Heart Doctor: Lose the Wheat, Gain Your Health

[MrsJackSprat]

NewsMax Health

Give up wheat and gain good health.


That’s the message from Dr. William Davis, a Wisconsin cardiologist and author of the best-seller, “Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health.” He tells Newsmax Health that if we banish wheat from our diet, we’ll also lose weight, lower our blood sugar, relieve intestinal problems, reduce dangerous inflammation, gain energy, and just plain feel better.


Why? Davis maintains that today’s wheat products are made from genetically modified plants that contain harmful compounds that contribute to weight gain and other serious health woes. One of those substances is gliadin protein, which acts as an appetite stimulant. When it was introduced in the mid-1980s, calorie consumption skyrocketed by an average of 440 calories per day, per person, he says.


“This gliadin acts as an opiate, but this opiate … does not cause pain relief; it only causes addiction and stimulation of appetite,” he says.

"This is one of the reasons why wheat, and not fat, gluttony, or a sedentary lifestyle, is to blame for soaring rates of obesity and diabetes, he says.

Amylopectin A is another culprit. This complex carbohydrate is unique to wheat, more easily digestible than amylopectin B and C found in rice and beans, and can send blood sugar sky high, higher than sugar and candy can, he explains.


“So two slices of whole wheat bread that people often regard as healthy raise blood sugar higher than six teaspoons of table sugar,” he says. “Is it any wonder we have a world full of diabetes?”

Wheat germ agglutinin, another wheat protein, causes intestinal destruction when given to rats in a purified form. Humans eat much smaller amounts of the non-purified substance but that also hurts intestinal health, contributing to acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and the worsening of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, he says.

Davis is quick to dismiss the idea that the popularity of his book and the idea of going wheat free may be nothing more than a fad. The interest stems from a growing desire of consumers to have more control over what they eat, he maintains.


“This is really a response to what has been going on in genetics research and agribusiness,” he says. “…I think if anything this not a fad; it’s going to be part of a broad movement to take back control over our health and diets, and to insist that we understand what is being done to our food.”


Read more: Heart Doctor: Lose the Wheat, Gain Your Health

[Dredaye9]

HA!im reading that rite now!

[GreytMuse]

I just started this book yesterday, and actually read the last few chapters. The author blames acne and other skin disorders and baldness (alopecia?) on some people's intolerance to wheat. VERY interesting!

It's an easy read and I can't wait to finish it!

Edited to add: TMI for some folks...! Since quitting wheat and other grains, my husband has stopped having "loose stools", which were a daily occurrence, and now has nice, regular movements. This tells us that wheat may have been a culprit in his digestive issues.

[atcgirl42]

What many of us have known for years is slowly becoming mainstream!

In the early 90's before my low carb journey I can remember trying hard to get in the "recommended" 35-40 grams of fiber a day. I'd eat All-Bran with Extra Fiber for breakfast and wonder why I had such bad digestive issues.

[Annabel Lee]

Thanks for this good post Mrsjacksprat.
“Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health.” is a fascinating book. I must go back and reread it.

[bettycooker]

Love the book Wheat Belly!!!!! Please everyone read it. Many of my friends and family are now also reading this book. They love it too. It answered questions about my digestive problems and made it very clear why low carb works. I no longer need meds for heartburn and reflux issues. Another plus, the weight just keeps coming off. So many medical problems are answered and explained by Dr. Davis.

[clackley]

Wheat Belly is also available on audio books. My library had such a demand they put it in unrestricted loans. Really worth the read (or listen - whatever you choose).

[Galveston Gal]

I have shared my copy with many of my co-workers....but am careful to ask for it back! Many now limit wheat products....whereas before they never even thought about it!!!

[cfine]

I wish now that I had bought this book instead of getting it on my Kindle. I want to share it with my friends. This book literally changed the way I think about food and has helped me to stay strong on my WOE.

[dawnyama]

Originally Posted by cfine

I wish now that I had bought this book instead of getting it on my Kindle. I want to share it with my friends. This book literally changed the way I think about food and has helped me to stay strong on my WOE.

Some books you just need to have in hand. I got mine as a hard copy instead of on the Kindle. Glad I did!