Who had the audacity to write such an against-the-grain book exposing “healthy whole grains” for the incredibly destructive genetic monsters they’ve become?
That’s me, Dr. William Davis, cardiologist and seeker-of-truth in health.
Over 80% of the people I meet today are pre-diabetic or diabetic. In an effort to reduce blood sugar, I asked patients to remove all wheat products from their diet based on the simple fact that, with few exceptions, foods made of wheat flour raise blood sugar higher than nearly all other foods. Yes, that’s true for even whole grains. More than table sugar, more than a Snickers bar. Organic, multigrain, sprouted–it makes no difference.
People returned several months later and did indeed show lower blood sugars, often sufficient for pre-diabetics to be non-prediabetics.
But it was the other results that took me by surprise:
- weight loss of 25 to 30 lbs over several months
- marked improvement or total relief from arthritis
- improvement in asthma sufficient to chuck 2 or 3 inhalers
- complete relief from acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome symptoms
- disappearance of leg swelling and numbness
- increased mental clarity, deeper sleep, and more stable moods and emotions
I witnessed incredible experiences like the 26-year old man incapacitated by full-body joint pains who started to jog again, pain-free. And the 38-year old schoolteacher who, just weeks before her surgeon scheduled colon removal and ileostomy bag, experienced a cure from ulcerative colitis and intestinal hemorrhage and stopped all medications.
That’s when I asked why this would happen.
Why would removing the darling of all dietary advice — “healthy whole grains” — result in substantial weight loss and often astounding turnarounds in numerous health conditions?
As I spoke to agricultural geneticists and studied the evidence, it became clear that modern wheat had undergone extensive changes, changes introduced primarily for purposes of increased yield per acre, converting the traditional 4 1/2-foot tall “amber waves of grain” into a high-yield 18-inch tall, stocky semi-dwarf strain.
The changes were not just in outward appearance, but were accompanied by changes in numerous other components—none had been tested for suitability for human consumption. Products made from modern wheat contain forms of gliadin proteins, glutenins, wheat germ ag-glutinin, and other proteins never before encountered by humans.
As I explored the implications of these changes, I asked people to remove all foods made with modern semi-dwarf wheat with its unique components.
Health was not just improved, it was transformed — and Wheat Belly was born
The lessons learned in Wheat Belly became a launchpad for an entirely new collection of lessons in regaining health.
I’m not promoting drugs, fancy medical procedures, or costly equipment. I’m not promoting a process that makes a pharmaceutical company rich or helps hospitals gain more procedures. I’m talking about a simple change in diet that yields incredible and unexpected health benefits in so many more ways than you’d think.
And it’s not just about celiac disease, the destructive intestinal disease from wheat gluten that affects 1% of the population.
It’s about all the other destructive health effects of wheat consumption
From arthritis to acid reflux to schizophrenia, these can be either caused or made worse by wheat — this food we are advised to eat more of. It’s about being set free from the peculiar appetite-stimulating effects of the opiate-like compounds unique to wheat. It’s also about losing weight–10, 20, or 30 pounds is often just the start.
In addition to writing, speaking, and practicing preventive cardiology in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I am Medical Director and founder of the Wheat Belly Lifestyle Institute that helps people navigate this lifestyle and provides a community for further engagement, as well as Medical Director and founder of the Cureality program that helps educate and inform people in ways to take back control over health.