Dr. William Davis

Cardiologist + Author + Health Crusader

"The food you eat is making you sick and the agencies that are providing you with guidelines on what to eat are giving dangerous advice with devastating health consequences. You can change that today."

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Fertilize the garden called “bowel flora”

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Vegetable garden 123rf

I like to think of bowel flora, the thousand or so species of microorganisms that inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract, as a garden. Probiotics, i.e., anything that provides microorganisms believed to be among the desired inhabitants such as the various Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria species, are like planting seeds for peppers and zucchini in your garden in spring time.

But what if you planted your seeds, then neglected to water and fertilize your garden? If you’re lucky, you might have a few peppers and zucchini after a few weeks, but you’re more likely to have a few stunted vegetables or nothing except a few shriveled vines. A successful garden requires water and fertilizer.

So it goes with bowel flora. You eliminate the extraordinary bowel-disruptive effects of grains–gliadin, gliadin-derived peptides, wheat germ agglutinin, indigestible D-amino acids, trypsin inhibitors, and others–then “plant” some desired species from a probiotic preparation or fermented food, but then fail to nourish them. It means that desired species may not proliferate, they may not outnumber and overpower unhealthy species such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, and Firmicutes. Unhealthy species are allowed to proliferate, thereby increasing intestinal permeability and resulting in higher blood levels of the bacterial byproduct, lipopolysaccharide, that is highly inflammatory. It also means that healthy bacteria fail to produce fatty acids, especially propionate and butyrate, that are required by intestinal cells for normal metabolism, heal “tight junctions” between cells (disrupted in conditions such as ulcerative colitis), and reduce potential for colon cancer. It also means that metabolic benefits, such as reduced insulin and blood sugar levels, reduced triglycerides, reduced blood pressure, and reduced visceral fat do not result–all because desirable bowel flora were not “fertilized.”

So what acts as water and fertilizer to bowel flora? What feeds them, allows them to proliferate and yield factors such as butyrate? Fibers. But not all fibers.

In a fascinating tale of symbiosis, the coexistence of microorganisms and Homo sapiens, a specific class of fibers, i.e., polysaccharides or polymeric sugars, that are indigestible to the human digestive apparatus but digestible via the enzymes expressed by specific bacterial species, allow all these beneficial health effects to occur. It means that food, chewed, swallowed, bathed in stomach acid, emulsified by bile, broken down into constituents by pancreatic enzymes, exposed to 20-some feet of small intestine, finally reaching the colon where most microorganisms dwell, contains little remaining nutrients to nourish bacteria. The desirable species that thrive in this unique environment are those that can digest the undigested remains of your meal–fibers. But not cellulose fibers, i.e., wood fiber, of the sort that dominates in grains and is found in bran cereals. Cellulose is essentially indigestible by both our own digestive apparatus, as well as the bacteria that humans are capable of carrying. (It is digestible by ruminants.)

The proper care and feeding of bowel flora therefore causes proliferation of healthy Bacterioidetes, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacteria that produce bacteriocins that suppress growth of unhealthy species, metabolize fibers to butyrate that yields metabolic benefits, even improves bowel habits and allows you to have normal, healthy bowel movements without “crutches” like the bulk of cellulose fibers, laxatives, or enemas.

Is this evolutionarily appropriate? Is there precedent in human adaptation on this planet for such unique fibers? I ask this question because this is my litmus test for the suitability of any dietary strategy we consider. Recall, for instance, that grains were added 300 generations ago, or 0.4% of our time on earth, a mere moment in time ago. They are inappropriate for human consumption, now made worse by the genetic fiddlings of agribusiness. (I have to concede that grains do indeed have some fibers that have health benefits, such as arabinoxylan in wheat and beta glucan in oats, but they come with such undesirable other components that it is simply not worth it.) Yes, consuming such fibers is evolutionarily appropriate, as it dates back well over 8000 generations of human existence, predating even the appearance of the Homo species, even predating carnivory, as it was practiced by pre-Homo hominids, Australopithecus (especially “robust” strains). It is therefore deeply instilled (I almost said “ingrained”–acchhh!) into the adaptive physiology of our species.

So how do we obtain such indigestible fibers that nourish healthy bowel flora, so-called “prebiotics” or “resistant starches”? Well, do what a member of the Hadza of sub-Saharan Africa or Yanomamo of the Brazilian rainforest would do and grab a stick, stone, or bone fragment and dig in a field or forest for the underground tubers of plants. If you don’t want to do that, you can incorporate foods available in modern grocery stores that mimic such practices. Among the foods that yield such fibers:

  • Green unripe bananas or plantains–with around 27 grams prebiotic fibers per medium sized banana
  • Raw peeled potato–with around 20 grams per 3 1/2-inch medium
  • Inulin powder–with 5 grams per teaspoon
  • Bob’s Red Mill raw unmodified potato starch–8 grams per tablespoon
  • Legumes, lentils, chickpeas, hummus–Around 3 grams per 1/4-cup. But we have to be careful here, as any more than this quantity and blood sugars start to climb to unhealthy levels.

(Thanks, by the way, to Richard Nikoley, the prolific blogger of the Free the Animal blog, who has done a spectacular job of providing meaningful discussions around the science behind resistant starches, as well as identifying the Bob’s Red Mill product as a convenient and available source.)

These are the most efficient sources, with lesser quantities in other below-ground vegetables. I pick one of the above foods and include them in a smoothie every morning along with, for instance, a cup of unsweetened coconut milk, some blueberries or other berries, a few drops of stevia, etc. If you choose the banana, peel it like an apple or chop off the ends and slit the skin, as it is very tough to skin when green. Chop both banana and potato coarsely before putting in the blender; a blender with a strong motor is advised.

The science that examines bowel flora composition tells us that 20 grams of such fibers yield substantial effects. While the average grain-consuming human obtains around 3 or 4 grams per day, us grain-deniers can fall below this and experience undesirable bowel and metabolic effects. Benefits begin around 8 or 9 grams per day, with maximal benefit likely around 20 grams. (Interestingly, there is anthropological evidence of intakes as high as 135 grams per day.) When new to this experience, start with no more than 10 grams fiber per day; more and abdominal pain and bloating can occur; build up over days to weeks. Full benefits, such as reductions in blood pressure and blood sugar, require 4 to 8 weeks to show themselves, likely due to the shifts in bowel flora species.

Every once in a while, a new strategy declares itself that yields unexpected outsize benefits. Vitamin D was that way, as well as wheat elimination. Now add restoration and management of healthy bowel flora with probiotic and prebiotic strategies to that list, strategies that acquire even greater importance in the grain-free lifestyle.

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Comments & Feedback...

  1. When you mention starting out with about 20 grams per day, does that include any other carbs that might be eaten during the day?Having diverticulosis and many flare of diverticulitis, this is very intriguing to me!

  2. What the difference between a prebiotic and a probiotic? Can prebiotics be taken in capsules like probiotics? Lastly are probiotics still beneficial as I take one every day!

    • > What the difference between a prebiotic and a probiotic?

      Pre’s are food for the critters (gut flora).
      Pro’s are the critters.
      You need both.

      If you take probiotics but don’t feed them, they’re soon gone.
      If you eat prebiotics and don’t have the flora, you get various unpleasant gastric results.

      > Can prebiotics be taken in capsules like probiotics?

      Sure, but it’s probably a needless expense, considering that many foods are or contain prebiotics.

      > Lastly are probiotics still beneficial as I take one every day!

      If you’re keeping your zoo fed, my guess is that you only need a periodic refresher (given that we modern humans are not usually exposed to soil-based microorganisms on a daily basis), plus we are eating foods with trace ABs and other adverse elements (glyphosate uptake, perhaps). Definitely do a refresh during and after taking any antibiotics.

      Also check what you are taking against what Dr. Davis recommends
      https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2013/01/nutritional-supplements-in-the-wake-of-wheat-elimination/
      (and FTA has a list too). Most probiotics on the market are junk – the microbes are dead, or not a useful spectrum, contaminated, etc.

  3. FreeTheAnimal has a persistent article on RS at:
    http://freetheanimal.com/2013/12/resistant-primer-newbies.html

    There’s probably going to be a difference between the RS foods that WB recommends, vs. those FTA recommends, for example cooked and cooled potato, or more to point, cooked and cooled rice.

    It’s early yet in understanding RS, and anyone experimenting with it beyond the known quantities like potato starch (not flour, mind you), needs to keep the glucometer handy. Also, cooling might build RS, but does nothing for other hazards in specific foods, like WGA and arsenic in rice.

    If you read the FTA primer, don’t overlook the reader comments. Common among them is “vivid dreams”. This can be a startling side effect for many people, even though there are a number of other things that can cause that (e.g. keto diet, certain common pharmaceuticals).

    I was already having them, but on RS, I start dreaming as soon as I fall asleep, which is novel for me. The sleep itself remains high quality. So is this early REM sleep? Beats me. Perhaps fertile new territory for some sleep researchers. I also await any insight Dr. Perlmutter might have on just how your gut bugs control your dreams.

    • Yes, we differ on the “retrogradation” issue, as I am fearful that, since only around 10% of sugars depolymerize back to starches, it means that 90% remain as sugars–more than enough to impact on blood sugars and other effects.

      Nonetheless, such a broad appreciation and discussion could never have happened at the pace it has except for the Information Age. Ain’t it grand?

      • > Nonetheless, such a broad appreciation and discussion
        > could never have happened at the pace it has except for
        > the Information Age. Ain’t it grand?

        My impression is that we’ve learned more about human nutrition in the last 15 years than in the 150 before it. This is mostly due to rogue investigators such as yourself, but the rapidity of recent progress is definitely due to the internet.

        The contribution of those actually tasked with the job (nutritionists, agencies, malady associations, endocrinologists) was and remains not just zero, but NEGATIVE. They ran defective investigations, cherry-picked the data based on unwarranted assumptions reached upside-down conclusions and produced disastrous guidance, which they still parrot today. They never checked for consequences (the frightening non-infectious “disease” trends thus have to be due to our not doing the dogma diligently).

        We’re still in a period of “the more we learn, the less we know”, but it’s clear that almost anything which is not the late 20th century consensus diet is worth serious contemplation.

        • Exceptionally well said, Boundless! But the message is, at its root, optimistic, because it means we are finally starting to really understand the true issues.

      • What if you anaerobically fermented a potato for 24 – 48 hrs, reducing the fructose, sucrose and glucose content……would the raw potato still have the same RS qualities in light of the fact that the sugars have been largely pre digested?

      • > Yes, we differ on the “retrogradation” issue, as
        > I am fearful that, since only around 10% of sugars
        > [re?] depolymerize back to starches, it means
        > that 90% remain as sugars–more than enough to
        > impact on blood sugars and other effects.

        A claim of the RS pioneers is that RS blunts blood sugar spikes.

        I haven’t looked into this, nor experimented with it myself, but for the sake of arguing a specific point, let’s assume it’s true to at least some extent. This, plus the other RS effects that are more settled, means that gut biome has a huge effect on metabolism, health and the standard metrics we use to measure these things.

        This throws a major monkey wrench into concluding or re-concluding anything from historical nutrition study and trial data, and it presents a major confounder for designing any future trials.

        We simply must have at least a rough idea of the role of the gut in whatever it is that we’re trying to learn, some metrics for cohort gut biome status, and/or a standard regimen for controlling gut status during a trial. I doubt any trials outside of gut-focused investigations have done this.

        Historical data is going to be cast in yet another new light for some time to come (and some may be discarded entirely as hopelessly confounded).

        The principle of “results rule” remains, of course.

        Too bad the USDA never heard of that simple principle.

    • > so Bob’s Potato Starch can be freely used
      > or is there an upper limit?

      The prevailing guess is that above 30 grams/day (3-4 tablespoons), the excess will just pass on through.

      It’s also been suggested to start low (1 tbsp) and work up, because you probably don’t know the initial status of the gut flora. Then work up to what works optimally.

    • You’re thinking of the solanine that comes from the peel when it’s green. This is rarely a practical problem but, if you read my comments carefully, you will see that I suggested a raw PEELED potato.

      • Bob – Here is abstract of a paper that says that glycoalkaloids (ie. solanine) are undetectable in potato starch. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-4549.1999.tb00392.x/abstract

        During the starch making process, water is used to separate starch from protein and fiber, the solanine appears to be bound to the protein portion. This effect has stymied efforts to produce a safe potato protein supplement. Potato protein would actually be a more complete protein than egg or whey.

        I’m curious to see people try the ‘purification’ method using citric acid, my thought is that they will still be sensitive, but I’m open to the experimentation.

        Sulfur is used in the starch making process as well, it is introduced when the potatoes are ground up to prevent them from turning brown. Again, the sulfur is nearly undetectable in the final product at 2ppm or so, much less than in wine or many other foods that we eat regularly.

        I found myself in a glut of potatoes this winter and made my own starch. All you need is a knife, a blender, a strainer, and some cheesecloth. You can quickly get about 4-6TBS from a large potato. Several YouTube videos showing how. I would say that if anyone experiences problems to try making your own, or just using a raw, peeled potato as Dr. Davis recommends.

        An average potato contains 16-20% starch by weight. A small, egg-size potato weighs about 100g and contains 16-20g of starch, equivalent to 2.5TBS of potato starch from a bag. If it would take several pounds of potatoes to obtain the recommended ‘dose’ it would be a big ‘red flag’ that this is not natural, but the amount of RS found to produce many, many desirable gut effects can be found in a small potato or a couple underripe bananas.

  6. Dr. Davis,
    You have said that eating small amounts of brown rice is relatively alright every now and then. What are your thoughts on eating small amounts of brown rice before exercising, and on days you just sit around the house, just eating the meats, cheeses, veggies, and all the stuff you say to eat unlimited of?

  7. I have done some testing with white rice that has been cooked, cooled at least over night in the refrigerator and then gently reheated (we make rice in big batches and freeze in serving sizes). To my surprise, it does not spike my blood glucose, and it does not knock me out of ketosis as measured by a Ketonix breath meter. It has not caused me to gain weight or changed my weight loss at all. The same with refried beans. I keep portions small (I MEASURE 1/2 cup servings) and thoroughly enjoy them! I do this 2 or 3 times a week. YMMV, so watch your BG levels and weight carefully.

    • > … white rice that has been cooked, cooled … gently reheated …

      Thanks for the report. People are doing this sort of experimentation extensively, and it is valuable, but I’m getting the distinct impression that we need to be more cautious than usual with these anecdotal reports.

      WGA and arsenic issues with rice aside, anyone who wants to try it as a retrograde RS needs to do as you have done, and measure. Idiosyncratic outcomes may be common.

      > To my surprise, it does not spike my blood glucose,
      > and it does not knock me out of ketosis as measured
      > by a Ketonix breath meter. It has not caused me to
      > gain weight or changed my weight loss at all.
      > The same with refried beans.

      The beans are probably safer than the rice from the standpoint of hazards other than blood sugar.

      > YMMV, so watch your BG levels and weight carefully.

      Indeed. Another prebiotic commonly consumed in the low carb world is the IMO (isomalto-oligosaccharides) in Quest Bars, some other LC snacks and even home made bars.

      Among diabetics, some individuals report blood sugar spikes with Quest bars, but most don’t. What’s causing this reaction? It was conjectured to be the whey protein, but when that was tested in isolation, it didn’t spike. Quest doesn’t sell these bars specifically as diabetic food, but they do seem to be interested in what’s going on, and whether they can tweak the recipe to make that issue vanish.

      To sort of circle around to the thread topic, Quest picked IMO (instead of chicory-sourced inulin) specifically because it appear to cause less gastric reaction. But some people get gassy anyway when they first consume one of these bars. I’m suspecting that this reaction says more about the consumer’s gut biome status than it does about the bars. Tasty test strip, I suppose.

  8. Here is great paper from back in the day when they measured RS using ileostomy patients:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/44/1/42.full.pdf+html

    Green bananas don’t have to be all that green to contain considerable RS2, just ‘green on the ends.’ And they retain RS2 until they start to turn black. Just imagine how much RS must be in the bananas we have been eating that are pure green and impossible to peel!

    What I see from this is that the way most people eat bananas, all yellow, maybe a few black spots, they will have hardly any RS, but just starting to turn yellow they have tons. It’s hard to figure exact number, but looks like one regular sized banana has 15-20g RS compared to only 5g or less for fully ripe w/black spots. (Table 6)

    I find that bananas that are just peel-able are very palatable and not sweet, indicating lots of RS. For a mega-dose of RS, I buy hard, green plantains. Peel with a knife and slice into 1/4″ slabs. Air dry on a screen in front of a fan. From what I can gather, these should be about 50% RS by weight. I like them plain, or with some almond butter, pate, etc… as a spread.

    Thanks for taking note of RS and sharing your knowledge of gut health with your readers.

    • Thanks so much! I’ve been driving myself crazy (& store produce staff, too!) trying to find totally green bananas with absolutely no yellow.

      • > … trying to find totally green bananas with absolutely no yellow.

        Green banana flour is now on the market and can be mail-ordered. Green plantain flour has been available for some time. I haven’t tried either, but expect to investigate further.

  9. So are we looking at RS as a corrective measure……to heal the damage done by consuming an inappropriate diet?

    I’m curious about the Inuits…….who survived on a diet largely based on quality animal proteins & fats, and consumed negligible amounts of plant fiber. Do you think that changes the colon’s environment to require less butyrate production?

    • http://freetheanimal.com/2014/03/disrupting-carbs-prebiotics.html
      http://freetheanimal.com/2014/03/disrupting-masai-carbs-prebiotics.html
      http://freetheanimal.com/2014/03/reiterate-elevated-ketone.html

      Jan in KW – The inuit diet was actually chock full of prebiotic fiber, believe it or not. Inuit babies were traditionally breast fed for up to 5 years, then weaned on seaweed and raw whale blubber. It turns out that certain meats from animals in the far north, when eaten raw, are full of ‘meat sugar’ or glycans, that serve as food for gut bugs. But, the Inuit diet was not as plant-bare as Steffanson led us all to believe. They ate copious amounts of seaweed and other plants, berries, and roots throughout the year. The carb-count of all this vegetable matter was quite low, but filled with fibers similar to RS.

      Also, the Inuits were masters of fermented foods, eating things that would be guaranteed to turn the stomach of everyone today, but serving as probiotics for the Inuit.

      In the modern-day, I’d think the addition of some RS to an otherwise fiberless diet is the least one can do to ensure healthy guts. Eat however many carbs you feel you need, but try to also get 20+ grams of RS and/or inulin per day.

      • Tim, my diet isn’t exactly fiber-less, but low carb, wheat/sugar/grain free as well. I make and consume my own pastured bone broth, ferment my own veggies…..low BMI, good BG values, healthy elimination system, athletic and sleep like a baby…..and I’m no spring chicken either! Just a little hesitant in adding something that might have adverse consequences in an otherwise healthy system. But I will remain open to the possibility, especially if my BG values shift.

        Loved your dialog with Dr. Robillard over on the Digestive Health blog!

        • I eat low carb, too. Probably 100-150g/day range. More than that and I get fat and BG rises. My sweet spot seems to be in this range. I have been taking 2-4TBS of potato starch for nearly two years now, also play around with banana flour, inulin, FOS, glucomannan, pectin, guar gum, and some others. Potato starch seems the simplest. It’s the cheapest.

          The FDA/USDA recommended about 25-30g/day of total dietary fiber quite a few years ago. Try counting fiber for a few days…you’ll be lucky to hit 5-10g. Serious. If you eat wheat and lots of packaged, prepared, ‘fiber-added’ foods you’ll probably be able to hit about 15g of fiber. I think 20-40g is a perfect range and not that hard to hit with real foods, but it will almost certainly put you over 150g/day in total carbs.

          The fiber that most people are getting by eating fiber-added foods is mostly just cellulose or some other filler fiber that the food industry has concocted. Every scarp of fiber they put in a food is done so to reduce their costs and make the product more marketable. Inulin is extracted from chicory roots and added to give a mouth-feel of fat at a fraction of fat calories. FOS is extracted from certain plants and gives a sweet taste with low calories. Neither of these are added in meaningful amounts, just enough to get credit for some added fiber. Other franken-fibers (dextrins, cross-linked RS4) are added for various reasons (shelf-life, tastes, etc..) and again, add little to one’s fiber requirements.

          In the SAD, most RS and inulin come from wheat, potato snacks, and raw onions at about 5g/day for each. Switch to a LC paleo type diet and RS and inulin drop to nearly zero. I think this is a huge problem. It’s masked a bit due to the incredible health benefits of not eating processed foods, wheat, oils, and sugars, losing weight, getting off meds, etc… But eventually many see rising BG, gut problems, and autoimmune diseases.

          Some other low carb foods to boost RS and other prebiotic fibers with proven gut benefits: raw onion, raw garlic, cactus (popular in the southwest), dandelion green salads, nuts (particularly almonds and pistachios), dark (dark!) chocolate, cocoa nibs, berries, bananas with green in the skin, and leftover starches (cooked and cooled).

          Some good, non-PS supplements to use: inulin, FOS, yacon powder, maca powder, glucomannan, larch arabinogalactin, XOS.

          I think it’s pretty clear we have a requirement of 20-40g/day of prebiotic fibers, with RS and inulin being the bulk. In nature, RS and inulin are the two found in greatest quantity, with others (gums, pectin, OS, FOS, etc…) found in much lesser amounts.

        • > Just a little hesitant in adding something …

          Potato starch is pretty cheap, and you can start with tiny amounts (like less than a teaspoon), then ramp it up until you see results.

          > … that might have adverse consequences in an otherwise healthy system.

          If there are adverse results, there’s a solid chance it’s telling you that the system wasn’t as healthy as imagined.

    • > So are we looking at RS as a corrective measure…
      > …to heal the damage done by consuming an inappropriate diet?

      That’s only part of the bigger picture. From the wiki entry on “microbiome”:
      “The human body contains over 10 times more microbial cells than human cells …
      Some consider it to be a `newly discovered organ’ since its existence was not generally recognized until the late 1990s and it is understood to potentially have overwhelming impact on human health.”

      Dr. Art Ayers also has great overview information on the topic, for example:
      “Health in Diagrams I — Gut Flora and Diet” at
      coolinginflammation dot blogspot dot com
      (posted as text because the WBB engine doesn’t seem to like that URL at all).

  10. I’m still getting acquainted with the new format. Is there a place to see a listing of most recent comments? I see that I can get email notices, but I prefer going to the blog and checking it out. Thanks!

    • > Is there a place to see a listing of most recent comments?

      Not unless the web developers add it.

      > I see that I can get email notices, …

      Those do work, and promptly.

    • I miss that, too, Jeanine. Much more convenient than email. I miss the sense of community & participation that it engendered. There’s FB but to me this has always seemed more focused, coherent & relatabale than FB.

      • I think so, too. The new site is a lot slicker but not nearly as user friendly. I think that’s too bad, because it works against what Dr. Davis’ message is: this is for YOU. Or maybe I’m just a crabby old fart.

      • Hopefully a category of “Recent Comments” is in the works. Nothing can make me do FB. This blog is about as social media as I get.

      • > I miss the sense of community & participation that it engendered.

        Well, until such time as Dr.D. stands up a low/no-cost forum, don’t forget:
        http://wheatfreeforum.com/index.php
        Free sign-up. You can initiate topics. Has recent-reply and optional email notification. Zero annoyance (not ad-supported, and readership seems well-behaved).

        WFF has no affiliation with Dr.D, and no participation by him there as far as anyone knows.

        • Thanks for the reminder, Boundless. I signed up ages ago but got lost in the FB morass & haven’t been back.

          I find FB exhausting but there are some gems on the WB FB page.

  11. I have a question on water for non-wheat diets.

    I know Dr. Davis mentioned water is important, but I feel like 8 oz cups 8 times a day is not nearly enough for me. I always feel my mouth is dry and thirsty, but people say it’s bad to break this 8 cups a day rule and not go over it. This has to be wrong in terms of people like me who don’t eat wheat right? I almost feel like I need a gallon a day. I do light exercise nothing crazy, but I still feel like 8 cups a day is way too little.
    I was searching previous blogs on here for info on this. Anyone got thoughts?

    • > … 8 oz cups 8 times a day is not nearly enough for me.

      Where did that guideline come from? I know “8×8” is common advice, but the Wheat Belly book doesn’t address fluid intake (that I could quickly find in the hardcover). Here’s an article specifically on 8×8:
      http://chriskresser.com/hydration-101-how-much-water-do-you-really-need

      What’s your body weight?
      A typical recommendation (this from Grain Brain) is:
      ounces_water = body_weight / 2
      So 64 oz. would be the target for 128 pounds.

      > I always feel my mouth is dry and thirsty …

      This is apparently common when switching to low carb or ketogenic diets.
      There are any number of possible explanations, and it is usually transient.
      Are you losing weight? (this is initially water loss)
      What’s your net carb consumption? (ketosis is initially diuretic)
      What’s your protein consumption? (more leads to thirst)
      Are you supplementing any electrolytes (esp. magnesium and potassium)?

      Presumably you have already ruled out type 2 diabetes.

    • I’m not so quick to follow specific recipes for water intake, as individual needs vary so widely.

      It varies depending on weight, kidney efficiency, blood pressure, salt intake, ambient temperature, sweating capacity, clothing, humidity, physical activity, and other factors, some genetic. One person’s adequate hydration is another person’s dehydration. So intake cannot be the same for every individual.

      We therefore have to gauge hydration adequacy by other effects, such as urine color (clearly or lightly yellow, never amber), urine frequency (crude, but something like no less frequently than every 4 hours), and urine specific gravity (1.020 or less) measured with urine dipsticks. If someone came up with a smart phone app to measure hydration, that would be an incredible advance!

      • Thanks Dr. Davis for your insight.

        In regards to sweating, is lack of sweating possibly effected by not initially having enough water intake?

  12. I’m confused about where to start with the RS addition to my diet. I’ve tried the potato starch in cold water. Can’t say I love it, and it certainly has given me lots of uncomfortable gas. So I’ve cut back a little bit, and this morning I had a small raw red potato diced in my salad. It was good and I hardly knew it was there, it blended in with all of the other crunchy raw veggies. I have not tried green bananas, sounds like a nuisance to try and keep them in stock and find them at the grocery. So I’ll see how this raw potato sits today, but any advice from others about how to introduce RS into the diet would be helpful. I’ve been wheat free for over two years, and mostly grain free, although I have had a bit of corn here and there over the past couple of months. But this stuff if confusing and throwing in the RS now is a turn of events. I admit I had been resistant to RS, the idea of it, but once I saw Dr. David on board I took it more seriously.

    • > … where to start with the RS addition to my diet.
      > … it certainly has given me lots of uncomfortable gas.

      I take excessive uncomfortable gas as a sign of dysbiosis – your population of gut flora needs attention. A key message of the RS movement (no pun intended) is that you need both critters and food for the critters.

      Since you didn’t mention probiotics, a course would be worth a try. Dr. Davis recommends Garden of Life, ReNew Life and Sigma-Tau VSL#3. These are not trivially found in supermarkets or on pharmacy shelves – you might ask the pharmacist what’s in their fridge.

      Most of the PBs on store shelves are probably worthless. Look for the asterisk on the “50 billion CFUs*” claim. It usually disclaims, somewhat hilariously:
      “* potency guaranteed at time of manufacture”

      So even if the common bottles had an adequate spectrum, prepared so that the contents could survive the upper GI, odds are the bacteria have been mostly dead all day. Get quality stuff.

      We order VSL#3. It ships Fedex second-day refrigerated, so order on a weekend or very early in the week.

      I suspect that a future population with healthy biomes is going to be at least a bit more gassy than modern humans are currently accustomed to. But a lot more gassy is a different matter.

      • So far so good with the raw diced red potato mixed in my breakfast salad. Very little gas, maybe it’s too little RS but it feels like enough for right now in order to get my system used to it. I have been eating sauerkraut most days for the past year or so, and I think I have pretty health gut flora or bacteria. But I have not actually tested that, not sure how that could happen.

        • > I have been eating sauerkraut most days
          > for the past year or so, and I think I
          > have pretty health gut flora or bacteria.

          That could be (not being any sort of expert on this, mind you). I do suspect that your reaction is due to a shift in the species present.

          Sauerkraut reportedly provides copious amounts of bifido-bacteria (considered a desirable bacterium), but I wasn’t able to find any clear statement on whether sauerkraut (or cabbage) provides resistant starch, although the sauerkraut is over 50% dietary fiber, so it might be RS.

          You’ve been keeping up the bb population by adding more bb, along with the cabbage that they obviously like, but you may or may not have been providing fodder for any other species that you want. Add a food that the others like, and some gassy competition might result. Or possibly you are deficient in species beyond bb.

          Adding a probiotic would eliminate any need to guess, but there’s no hurry. See what happens on the current regimen.

          • Thank you, I will see how things literally shape up down there. The raw potatoes are a good RS food and I have the potato starch too, but I’d rather not eat that if there are other available and relatively convenient whole foods. I have recently had a bit of organic sugar in my diet (in flourless almond butter cookies) and I wonder what the effects of that are on the BB?

          • Couple comments: Jerusalem artichokes are full of inulin. Very good for gut, but will cause gas just like potato starch if too much is eaten.

            Here’s my take: RS and Inulin should be thought of as foundational fibers (hat tip to Dr. BG). These two fibers are the most plentiful in nature and we should try to mirror that in our diet. Unfortunately, RS and inulin are not found in foods most of us eat…the biggest percentage comes from wheat and whole grains. When we give up wheat, and we all should, we lose an important source of fermentable fibers.

            I think everyone should seek out a minimum of 20g/day of RS or inulin (work your way up!), and an additional 10-20g of other fibers. 1 green banana and 1 cup of beans fills the requirement. 1 small raw potato and a salad containing raw onion, raw garlic, jerusalem artichoke, and the normal salad bar choices also fills the bill.

            I hate counting things, but if ya’all count fiber for a while, you’ll be very disappointed. The USDA recommendation of 25-30g/day is good, but not from cellulose and psyllium–should be RS, inulin, and then other dietary fibers (pectins, gums, mucilages, etc…)

            Some other well-known bifidobacteria boosters: cocoa nibs, dark chocolate, almonds, pistachios, carrots, blueberries, and strawberries.

            RS and inulin don’t feed or grow bifidobacteria directly, but is fermented by other species (Clostridia, F. Prausnitzi, and Ruminococcus, etc..) and these other species produce metabolites from the RS/inulin which feed bifidobacteria. The other fibers, like those found in chocolate and nuts, feed the bifidobacteria. Look at it as an ecosystem that starts with RS and Inulin.

          • thanks Tim for all that info. Where do you find jerusalam artichokes and do you eat them raw or steamed? Good to know all of the foods with RS, like almonds and pistachios.

          • Keep in mind a lot of the ‘bifidogenic’ fibers found in nuts, cocoa, berries, et al, aren’t necessarily RS, but other misc fibers. It’s the synergy that’s more important than any single fiber type.

            Bananas are particularly interesting to me. One of the few foods with both RS, inulin, and several other lesser fibers. If anyone is doing gluten-free baking, I’d highly suggest looking into Wedo Gluten Free’s banana flour. The RS in banana flour is very heat stable and remains RS after it’s been cooked.

            Beans also contain several different fiber types that act together to produce healthy guts. Just make sure to soak them at least overnight to give some wild probiotics a chance to pre-digest some of the compounds we have trouble with.

          • > I have recently had a bit of organic sugar in my diet
            > (in flourless almond butter cookies) and I wonder
            > what the effects of that are on the BB?

            None I suspect. I’d guess that small portions of all simple sugars are completely absorbed in the small intestine, and never make it to the lower gut. As such, of course, they have their normal blood glucose, liver provoking and fructose consequences.

          • > I’d guess that small portions of all
            > simple sugars are completely absorbed
            > in the small intestine, and never make
            > it to the lower gut.

            But “Dr.B.G” says: “taking RS with refined sugars and/or fructose tends to increase gas.”
            http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/the-resistant-starch-challenge-is-it-the-key-weve-been-looking-for.26976/

            Her unequivocal statement trumps my conjecture, and is consistent with the excess gas under discussion.

    • > Is flaxseed safe for breast cancer survivors, …
      > … and if not what can be used instead.

      What’s the source of the concern? A quick search suggests that even Standard of Care providers think that “Flaxseed inhibits the growth and metastasis of human breast cancer …” (MSKCC).

      As a cancer prophylatic, I suspect any effects of flaxseed are minor compared to the more important issues of:

      1. being very low-carb, moderate protein, to reduce available glucose (on which tumors thrive)

      2. dramatically reduce inflammatory elements in food (wheat, of course, is at the top of that list)

      3. consider a full ketogenic diet, if not a calorie-restricted KD, and possibly exogenous ketone supplements (since high levels of ketone bodies appear to be antagonistic to tumors)

      • I might add that the jury is still out on the benefits of R-KD in cancer. Hyperbaric therapy is also being looked at. One Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez in particular is a critic of both.

        I don’t think Dr. Davis has opined here on cancer therapy, although he has frequently remarked that wheat has a likely role in triggering cancer, and of course it provides copious glucose to fuel the Warburg/Seyfried theory.

        Anyone with cancer, or at risk of it, or a survivor of it, is really pretty much on their own at the moment. The Standard of Care (consensus medical treatment) appears to add only a paltry span to survival rates, but at crippling expense, and advanced discomfort. Any number of alternatives are worth a look with a skeptical eye.

        If I had a diagnosis, I’d personally start with R-KD, perhaps try KetoForce, get updated on hyperbaric, not necessarily rule out reduced-dose chemo, and keep a close eye on new papers from R-KD and hbO2 researchers (primarily D’Agostino and Seyfried).

  14. Dr. Davis I wanted to link to an article that is having an impact on the grain industry up in Canada.

    Your book is directly attributed with being part of the cause of financial profit decline in a sector of the grain producing industry. Here’s the link to the article. http://www.producer.com/issue/the-western-producer-june-19-2014/

    page 8- Millers struggle as health fears sap flour demand

    “the decline in wheat milling coincides with the 2011 release of Wheat Belly a New York Times bestseller by William Davis, which contends modern wheat is toxic and makes people want to eat more junk food.

    “That was the first wave of attack or assault on wheat”, said Harrison. Davis’s book was followed in 2013 by Grain Brain, another international best seller by David Perlmutter…”

    “Harrison is convinced the two books have reduced demand for products made with milled wheat and wheat flour. “That was probably the major factor in consumer behavioral change that has driven demand for flour.”‘

    Your message is getting through!

    • Look at Wheaties!

      It’s even in the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304585004579419134086162144

      “Once a king of the cereal aisle, the 91-year-old brand is a laggard nowadays, ranking 17th among U.S. cereal brands, according to Euromonitor International. Over several decades, its market share has dropped from the high single digits to barely 1%, said Matthew Hudak, a consumer analyst at Euromonitor International.”

      Couldn’t happen to a nicer grain. Although the WSJ seems sort of stumped as to why its market position is tanking.

  15. Has anybody tried Jerusalem artichokes? I’ve heard they are good for inulin. I’ve started taking cold cooked potatoes in the morning with some kefir. And, I don’t know if this has been covered, but is it possible that you can start on prebiotics and nourish bad stuff if you are not taking in good probiotic organisms?

    • > Has anybody tried Jerusalem artichokes?
      > I’ve heard they are good for inulin.

      This vegetable needs some investigation. TaterTot over at FTA thinks the RS content is zero. nutritiondata.self.com says a single serving (1 cup, 150 grams) has 11 grams of sugars, and only 2 grams of dietary fiber. For anyone experimenting with RS, there are sources that are better understood.

      I see people complaining of things like “… but OMG, talk about hot, noxious gas” after consuming Jerusalem artichoke, but I suspect this says more about the consumer’s gut biome status than about the artichokes, which leads to your next question:

      > … is it possible that you can start on
      > prebiotics and nourish bad stuff if you
      > are not taking in good probiotic organisms?

      Absolutely. Before adding/increasing prebiotics, anyone who is not highly confident of their present gut status needs to simultaneously start a course of a quality probiotic (which excludes most store shelf PBs, and the paltry PBs in some dairy products). Recommended brands have been mentioned in replies to this article and on this blog at:
      https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2013/09/surviving-wheat-withdrawal/

      Anyone who recently took antibiotics, of has been consuming known gut antagonists (like wheat), definitely needs a course of PBs.

      • Thanks so much. I read the blog entry and got some MUCH needed info, but on magnesium, not probiotics, as I suspected the answer to my question was yes.

        When my husband and I go lower on carb, no wheat, we both experience painless (mostly) muscle cramping in our legs. I suspect magnesium might have something to do with this, so will look into the supplements Dr. Davis recommends.

        • > … muscle cramping in our legs. I suspect magnesium
          > might have something to do with this …

          This seems to be more a low-carb thing than a wheat-free thing.

          I found that magnesium alone didn’t cure night cramps, but adding potassium did. Another family member found that Mg and K helped, but wasn’t a complete cure. Oddly, wearing socks to bed did the trick. We have no clue why that works, but it’s been verified it by challenge.

          There are any number of folk remedies out there, like sleeping with a bar of soap between the sheets. Since it was easy enough to try, with a dry bar handy, we did – it had no effect.

          > … so will look into the supplements Dr. Davis recommends.

          See also:
          https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2013/01/nutritional-supplements-in-the-wake-of-wheat-elimination/

  16. I had colon resection surgery last October, and can’t eat a lot of raw vegetables. What do you recommend for me to get the prebiotics, prebiotics, & fiber I need?

      • I am trying to figure out the best things for me to do, because I have to eat low fiber since having the colon resection. Sorry if I missed the whole point of the article, just trying to learn all this. Thanks!

        • > … trying to figure out the best things for me to do, because
          > I have to eat low fiber since having the colon resection.

          Resistant starches aren’t fiber, according to Dr.B.G., although they may be counted as such on Nutrition Facts panels, and probably should be counted as such for net carb purposes.

          Without knowing precisely why “fiber” is proscribed for your condition (or for recovery from the procedure), I’m tempted to say that neither probiotics nor RS (as starch powders) are a hazard; indeed, they might help heal the gut.

          • Thanks Bob…I do understand things better now. I have to stay away from high fiber foods bec they tend to run right thru me. Thanks again!!

        • Robin, look at the article where the bullets are (in red triangles). Those are the resistant starches and fibers he is referring to. He says to work up to 20 grams per day, but if you are new to it to start off with 10 grams. This is the stuff that gets dealt with in the colon by the healthy bacteria that you want to make sure are there before you do prebiotics. These fibers and starches help heal and protect the colon, and the rest of your body consequently. Because of your resection, may not want to start off at 10, but go lower and see how you feel. I don’t know. Hope this helps. Here is a link that is interesting to me – I have to look into this more myself!

          http://www.prebiotin.com/prebiotics/dietary-fiber/

  17. What seems to be working for me is a way of eating that is somewhere in between Paleo and the Weston A. Price approach with a view towards maximizing resistant starches and plant fibers and minimizing that which causes spikes in blood sugar (controlled carbohydrate approach). For example, this morning’s breakfast was steak (cooked medium), peeled and pan fried potatoes in grass-fed butter and beef tallow, two eggs cooked over easy, and some Anasazi beans that were cooked with salt, cumin, garlic, black pepper in water in a pressure cooker. With this meal, I’m not that hungry going into lunch. In fact, lunch was just a couple tablespoons of Laura Scudders all natural peanut butter with a tablespoon of organic black strap molasses. And with this meal combo, I experience no teeth problems, no digestion problems, and no food craving problems at all. There just isn’t a whole lot of “depravation” with this nutritional approach.

    I take a broad range of supplements including probiotics.

    Cod Liver / Butter Oil blend (for Vitamin D and K2)
    Dessicated Beef Liver
    Acerola Cherry (for a natural source of Vitamin C)
    Primal Defense Ultra
    Primal Flora
    Prescript Assist
    iFlora
    AOR Probiotic 3

    The primary gut destroyers (foods that are off limits for me) are wheat, a1 casein, and soy.

  18. Hello again,

    I have to stay I’m grateful that I have “found” resistant starches, it was the one missing link in my diet. I’ve been experiencing with eating beans again, in moderation, and am wondering as far as RS goes, what’s the different between eating canned beans and buying the real thing (and I assume cooking them on my own)? Do canned beans have decent amounts of RS too? Thanks.

    • You are okay with the canned beans.

      Just be aware that it is tough to get an ideal quantity of resistant starches from legumes along without risking high blood sugars and related phenomena.