sells grass-fed and finished beef and I also purchase free run eggs and organic butter, in an attempt to obtain possible good dietary sources of K2.
With the proper “mix” of fat soluble vitamins, K2 can act in a way that actually removes arterial plaque, according to Dr. Rheaume. On the other hand, a large Vitamin D3 supplement on its own can throw things off and do more harm than good. Based on Dr. Rheaume’s book, I would prefer to err on the side of caution with respect to taking huge doses of Vitamin D3 alone. I’m trying to strike some sort of balance. Since I already know I have coronary artery disease based on a 64-slice scan, I don’t want to take mega-doses of just Vitamin D3 only to learn five years from now that I’ve made things worse.
PS. I previously posted this letter under the wrong blog. So here it is again.
Dr. Davis, I would appreciate getting your thoughts on Vitamin D and Fish oil supplementation for people who are taking the blood thinner Warfarin.
1. Vitamin D. From some research I’ve found some dissenting opinion on this. From this discussion on web site :http://paleohacks.com/questions/60261/warfarin-and-vitamin-d#axzz2HtWJeDuW check out the answer from a poster named “The Quilt” (when you click on his name takes you to the web site of Dr. Jack Kruse, Neurosurgeon. http://www.jackkruse.com/) In his post he is quite negative on supplementing Vitamin D if on Warfarin.
2. http://www.nutritionworkshop.com/register.php. This is a website where you can input Drugs, Vitamins and supplements and it cross references contraindications. (I can’t link to page for Vitamin D and Warfarin interaction as you have to sign up and input data. so here is info re-typed (sorry for length)
“Effects: Vitamin D and Warfarin. Warfarin interferes with Vitamin K’s deposition of minerals in the bones induced by Vitamin D and enhances bone demineralization caused by Vitamin D toxicity. Vitamin D, in turn, exacerbates Warfarin – induced pathologic mineralization of soft tissue. Caution is needed if Vitamin D at high doses is administered to patients on Warfarin”
References: [1] Koshihara et al, vitamin K2 promotes 1alpha,25(OH)2 vitamin D3-induced mineralization in human periosteal Osteoblasts,Calcif Tissue Int. 1996;59:466-73
[2] Price & Sloper Concurrent Warfarin treatmentfurther reduces bone mineral levels in 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3-treated rats. J Biochem. 1983;258:6004-07
[3] Price et al, Warfarin – Induced Artery Calicification is Accelerated by growth and Vitamin D
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2000;20:317-27
Dr. Davis, What’s your opinion of this potential Vitamin D/ Warfarin conflict? And how much could be taken by someone that is on Warfarin?
(Note: I started Vitamin D3 about 2005 and had been taking 4000 I.U.s per day. Never had blood levels tested. But started taking Warfarin (for AFIB 1 year ago.) Decreased vitamin D in June of this year to 2,000 I.U’s per day. I get conflicting information from my anti-coagulation clinic who say they don’t issue a caution on Warfarin and Vitamin D.
Fish Oil. My understanding is that because Fish oil (omega 3 EFA’s) can potentially have blood thinning anti-coagulation properties that they should be used with caution if taking Warfarin. The dosage that you are recommending in your article above is many times the small amount I’m taking (540 mg EPA and 360 mg DHA per day contained in total 3 grams) Been taking fish oil for about 10 years. (higher doses when not on Warfarin) What do you recommend to your patients on how much EPA/DHA they should take if on Warfarin.
Thanks. Jack
P.S. Been on Wheat Belly program for 1 year. Dropped 30 lbs with positivve results…thanks
Good work on the weight loss, Jack!
It makes no sense to avoid vitamin D if you take warfarin. If so, you should wear sunscreen and avoid all sun, then resign yourself to a life of osteopororosis and cancer. This makes NO sense.
Fish oil is not a blood thinner; it NORMALIZES blood thinning. So taking it with warfarin is without adverse consequence. If there were truly a potential for adverse effect, you should stop eating all fish. This is, of course, nonsense.
Dr. Davis, I’ve eliminated all wheat, grains and added sugar since 12/31. I’ve actually gained 2 lbs in 14 days. I keep looking for a change in my body but there isn’t any. I’m not giving up but wondering what I am doing wrong. I do drink wine, could that be it? I’m also on Synthroid. Could it be my thyroid? I’m committed to stick to this but I’m clearly doing something wrong.
It is, more than likely, the Synthroid. Despite making a major positive change in diet, the lack of the T3 thyroid hormone (Synthroid is T4) is likely impairing your weight loss progress.
Good news: If you address T3, weight will likely fall off you. Bad news: You need a new doctor, preferably somebody in the functional medicine or naturopathy area.
Thank you so much Dr. Davis! I will get on this tomorrow :)
The nih gives the vitamin d upper limit to prevent toxicity as 4000 units.
Dr Davis,
I just started your wheat belly diet today. I am trying to get my husband to do this with me but he has some concerns. Can he have eggs and mayonnaise on the diet? He has high cholesterol and he is afraid that some of the things in the cookbook will cause high cholesterol. His doctor has told him to stay clear of any eggs and mayonnaise base items such as salad dressings.
Thanks, Christi
I just can’t help chiming in. There is no scientific basis for the mainstream myths saying that people ingest cholesterol and that cholesterol is a bad thing.
Cholesterol is a good thing. But it’s not something you ingest. The liver manufactures cholesterol. Cholesterol particles are small balloons. The balloon surface is a membrane made of phospholipids, the same thing the surfaces of your cells are made of. The balloons are filled with ketones which your liver refines from ingested and stored fats.
Cells are capable of absorbing triglycerides (fats) from the bloodstream. But cells get needed ketones via cholesterol. In addition, cells replenish spent and contaminated phospholids into their membranes by incorporating the phospholipids from cholesterol particles.
Personally, I believe commercial eggs have been loaded with some other things which bother many people. But “cholesterol” isn’t one of them. Your husband’s doctor is a perfect example of how the medical establishment is staffed by total incompetents. It’s like they get their AMA licenses, stop thinking, forget everything they ever learned, and operate as stooges for an incompetency machine.
“Bad cholesterol” happens when the liver manufactures cholesterol in a small compact form, very low density lipoprotein, or VLDL. The liver manufactures VLDL particles when blood sugar and glycation rise. VLDL production is a defense mechanism. Sugar glycation causes inflammation and harms artery and vessel walls. Extended glycation kills the endothelium on the interior surfaces of these vessels. The dead tissue forms calcified plaque. VLDL particles attempt to coat and soften the plaque. As the heart pumps vessels expand and contract. Plaque is rigid. The pumping action causes plaque to break. The VLDL particles attempt to seal the cracks. Unfortunately, when the process is prolonged excess plaque and VLDL particles can cause blockages and death.
So the problems associated with “high cholesterol” by mainstream medicine and mainstream media are not caused by cholesterol ingestion at all. They are caused by foods which cause sugar glycation. Wheat and sugar top this list.
Tell your husband to find a competent doctor.
Dr. Davis,
Thanks for clarifying the supplement issue. We were just getting a number of questions on our wheatbelly team on Spark so this is a great help. :)
I also have another reason to comment today which is not directly related to this particular blog. My 15-year-old daughter has written her first blog and the topic is “Wheatbelly”. I hope you will enjoy reading it, knowing that your message reaches the younger generation and they sure put it in their own language. ;)
Birgit
http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal.asp?id=HOUNDLOVER1
Brigit, please tell your daughter how proud we all are for her blog. Priceless!
Dr. Davis,
I have struggled with constipation all of my life. My PA has been pushing Wheatbelly for awhile. I finally got my constipation issues worked out about a month ago with Magnesium. I take 400 mcg in the am, 400 at lunch, and 800 at bedtime. I was going everyday. Since starting Wheatbelly 10 days ago, I am now not going at all. I started taking a probiotic and increased my magnesium and it gave me relief one time so far. But I was stuck at home for the evening. If you know what I mean :). Am I doing the right thing or is there something more I can do? And will this get better? I feel so much better, wheat free, except for this glitch. Also, I have not lost any weight, which is very discouraging.
Thanks for the help!
There is something wacky going on. You may, for instance, have experienced a period of poor hydration that caused a stool “plug” to form that is causing even this new and healthy approach to fail to yield benefits.
This is when an osmotic agent might help to break up the plug. Try a bunch of sugar free candies or gum made with mannitol or sorbitol until the effect is broken.
With all the great things wheat does, we need not eat anything else or bother with supplements. Wheat shall provide. It supposedly prevents all the items we have discovered that it causes.
Have a good chuckle digesting this (actually, the misinformation is quite sad):
http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/cereal/health-benefits-of-wheat.html
I am wondering if you know, Dr. Davis, whether humans are better at processing starch and carbs in the fall months and winter. I do a CSA and get loads of veggies all summer long as they ripen. In the spring I get lots of greens. In the fall I get a lot of fall-ripened veggies such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, some corn, winter squash, etc. With this natural cycle I got to wondering if anybody has studied how we absorb and use food on a seasonal basis.
Yes, if you lived in the wild and had to endure a long, cold winter with calorie deprivation until the spring thaw arrives. I’ll bet you don’t live that way, but live in the comfort of a house with central heating, as well as a constant flow of food.
So, no, this does not apply to modern life. You can develop diabetes, for instance, year-round.
Dr. Davis,
I have a question regarding your advice on fish oil – I am severely allergic to fish, and therefore I do not take fish oil, but instead take a flaxseed oil supplement. Is this a good substitution for the fish oil? Is there anything else I should take in addition to benefit further (besides the things you mention in your original post)?
Also, I am allergic to chick peas and note that many recipes call for chick pea flour – what would you recommend as a good alternative?
Thanks much!
The Ascenta brand of fish oil has a vegetarian form of DHA that works for a lot of people allergic to fish. Flaxseed is NOT an adequate replacement for fish oil, as the conversion of linolenic acid to EPA + DHA is minimal.
Easy: Just increase the proportion of other flours, e.g., almond meal, and leave the chickpea flour out.
I never would have thought there would be a vegetarian version of fish oil!
We are nearly 1 week wheat free, and it is getting easier every day, even for my kids.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Dr. Davis. You Rock!
I have yet to get an answer about this but I really want to know if wheat grass juice is ok or not? I have scoured the wheat belly book, the cookbook and the blog with no help at all. PLEASE let me know if this if still a hybridized ‘frankengrain’ product that we should avoid. Or if because it is the sprout rather than the grain, we can keep this in our diet? Its rare for us but I would rather know. PLEASE!!!!
Thank you
> Or if because it is the sprout rather than the grain, we can keep this in our diet?
This will help answer your question, Tandi. This is a Dr Davis post from February 2012. Sprouted or not, it’s still wheat and still bad for you. Hope this helps!
https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/02/kick-it-smack-it-sprout-it/
Yes, it is, but it lacks most of the unhealthy ingredients of the wheat seed used to make flour. It does, however, have wheat germ agglutinin that is a direct intestinal toxin. I would advise against using it.
i posted a few questions yesterday-but im not sure under which subject-just was thinking id get an email answer–anyways, how do i found my answers to the qs i asked on the blog? thanks, candy
Well, I could answer that, but would you find the answer ? :)
Bookmark.
As soon as the screen refreshes and shows your posted Reply, bookmark it.
If the topic is active, your post may age off to “Older Comments” in a few days, but the bookmark will at least get you to the correct topic.
Older than that, you need to use an external search engine, such as Google, restricted to:
site:wheatbellyblog.com
These hits may also be stale, but will be the correct topic.
The blog’s own search engine is weak, and doesn’t search replies at all.
There is no email response notification that I know of.
Thanks for the awesome post on supplements. I’m new to the whole wheat free concept and am trying to learn as much as possible. It is a major paradigm shift for sure! I have a few questions:
1) You mentioned on the Omega 3’s to take it in the triglyceride form. By triglyceride form do you mean it should be liquid or gel form or is it merely the process and gel or liquid is fine?
2) Can you recommend a good protein source for shakes/smoothies? In the past I have used Syntax Matrix but noticed on the ingredient list that there is “hydrolyzed wheat gluten.” I like to make smoothies for my little fellas and “hide” veggies such as spinach or cabbage in them as I have a very very hard time getting them to eat veggies.
3) I do have your new cookbook and am trying some recipes (I personally loved the string cheese with flax and parmesan). Could you (or any other smarty pants person out there) make any recommendations for how to help kids transition? I have 3 small boys (2,4 and 7) who are proving to be tough customers. My 7 year old is my most difficult dude to feed because he has an enormous appetite but so far has not liked my “wheat free” options. He is mostly interested in granola or cereal type items and isn’t big on meat, veggies, healthy dipping sauces, etc. Any help would be a huge boost!
Hey Anni!
Have you looked at Maria Emmerich’s blog and cookbooks? She has tons of kid-friendly recipes like protein waffles, muffins, pizza crusts, etc. :)
The brands mentioned are among the few triglyceride forms; this is usually specified on the label. It has nothing to do with being in gel or liquid form.
As I am not a big fan of protein powders, I tend not to get too involved in brands. However, pick the simplest with no added sugars.
Note that the recipes best for kids in the new Cookbook are designated “Kid Friendly.” I believe you should find a number of useful possibilities there.
Dr. Davis.
You speak about iodine, but he didn’t note any resource to purchase. Can you purcahse iodine? I remember when I was young my mother had a little bottle with an eye dropper to put on our cuts. Is that what you are talking about? Or, are there iodine pills out there now?
I got my Vit. D and Magnesium yesterday, but couldn’t find any iodine drops or pills.
Thanks,
Iodine would be consumed in iodide supplement form, often kelp tablets, and not as topical tincture of iodine, which is too concentrated as well as being an inappropriate (and potentially toxic) compound.
Dr. Davis, do you incorporate the iodine loading test into your diagnosis of hypothyroidism or iodine deficiency?
No. Because iodine replacement is so easy and because everybody needs it, I just have everyone do it. I’ve witnessed good results with no toxicity doing it this way.
I am aware of the arguments of Dr. David Brownstein et al, but have not followed their practices.
I’ve only started cutting back on wheat, potatoes, and rice, and I am experiencing extreme constipation. Will this pass?
Sara, constipation is a fairly common side effect of a major diet change like this. See the topic “constipation” in the Categories menu on the bottom left of the blog page. It should answer all of your questions.
I am allergic to shellfish, could I still take iodine supplement?
This is something to discus with a healthcare practitioner with some brains. Several things to know:
1) Allergy to iodine is physically impossible, but allergy to iodinated proteins can occur.
2) If you have ingested iodized salt in food without reaction, it is highly likely that just iodine is perfectly safe.
After all, iodine is necessary for life. However, you want to take iodine under supervision.
Thanks. I’ll check into it.
Hi Dr. Davis,
Do you have any specific recommendations of brands for Iodine supplementation.
Thanks!
I generally use kelp tablets, of which there are many reasonable brands.
Maybe not good for your weight, but rice contains lots of magnesium and has not the disadvantages of wheat.
Love the posting, and it comes at a timely point in my journey. I’ve been wheat free/ketogenic for a year. In the first two months, I went from 187 to 158 pounds. I suffered from arthritis in my fingers for 8 years that disappeared. My blood pressure went from 140/90 to 115/75. Not bad for a 57 year old male.
The only issues i’m considering is my LDL-C. Within the first two months of my lifestyle change, my lipid panel indicated the dramatic decreases of HDL-C and trigs, while getting the dramatic increases in LDL-C.
My question is this, can the thyroid function slow enough to not cause wieght loss, and yet elevate LDL-C?
Love what your doing here, and thanks for the help.
Yes, indeed, Dennis: Hypothyroidism can be responsible for substantial increases in LDL cholesterol, as well as superior measures such as LDL particle number and apoprotein B.
Hi there Dr Davis
I am enjoying your compelling website and writing style.
I have tried to buy your book on Amazon but no supplier listed on their site will ship to New Zealand ! Is there another way to buy your book ?
If only cutting edge nutrition was taught in medical school.
Many thanks
Dr Fiona Ciaran
Hi, Dr. Fiona–
Not sure about New Zealand in particular, but there are several other retailers that sell Wheat Belly, including Barnes and Noble.
You can also find it on EBay, where most sellers will ship internationally. Hope this helps! I would also try Half.com.
Carol
Just to add that if you have Hashimotos (autoimmune thyroidism) DO NOT TAKE IODINE. You may well have an iodine deficiency – but your hormone levels will need to be very closely monitored if you start to take iodine as it can trip a full on autoimmune response.
Dr Davis put this in the book, but not in the article above. I am very impressed by his knowledge of thyroid disorders. Most doctors don’t have a clue. It took 12 year and NINE doctors before I even got one who would perform a thyroid panel – and I have a 4 inch scar on my neck from thyroid surgery when I was 15 !!
It is very important for people with autoimmune thyroiditis to follow a gluten-free diet as Coeliacs and Hashimotos seem to be closely related. About 30% of people with Coeliacs have Hashimotos and vice versa – a much higher incidence than in the general population.
I knew this, but I made artisinal sourdough loaves which I and my family loved……… but after reading Wheat Belly I stopped all my wheat and have weaned my husband and children off too….. We now “make do” with almond pancakes and Paleo Pizza (the one made with zucchini and almond meal) :))
I have only lost 8 pounds since doing this (about three weeks), but the difference is in my energy levels – higher, smoother and far more stable. Oh and all my adult acne has cleared up – I no longer need to wear cover-up or foundation. And my tummy has gone in an inch and a half.
I sent the book to my Dad and am hoping to get my sister with Chronic Fatigue (10 years) to read it.
Thankyou Dr Davis !!
A great start, Molly!
Dr Davis: What about BPH (enlarged prostate) and related symptoms in men. I wonder if low carb eating, particularly eliminating wheat, might effect this. Thanks!
This is one of the very rare conditions in which I have not observed nor seen any data on an association with wheat, Katherine. So, unless new data emerge, there does not seem to be any relationship.
A family member, who had been consuming saw palmetto for BPH, was able to discontinue the SPafter being wheat-free low-carb for some months. Previously, suspending the SP would result in resumed discomfort. No doctor visits since starting this experiment, so no clinical data to support this anecdote.
But what may be the case is:
– eliminating wheat reduces inflammation, discomfort & flow restriction
– going very low carb is very likely to prevent cancer
And just today, another blog reader here:
https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2013/01/nutritional-supplements-in-the-wake-of-wheat-elimination/comment-page-3/#comment-62766
posted a link to an interesting report on prostate cancer. Some quotes from the beyond-the-abstract:
“…
The most consistent risk factor for prostate cancer in our reports has been a higher fasting serum insulin.
…
The fasting serum insulin level could also be reduced by using different diets. Most convincingly, the fasting serum insulin level has been shown to be reduced by using paleolithic type diet, but low-carbohydrate diets, decreasing carbohydrate and increasing unsaturated fats and/or protein could also be considered.”
It’s interesting. The view concerning prostate cancer’s connection to insulin resistance has reversed 180 deg. in only about 3 years.
Prostate cancer was thought to be the only cancer not associated with insulin resistance. That, because whenever surveyors asked men who had had prostate cancer surgery about their glucose levels pre-surgery, they consistently reported low glucose levels on average. It turns out that the perceived lack of a connection was a major factor predicting the need for prostate surgery. The oncology establishment cooked up non-glucose tests which gave false positives for cancer. The non-linking studies merely reported on the perception of cancer, not on real cancer.
…..pure incompetence. Of course prostate cancer links to insulin resistance. ALL cancer links to insulin resistance.
Oncologists play on a longer leash than many other physicians. A large percentage of their patients are expected to die no matter what they do.
Katherine, Doc,
According to Swedish reasercher and Jan Hammarsten MD, PhD Metabolic Syndrome is a keyword in this.
Sorry I can’t find an english lecture fore you.
He is published in respectable international magazines.
Found this: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/750517_1
http://www.urotoday.com/UroToday/Archives/beyond-the-abstract-a-higher-prediagnostic-insulin-level-is-a-prospective-risk-factor-for-incident-prostate-cancer-by-jan-hammarsten-md-phd-et-al-2233771.html
Hope this is a little primer help for you.
Thanks for writing the book Wheatbelly Doc, taught me a lot.
Just checking back in . My husband and I started the wheat elimination in July 2012. So far he has lost 30 lbs and I 25 lbs. I am losing at a rate of about a pound a month.I have about 5 more lbs to go.
The nutrasea products are made in my area from our local fish and krill. My family were fishermen and that is what we ate and still eat more than meat or anything else. I know no one in previous generations or my generation who has had heart disease. They actually died of old age in their 90’s.
When you are talking about Vit. D, is there a specific type? Some earlier research I did suggested that we need to supplement with D3 so that is what I have. Is that sufficient?
I respectfully disagree with everything on this post but magnesium supplementation. Evolution? Such a humorous idea but sad ones actually take the disgraced theory seriously. Vitamin d is immunosuppressive and makes ones feel good the same way cortisone or prednisone does. Mpkb.org
With all due respect, the website you reference appears to be selling a particular drug: “What is the Marshall Protocol? – The cornerstone of the MP is frequent dosing of olmesartan (brand name Benicar), which stimulates the innate immune response.” This is not science, this is sales.
In the two months since I started to eliminate grains and legumes from my diet, I have seen a dramatic reduction of the inflammation in my joints and lost 5 pounds to boot. This article about which supplements to take and the amounts necessary was just the ticket for me. I already take fish oils, kelp and pre and pro-biotics. I am hoping that the Vitamin D and Magnesium will round out what I hadn’t been able to figure out myself.
Thank you, Dr. Davis, for putting all of the research in one easy-to-read volume and for this blog site, it’s been very helpful.
I noticed that your recipes use sea salt, but all the sea salt I’ve seen in the stores say they don’t contain iodine. Curious to know why you don’t use regular table salt with iodine in your recipes and what benefits/advantages sea salt has over table salt. Do you grind your sea salt as you use it? Are your recipes with finely ground or coarse sea salt?
I was wondering the same thing. It would be nice to get iodine without the supplement and more thorough food.
I am wondering why you don’t mention FCLO (fermented cod liver oil). I am taking it due to the omega3’s, vitamin D and micro nutrients – thinking I don’t need any additional Vit. D.
Just a helpful guess that it’s because sea salt has more natural minerals (and flavor too).
Unless I’m adding it to liquid I always have a go at it in the mortar-and-pestle.
Also, do you recommend adding these supplements one at a time or in a certain order? I was thinking it would be best to start with one at a time and take it for two weeks or so before adding another supplement. Once to the point of taking multiple supplements, do you take all of them at once or alternate throughout the day?
Hi Eva! I’m wondering the same things about the way to take all those supplements… Does anybody knows about that, please?