Modern wheat has been bred for greater phytate content because phytates provide pest resistance to the wheat plant. But farmers and agricultural geneticists ignored the fact that phytates are also toxic to humans.
In particular, the phytates of wheat and related grains bind nearly all the iron that comes from diet, making it an exceptionally common cause of iron deficiency anemia. Combine this with the absurd and destructive national advice to consume plenty of “healthy whole grains” and you have a recipe for disaster.
The solution? Simple: Eat no wheat or grains and enjoy a health and weight transformation that goes well beyond restoration of normal blood counts.
Transcript:
Iron deficiency anemia is a fairly common condition, and it can lead to symptoms like being tired all the time, feeling cold, being breathless, because you don’t have enough hemoglobin in your bloodstream. Common causes include hemorrhage (obviously if you have a car accident, you injure yourself, you lose a lot of blood), menstrual cycles in females (especially ladies who have a lot of menstrual flow), and grain consumption.
Now why in the world would the consumption of wheat and grains cause iron deficiency anemia? Some of the worst iron deficiency anemias, by the way, I’ve ever seen, are in women, oddly mostly women, who consume grains. I’ve seen women, for instance, go through blood transfusions, bone marrow biopsies, taking oral prescription iron supplements, getting iron injections, and still can’t get their hemoglobin up. But they finally go wheat- and grain-free, and the hemoglobin comes up within two weeks.
Wheat and grain consumption is a very common and powerful cause of iron deficiency anemia. That’s because of phytates. Farmers and agricultural scientists have selected strains of wheat that have higher phytate content. That’s because phytates are also pest resistant — they fight off fungi, and rusts, and pests. So they selected strains with greater phytate content, meaning they selected strains of wheat and other grains that are more toxic to humans — including binding virtually all the iron in your intestinal tract.
If you have a sandwich, for instance, let’s say two slices of whole wheat bread with some turkey or whatever. The phytates in that sandwich are enough to block 90% of all the iron absorption that should have occurred in your gastrointestinal tract. It’s a very powerful cause of iron deficiency anemia.
So how do you reverse that kind of iron deficiency anemia? Don’t eat grains — very easy. And rarely do people have to actually supplement iron unless some other process is going on, like excessive menstrual flow. If you are facing a problem of iron deficiency anemia, always, always think: it could be the wheat or grains.
Rob
April 28, 2019 at 1:10 pmDr. Davis – I have suffered from the opposite problem in the past – iron overload. My blood ferritin level was over 400, which was causing all sorts of problems, until I started donating blood and eventually resolved the problem. When I was suffering from iron overload, I took a daily IP6 capsule, which as you know is basically concentrated phytate (rice bran). IP6 acts as an iron chelator, which is exactly what I needed at the time. I have since read that IP6 has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, immune-boosting properties, as well as possible anti-aging effects. I generally follow your dietary advice (I don’t eat many grains……….just a little rice), but I would be interested in your opinion about continuing to take IP6 for someone like me, who apparently tends to accumulate iron in their system. Iron-deficiency anemia is something I don’t think I ever have to worry about.
Faxon
April 28, 2019 at 4:32 pmHave you considered donating blood? I am not claiming it will solve your problem, but it may assist in a measurable way.
Rob
April 28, 2019 at 8:24 pmAs I mentioned in my comment, I have been donating blood since my iron overload was diagnosed. I now donate blood at least a couple times each year. However, I still take a daily IP6 capsule also, mainly as insurance against additional problems with excessive iron, and also because of the other benefits IP6 offers (cancer protection, for one). I have read that in people (especially males) my age (over 60), iron overload is actually more common than iron deficiency anemia. I wanted to see if that is consistent with what Dr. Davis has seen in his practice.
Bob Niland
April 28, 2019 at 9:36 pmRob wrote: «My blood ferritin level was over 400, which was causing all sorts of problems, until I started donating blood and eventually resolved the problem.»
Have all the usual suspects in that been ruled out, such as haemochromatosis, African iron overload, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, X-linked sideroblastic anemia, enzyme deficiencies, aceruloplasminemia, atransferrinemia and polycythemia vera?
re: «I have read that in people (especially males) my age (over 60), iron overload is actually more common than iron deficiency anemia.»
I’m not Dr. Davis, but I can observe that iron overload is uncommon on the blogs. It appears that it last came up 2½ years ago. I haven’t done a deep dive on inositol hexakisphosphate, but it is a phytate. This makes me wonder if it’s a hazard for absorption of other minerals, such as calcium, zinc, and perhaps magnesium. An RBC Mg draw would shed some light here.
Is there an issue with increasing the blood donation, or merely using periodic phlebotomy?
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Nicole
April 28, 2019 at 1:35 pmI actually ate very little wheat/gluten, I assumed, as I followed a lower carb bodybuilding diet. I strength train 6 times a week. I started feeling week, bruising easy, getting tired all of the time, I had unexplained random tachycardia as well as other symptoms. Similar symptoms to leukemia. My doctor ran a bunch of tests. It turns out I have iron deficient anemia. I was diagnosed with non celiac gluten sensitivity causing iron deficiency. I can’t imagine what horrible shape I would have been in if I had been eating the S.A.D.
Heather
April 28, 2019 at 8:37 pmI am so happy to hear this. I have struggled with anemia for the past 5 years and now my 18 year old son has the same. We have had test after test and iron infusion after infusion only to be told that we just don’t absorb iron. I knew there was a connection with wheat and anemia but I could never get an answer from a doctor. I’ve been working to cut out most wheat and some grains and have felt so much better and have raised my ferritin levels. I have done so much research trying to find a cure and I’m shocked that this is the first time I have heard this. Thank you so much.
Lori Miller
April 28, 2019 at 11:11 pmEven after being grain-free for years and eating red meat daily, I get iron deficiency anemia if I don’t take my iron supplements.
It helps to avoid coffee and tea within an hour of your iron dose or meat. It binds iron.
It also helps to eat foods with vitamin C, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower or kale with your iron dose or meat. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron.