William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 122

What became of these early Wheat Belly successes?

Back in September, 2013, I posted a request on the Wheat Belly Facebook page for anyone who lost 50 pounds or more living the Wheat Belly lifestyle to share their photos. Here are some of the responses I received, below.

If any of you pictured here see this, please speak up and provide an update! It would be fascinating to hear what has become of these impressive early successes.

Carol:

“52 pounds gone!”

Cindy:

“Lost over 50 lbs, no more migraines, thyroid disease gone, lowered my cholesterol, allergies gone! Wheat GONE!”

Nancy:

“63 pounds down in the picture, 70 pounds down as of today.”

Jennifer:

“80 pounds gone so far, and I feel better than ever!”

Robyn:

“No more wheat and 80 pounds lost!”

Andrea:

“Goodbye wheat and goodbye 60 lbs!”

Alyson:

“I am down 72.8 pounds and 28.6 inches. I haven’t had any asthma attacks during these past 14 months and both my interstitial cystitis and IBS have gone into remission, allowing me to stop 3 medications. My total cholesterol, LDL and HDL have all improved as well. I no longer feel hung over every morning, I require less sleep and my energy level has tripled. Saying goodbye to gluten and wheat was one of the best life decisions I’ve ever made.”

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Myasthenia gravis in remission and 18 pounds lost in 3 weeks

Cheryl shared her first few week experience with myasthenia gravis on adopting the Wheat Belly lifestyle after having been on a gluten-free diet for several years:

“I am three weeks into being grain-free, low-carb, and high in good fats. My myasthenia gravis is in remission. I’ve had this autoimmune disease for 22 years, double vision and my right eye half closed. By the second week of being grain-free, I no longer have double vision. This morning for the first time in many years I woke to find my right eye completely open. The eye lid being open did not last but a few hours, but it opened and seems to be showing more strength.

“I removed all grains from my diet and now have so much more energy than I did before losing what was left of grains I was consuming on a gluten-free diet. I also have not had to use an inhaler or take allergy meds.

“Another improvement over the three weeks: I have dropped 18 pounds!”

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune condition in which antibodies are generated against the nervous system, specifically the neuromuscular junction. This attack leads to impaired muscle function that can wax and wane and can substantially impair functionality. Cheryl’s form is among the most common with impairment of the muscles of the eyelid and eyes, leading to ptosis, or eyelid droop, and diplopia, or double vision. Cheryl also has a visible rash of rosacea on her face, another autoimmune condition.

What is wonderful is that, by converting from the half-effective gluten-free approach to the far more effective grain-free Wheat Belly lifestyle, she has–in just 3 weeks, very quick for an autoimmune condition to respond–experiencing a fairly rapid remission in both the eye impairment of her myasthenia and, I believe, partial remission of her facial rosacea. Because she has responded so quickly, this predicts that she will likely continue further improvements, perhaps complete remission, over another few months. I therefore urged her to take the additional steps that stack the odds in favor of full remission, as discussed at length in the Wheat Belly Total Health book, and summarized in this Wheat Belly Blog post, especially vitamin D and a full program of bowel flora cultivation. (Given her autoimmune condition, it is virtually guaranteed that Cheryl has massively screwed up bowel flora, or dysbiosis.)

To say that the Wheat Belly lifestyle can be life-changing, as you can see, is no exaggeration. Cheryl is likely to be able to see clearly again through two open eyes, not be exposed to the muscular fatigue of her myasthenia any longer . . . and be slender to boot!

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Skin rashes, vomiting, and seizures: Wheat Belly followers share their re-exposure experiences

When you have eliminated wheat and grains from your life, odd things happen when you get re-exposed. First of all, you’ve lost the partial–partial, never total–tolerance to some of the adverse effects of wheat and grains, and they come back with a vengeance upon re-exposure. And it’s not just due to the “gluten.” Those of you hanging around here understand that there is far more to wheat and grains than gluten, such as reactions to the bowel toxicity of wheat germ agglutinin, or the mind “fog” of gliadin-derived opiate peptides, or allergic reactions to alpha amylase inhibitors. And the reactions can be really strange, sometimes even dangerous or life-threatening.

The reactions are as varied as the people who have them. To illustrate, I recently asked the Wheat Belly Facebook audience to share their wheat/grain re-exposure experiences. You will appreciate that there is nothing “indulgent” about a re-exposure, no more than a facial rash, joint pain, or diarrhea are causes for celebration. Stop eating cucumbers for a year, then have a cucumber salad: nothing happens with re-exposure. Banish eggs from your diet, then have an omelet: nothing happens. But try this with wheat and grains, and all hell can break loose.

Read the comments and it quickly becomes clear that wheat/grain re-exposure is a really, really bad idea. Here are some of the responses that flooded in within hours:

Amelia:

“The day after I’ve had wheat/gluten I feel like a have a hangover and I keep on craving sugar! I also feel depressed. My skin becomes really itchy, with small little white bumps. I hate wheat!”

Kat Lyn:

“I had a cardiac ablation done in March for SVT (supra ventricular tachycardia) and had horrible episodes of skipped beats after the surgery. I began to realize that it was only after ingesting wheat/gluten that they would occur! If I have accidental wheat ingestion, you can bet I will get a racing heart.”

Jody:

“Wheat makes me feel like someone has pulled out my battery. Instantly want to go to sleep! My belly blows up and hurts like hell.”

Nazira:

“I accidentally ate a soup at a restaurant that had a trace amount of flour, and I got a really bad rash on my upper chest and one of the worst stomachaches I have ever had. This is after having been grain-free for over a year. It is so shocking how once your body has cleaned itself up, the smallest exposure can wreck havoc!”

Lisa:

“‘Cheated’ while on vacation after 3 months wheat-free. I get so many reactions: stuffed up sinus, watery eyes, sneezing attacks, joint pain, trouble pooping for a few days, and an itchy rash all over my face! Then, the opiate reaction…want more and more. Have to start all over.”

Erika:

“Bloating (wheat baby) and I break out in hives.”

David:

“Muscle spasms, can only liken it to those exercise electronic pad things and only happens when I’ve been caught out buying pre packaged food and not realised the wheat content.”

Mackenzie:

“Not sure if its ‘unusual’ but I vomit- this happened after accidental exposure. Couldn’t figure out what was going on until I re-traced what I ate.”

Ruthcarol:

“Two years ago I blew it on vacation. Start to feel like I had the flu. After a few days I had horrible diarrhea. Gut got leaky, virus invaded my pericardium, diagnosed with pericarditis. From leaky gut. From eating wheat. I assure you I’ve never made that mistake again.”

Ivy:

“My eczema comes back, on my face this time. I will never go back to wheat again.”

Doc:

“I ate 1/2 piece of my grandson’s chocolate cake the other day. I belched wheat\cocoa for 8 hours!”

Julie:

“I break out if I even touch it.”

Shelly:

“Seizures. Anyone else?”

Gretel (in response to Shelly’s question above):

“Merle Diamond of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago was my doctor. She couldn’t figure my migraines, seizures and ataxia out. I was on seizure drugs and it did NOTHING. Then i lost 20 pounds on my 120 lb frame over the course of 2 weeks from vomiting and digestive problems. Hospitalized again. Turns out I’m celiac. 2 weeks gluten-free and I was seizure-free. Now I only get ataxic when near wheat.”

Julie:

“Pain, pain, more pain, especially with the GERD [gastroesophageal reflux disease] coming back. We been wheated . . .nausea and sick.”

Tom:

“Horrible costochrondritis flare ups.”

Dennis:

“Caved in on an incredible cheese burger for lunch. Followed by severe back pain, joint pains in hips, knees, and ankles. Pain meds required.”

Jennifer:

“I was wheat-free for 3 weeks and had to take some food sensitivity tests. They said it would be better if I have wheat and gluten in my system and I should incorporate some into my diet before I test. So on the way to the beach I ate a wrap with turkey, bacon and cheese. 2 hours later I was doubled over with pain and cramps. Dizzy, headache and gross!”

Jamie:

“Much shorter fuse, more prone to get upset, impatient.”

James:

“Bad bloating, gas and acid reflux.”

Dalene:

“I tend to go completely mental/emotional. Sinus congestion, constant sneezing, TERRIBLE earache and itchy.”

Emma:

“Really puffy eyelids, bloodshot eyes, creaky joints, feeling bruised all over, lethargic, low mood.”

Bec:

“I wake up with a dry flaky rash on my eyelids the next day and look about 10 years older. Plus the usual heartburn, cramping, gas, diarrhea, bloating, low energy and sugar/wheat cravings!”

Sharon:

“I just lay in bed all day sad and exhausted for days after accidental exposure. I get acne all over my face and get headaches and insomnia, reflux and joint pain.”

Kim:

“I get what can only be described as psychosis initially, then the next day I’m depressed and super foggy.”

Sonia:

“Bloating, migraine, stomach and foot/knee pain.”

Matt:

“Heartburn, bloating, cramps and the feeling of a need to puke! And then stiff knuckles and joint pain in the following days!”

Julie:

“I can’t cheat. I get chronic urticaria and break out from head to toes. My last out break lasted 35 days. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t or wouldn’t leave the house. The doctors had me on 3-4 different meds saying it wasn’t anything I was eating. My chiropractor is the one who has helped me the most with this situation.”

Karen:

“Headache, tummy pain, pimples, low mood. It’s awful.”

Serena:

“Sneezy! I get the bloat but my nose runs like a faucet and I get bad depression, irritability and suicidal thoughts.”

Vicki:

“The pain in my low back right side, which I always thought was from wear and tear injuries, goes away when I am grain free and comes back when I have some exposure to grains.”

Shannon:

“I get these burps that smell horrible and also get diarrhea, headaches and stomach pain or cramping.”

Jodi:

“Within 15 mins of exposure, stomach cramps … I mean STOMACH CRAMPS and then diarrhea. (Like 24hr flu). It has happened accidentally three times. I pray, never again.”

Tami:

“Felt like a gallbladder attack like I use to get before they took it out. Makes me wonder if it was ever my gallbladder after all!”

Karen:

“Water retention, weak hands and feet, and a small psoriasis break out on my head and nose. It’s like clock work. Then I have to look back and figure out where I was contaminated. There is always a source.”

Chenise:

“Sleepiness, heart palpitations, gas, bloat, nausea and belly felt like I ate bricks.”

Karla:

“Violent vomiting, esophageal spasms and stomach pain.”

Ron:

“My stomach doubles in size from excessive gas and, more oddly, I get acne down the center of my chest. While my adult acne has completely cleared up since eliminating wheat, re-exposure to wheat now produces the tell tale acne down the center of my chest. Never had acne there before either so it’s quite odd.”

Joyce:

“Out of my regular ‘safe soap,’ used some French milled. Later found out it had many wheat ingredients. Sooooo extremely tired and joints aching.”

Meryn:

“Pain that lasts for days. Felt like Mohammed Ali had used me as his boxing bag. So sore.”

Lynn:

“Bladder irritation along with burning and spasms. When tested at urologist, no bacteria … every time.”

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You are not a Paleolithic human

Put down that bone fragment you were digging with and let’s grapple with a basic fact: You are a post-Neolithic human, born 10,000 years after the close of the pre-agricultural paleolithic era that dates back 2.5 million years.

The Wheat Belly lifestyle and the popular notion of a “paleolithic” diet overlap substantially . . . but there are differences. This is a common question that arises. So here we go and discuss our points of difference.

First of all, what I am not doing here is bashing the ideas promoted by most followers of the paleo concepts. The ideas they follow are a damn sight better than conventional notions of healthy eating and wonderful results can indeed be achieved on a “paleo diet.” Many authors from the paleo community are among my friends.

There is plenty of overlap between Wheat Belly and what most authors regard as the principles of paleolithic eating. We agree on this notion that reverting back to the dietary habits and foods that molded us evolutionarily for 2.5 million years is logical, representing a return to the habits to which our bodies have adapted. Both reject all grains, for instance, the biggest issue of all, given their relatively recent introduction approximately 10,000 years ago. (I am referring to widespread consumption, not isolated pockets of consumption that may have marked, for instance, oat consumption among limited numbers of humans earlier than 10,000 years ago.) Both reject use of refined sugar, sweeteners such as agave nectar and high-fructose corn syrup, oils such as corn, soybean, and canola, and highly processed commercial and genetically-modified foods. So we agree on something like 90% of dietary issues.

But there are indeed differences. Let me list them item-by-item:

In Wheat Belly, we strictly limit digestible carbohydrates, while in most popular “paleo diets,” such carbohydrate sources as honey, maple syrup, and fruit are consumed ad lib. We limit carbs because the majority of people starting out on this lifestyle are type 2 diabetics, pre-diabetics, or have some degree of insulin resistance. We limit carbs because a lifetime of eating sugar/grain breakfast cereals, drinking soft drinks and other sugar/carb sources means you have a good chance of having damaged at least some of the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. We limit carbs because you likely have all the downstream inflammatory phenomena that develop with insulin resistance, such as higher levels of inflammatory interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, and c-reactive protein, as well as leptin resistance. We limit carbs because your bowel flora is dramatically different than paleolithic human bowel flora, as suggested by examination of primitive people’s bowel flora, such as the Hadza who continue to live a paleolithic-like lifestyle, meaning you digest carbs and other nutrients differently and have greater insulin resistance. We limit carbs because we are aware that the phenomena of glycation (glucose modification of proteins that develops whenever blood sugar rises above 100 mg/dl) will accelerate aging; there was no awareness of the mechanisms of aging in paleolithic times and we want to take action that will slow the inevitable deterioration of aging provoked by higher levels of glycation since we live longer than paleolithic humans (though it is a well-established fiction that people in the paleolithic era did not reach old age, such as age 60; but we live much longer than that and hope to maintain optimal functionality until the end). Note that the worst form of glycation is fructation, i.e., fructose modification of proteins that is 10-times more vigorous than glycation by glucose. This means that ad lib consumption of honey, maple syrup, and fruit–all rich in fructose–will accelerate development of cataracts, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and dementia. (Nobody knows exactly where a safe level of fructose consumption falls, but it is likely fairly low, e.g., no more than that contained in one apple, or about 10 grams in a medium-sized apple.) We also limit fruit because modern fruit has been hybridized for large size, sweetness, and reduction in fibrous content to encourage consumption.
We include consumption of legumes and tubers although we adhere to a strict carb limitation in doing so. The consumption of “underground storage organs,” what I shall label tubers for simplicity, dates back to pre-Homo australopithecines over 2.5 million years ago. Observations of the Hadza, !Kung, and aboriginal Australians suggest enthusiastic consumption of tubers obtained by digging, at least seasonally. While the frequency of tuber consumption in Homo species over the years is unclear, the fact that our intestinal lining is heavily dependent on the fatty acid, butyrate, suggests that the human digestive tract requires the fibers that yield butyrate upon microbial “digestion.” Underground fiber-rich tubers such as (uncooked) potatoes and legumes such as beans and lentils are rich in the fibers that yield butyrate when bowel flora consume. Denying yourself such prebiotic fibers by eliminating all legumes and tubers therefore risks dysbiosis, or distortions of bowel flora composition.
In the Wheat Belly lifestyle, dairy products are conditional, i.e., we consume them on a limited basis and are selective. Unlike grains, for which there was essentially no precedent for their widespread consumption prior to 10,000 years ago, consumption of the milk of mammalian breasts is different: infant humans have consumed the milk from their mothers’ breasts for as long as our species has walked the earth. (We are called “mammals,” after all.) What is relatively new is the consumption of the milk from bovine (or other species’) breasts (also starting around 10,000 years ago with the domestication of animals such as aurochs, a period that also coincides with the introduction of zoonoses, the diseases like smallpox and tuberculosis transmitted to humans from our domesticated livestock) and continuing to consume it beyond the initial 4 years of life. (Primitive humans suckle their young up to 4 years old, when a child is able to start foraging for itself.) Superimposed on these basic issues is the appearance of the casein protein variant, casein beta A1, that appeared only 6000 years ago with a change in a single amino acid of the protein, as well as the issues introduced by high-volume commercial production of dairy products, especially use of antibiotics, bovine growth hormone, and milking pregnant cows for the entire duration of pregnancy that ups the hormone content of pooled product. For these reasons, and because many dairy issues are “dose-dependent,” i.e., effects worsen with consumption of greater quantities, I believe that some people are okay consuming small quantities of dairy. Nobody is safe consuming ad lib quantities of non-organic dairy, as it will invite issues with hormone over-exposure, the insulinotrophic effect of whey, and immunogenicity from the casein beta A1 protein (e.g., type 1 diabetes). Fermented cheeses are among the least problematic, given the alteration of the casein and the reductions in whey and lactose introduced by the fermentative cheese-making process. Ironically, the healthiest, most benign component of dairy is the fat, meaning the modern obsession with low- or non-fat dairy products made dairy a more offensive food by removing the one truly healthy component. Also, the butyrate contained in butter is a powerful anti-inflammatory and intestinal health-maintaining factor. But we’ve got to be careful with dairy: small quantities, organic, favoring butter and fermented cheeses.

There are other differences, such as consumption of saturated fat and use of salt in which we differ. (I encourage consumption of saturated fat or at least discourage limitation, and I believe that higher levels of salt are perfectly safe, provided they are not the obscene levels you might obtain by, say, eating frequently at fast food restaurants that are responsible for intakes over 10,000 mg per day.) One of the difficulties with the various versions of paleo diets is that there are as many variations as there are proponents, i.e., there is no one paleo diet. Some limit saturated fat, others do not. Some limit salt, others do not. Some say oats are okay, others say they are not. Some say non-grains such as quinoa or buckwheat are okay, others say they are not. Think of it: the paleolithic diet of the African savannah was different from the paleolithic diet of northern Europeans was different from the paleolithic diet of southeast Asia and so on. Rather than thinking about a “paleo diet,” I think it makes more sense to ask: what was common among all humans from Homo habilis and onwards in their eating habits, regardless of location and climate? Several general behaviors emerge: all humans have hunted and consumed the flesh and organs of animals, all consumed non-grass plants, all relied on some source of butyrate to maintain digestion, and nobody consumed the seeds of grasses, i.e., “grains.”

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Ham Skillet

I’m a big fan of breakfast for dinner (though the opposite concept—dinner for breakfast—works equally well in this lifestyle.) After all, we have turned the traditional notion of a grain-based breakfast inside-out, breaking all the former “rules” of what is for breakfast and what is for dinner.

I snuck a sweet potato into this recipe for a bit of beta-carotene and flavor; it adds only 5 grams net carbs per serving. The eggs are optional in this recipe, in case you don’t want to take the breakfast-for-dinner idea all the way through.

Makes 4 servings.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Ham Skillet   [image error] Print Cook time 10 mins Total time 10 mins   Author: Dr. William Davis Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved 4 ounces portabello mushrooms, sliced 1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½" cubes 1 teaspoon sea salt 12 ounces precooked ham, cubed 4 eggs (optional) ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Instructions In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Cook the garlic and onion for 2 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, sweet potato, and salt and stir. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts and mushrooms soften. Stir in the ham. If desired, use a spoon to form 4 small evenly spaced depressions in the mixture. Crack an egg into each. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, if using. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Nutrition Information Calories: 247 Fat: 11g Saturated fat: 3g Carbohydrates: 20g Sodium: 929mg Fiber: 6g Protein: 19g 3.3.3077

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Leprechauns, nymphs, high cholesterol, and other fanciful notions

Because the campaign of misinformation surrounding cholesterol and heart disease risk is so widespread, I thought I’d share an excerpt from chapter 10 of Wheat Belly Total Health, the chapter entitled Grainless Metabolic Mastery: Regain Control Over Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Bone Health, and Inflammation. I recount how and why we find ourselves with such silly and misleading notions such as high cholesterol, limiting saturated fats, and statin drugs that dominate most conversations about heart disease risk. Recall that the Wheat Belly concepts got their start with efforts to develop better tools to deal with heart disease risk.

If you are wondering whether the Wheat Belly lifestyle of no wheat, no grains, and unlimited healthy fat will impact heart disease risk, read this (admittedly lengthy) discussion and you will understand. As with every other widespread campaign of misinformation, you will once again smell the hidden profit motive that drives conventional notions of heart health. By ignoring advice to eat more “healthy whole grains,” limit total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, as advised by the American Heart Association, you discover that notions such as “high cholesterol causes heart disease” and “everyone must take a statin drug to reduce cholesterol” resemble the truth about as much as kissing frogs creates handsome princes.

Leprechauns, nymphs, high cholesterol, and other fanciful notions: An excerpt from Wheat Belly Total Health

People often start their grain-free journey with concerns about losing the purported health benefits of grains while upping their intake of fats, including saturated fats. They are worried that such a dietary change will “increase cholesterol” and thereby increase risk for heart disease.

Let’s get this straight right from the start: Cholesterol in the diet does not cause heart disease, any more than fat, saturated fat, or a voodoo doll pricked with pins by your worst enemy causes heart disease. Just because cholesterol is found in both particles in the bloodstream as well as in atherosclerotic plaque does not necessarily mean that one caused the other. Cholesterol, after all, comprises 25% of the fat content of all cells of the body. Cholesterol in the bloodstream does not cause heart disease, but is a convenience of measurement. Just as you would not blame the dipstick in the crankcase of your car for the engine failing to start, we should not blame this “dipstick” for the particles in the blood, cholesterol, for causing heart disease. Then why this astounding focus on something as blameless as cholesterol, billions of marketing dollars spent on urgings to reduce it, armies of drug representatives and physicians dispensing drugs to treat it, media reports endlessly warning us of its dangers?

To understand this situation, we have to review how and why we got here, as well as what really goes on in the body that raises risk for heart disease. It may be a bit painful, but I believe that the world of cholesterol will become crystal clear once you grasp these concepts.

A quick history lesson in cholesterol testing: Back in the early 1960s, Dr. William Friedewald and other research scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducting sophisticated studies on the various components of the blood, came to understand that fat-carrying proteins in the bloodstream, “lipoproteins,” appeared to gain access to the walls of arteries, such as those of the heart, thereby leading to accumulations of atherosclerosis and, eventually, heart attacks. They reasoned that quantifying lipoproteins in the bloodstream might offer a way to gauge long-term potential for coronary atherosclerosis. The NIH team also knew that, when blood was spun (centrifuged) at high-speed, it would separate lipoproteins in test tubes into various fractions: a high-density fraction at the bottom, followed by a low-density and very low-density fractions towards the top. In particular, the particles found in the low-density fraction appeared to be the most cholesterol-rich, cholesterol being one of the compounds retrieved from arteries bearing atherosclerosis.

Each lipoprotein particle, regardless of which density fraction it came from, shares various components, such as phospholipids, proteins, triglycerides, and cholesterol. Dr. Friedewald and colleagues reasoned that, by choosing one component and measuring it, they could compare this one component from one individual and compare it to other individuals. Measuring one component in each density fraction thereby indirectly quantified the amount of lipoproteins in each density fraction: higher levels of a component in one fraction correlated, albeit crudely, with greater numbers of lipoproteins in that fraction—a virtual dipstick of lipoproteins. They chose cholesterol as their indirect measure, since it was an important component of atherosclerotic plaque, was present in every density fraction and could be easily measured using 1960s technology. So they measured the cholesterol in the unseparated blood, “total cholesterol,” then in each density fraction: a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction, then low- (LDL), and very low-density (VLDL) fractions. The amount of cholesterol in each fraction was used to compare the amount of cholesterol in one person versus that of another and thereby indirectly compare the number of lipoproteins in each density fraction.

Cholesterol was therefore a convenience of measurement. They could have chosen phospholipids, triglycerides, or others, but they chose cholesterol. Cholesterol was not measured because it was the cause of atherosclerosis; it was simply a component of atherosclerotic plaque that could be also measured in the bloodstream, then used as an indirect means of comparing its quantity among various people and populations as an indirect assessment of lipoproteins. Dr. Friedewald and colleagues went a step further: Because the low-density fraction, in particular, was cumbersome to measure in high-volume laboratory practice, they devised a simple equation that allowed laboratories to measure the cholesterol in the total blood sample, the high-density and very low-density fractions, then estimate the fraction in the low-density fraction through a crude calculation. This calculation was successful in calculating a value that approximated the true measured value when many measures were collected from a population—provided diet composition was maintained within a “standard” range of fat and carbohydrate intake and provided high- and very low-density cholesterol fractions stayed within a relatively narrow range. Despite its admitted shortcomings, this was the birth of the conventional lipid panel in which three measures are made—total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol (now estimated by measuring triglycerides)—then used to calculate LDL cholesterol:

LDL cholesterol = total cholesterol – HDL cholesterol – triglycerides/5

(Triglycerides divided by 5 is an estimate of VLDL cholesterol.)

Such simple testing became widely adopted to gauge risk for coronary disease and heart attack, despite Dr. Friedewald and colleagues misgivings about its limitations, including the inaccuracies introduced when the high-density and very low-density values strayed from the assumed range. Accordingly, as lipid panels, including LDL cholesterol values obtained using the “Friedewald equation,” expanded in clinical use, numerous objections have been raised over the years that such testing was crude, imprecise, and outdated (Barter 2006).

Beyond the crude, indirect nature of this assessment, combined with its faulty built-in assumptions, it also suffered from several other deficiencies. Because, for instance, it relied mostly on measuring or calculating the amount of cholesterol in the various density fractions of blood, it made no effort to decipher the actual shape, conformation, density, surface characteristics, duration of persistence, or other crucial aspects of lipoprotein behavior. Instead, it assumed that every lipoprotein particle within, say, the low-density fraction, was the same in every person regardless of age, sex, diet, weight, insulin or blood sugar status, diabetic or non-diabetic, etc. because it was viewed only from the perspective of cholesterol content.

Fast forward to the 1980s and 1990s, and a very clever way to enterprise on this widely adopted, though flawed, method of testing was devised: the birth of “statin” drugs that inhibit the liver synthesis of lipoproteins by blocking the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme. These drugs were billed as “cholesterol reducing” drugs because, by reducing liver production of cholesterol, lipoprotein production was also restricted.

Even though the dietary contribution to cholesterol synthesis from cholesterol content of foods, such as egg yolks and animal fats, is small to negligible compared to the body’s capacity to manufacture cholesterol, such foods got labeled as unhealthy, while foods low in cholesterol, such as foods from grains, vegetables, and sugars, got labeled as healthy. Largely ignored was the contribution carbohydrates make to increasing cholesterol production by the liver (by providing acetyl CoA, an early step in cholesterol production) (Fears 1981). Even worse, the potential for carbohydrates, especially amylopectin A from grains, to provoke formation of excessive quantities of VLDL that cause dramatic shifts in the size, density, and composition of other particles, such as convert LDL particle size from large to small, was never acknowledged, since that the standard cholesterol panel does not reflect these phenomena.

Focusing on the crude values, especially calculated LDL cholesterol, yielded by cholesterol testing also prompted national advice to reduce total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake, advice followed by many people and resulting in reduced intake. Despite this, the campaign has failed to reduce total or LDL cholesterol in the U.S. (Ford 2013). Nationwide reductions in total and LDL cholesterol are only attributable to use of statin drugs, not diet. (Yes: advise people to follow the wrong diet, then come to their “rescue” with prescription drugs.) We focus on only one component of lipoproteins, cholesterol, ignore the varied ways in which lipoproteins behave, then equate cholesterol in lipoproteins with cholesterol in atherosclerotic plaque: This is where we find ourselves in the early 21st century, having blundered our way here with hundreds of millions of people worldwide being treated for “high cholesterol.”

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Ginger Chicken Stir Fry Over Shirataki Noodles for prebiotic fibers

The Wheat Belly Cookbook introduced several recipes that used non-grain shirataki noodles. While shirataki noodles are best suited to be used in Asian dishes, you can also use them in Italian or other dishes. Here, I stick with an Asian style.

Interestingly, shirataki noodles are rich in the fiber, glucomannan (a polymer of glucose and mannose), sourced from the root of the konjac plant. Several studies have demonstrated that glucomannan exerts prebiotic fiber effects, such as reduction in blood sugar, apoprotein B (a superior test compared to LDL cholesterol, but tracking roughly the same thing), and improved bowel health. This simple recipe for Ginger Chicken Stir Fry Over Shirataki Noodles illustrates another way to add a few more grams of prebiotic fibers to your daily intake. The servings in this recipe are sizable but yield 2-3 grams of glucomannan prebiotic fibers per serving.

Recall that we aim to achieve microbial species diversity as part of our bowel flora cultivation efforts, something encouraged by employing variety in your choice of prebiotic fibers: glucomannan, galacto-oligosaccharides from lentils and hummus, FOS, inulin powder, raw potato starch, green unripe bananas, etc.

Makes 2 servings

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive or coconut oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken, skinned, boned, and cut into 1-inch cubes or bite-sized pieces

1 head broccoli, broken into florets

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 heads baby bok choy, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

4-5 green onions, sliced

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup tamari, gluten-free soy sauce, or coconut aminos

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger

2 8-ounce packages shirataki noodles, drained and rinsed

4 cups water

Heat oil over medium-high heat in wok or large skillet. Add garlic and chicken and cook until chicken lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes.

Add broccoli, bell pepper, bok choy, green onions, mushrooms and tamari or other sauce and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Stir in sesame oil, ginger, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, an additional 3-5 minutes or until broccoli tender.

Meanwhile, drain shirataki noodles in collander, then rinse with cold water for approximately one minute. Bring 4 cups of water to boil in medium saucepan. Add shirataki noodles to boiling water and allow to boil for approximately 1-2 minutes. Remove and drain in collander.

Serve noodles topped with stir fry.

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The Wheat Belly lifestyle BEGAN with heart health

Debbie posted this comment on the Wheat Belly Facebook page:

“I posted a few weeks back about our scare from our primary care doctor. My husband had a calcium score of 1200. We panicked! Messaged Dr. Davis and went the next day to a cardio doctor and had a stress test, ultrasound, and blood test (inflammatory markers). Got him on recommended supplements per Dr Davis.

“Latest update: Cardio doctor says, being as you started ‘Wheat Belly’ back in October, 2014, your score could have been higher and already started to improve, we don’t know. What we DO know is, because of this new way of eating, all other tests are NORMAL! Sugar A1C from 8.3 to 6.0, cholesterol way down, blood pressure down, etc, etc all down. Cardio doctor was AMAZED! Continue this diet, supplements and come visit again in 6 months or so!

“Without Wheat Belly, my husband was heading for a major heart attack. I have also found the cause of my own health problems. I started Wheat Belly 3/2014. I am down 78 lbs, no longer pre-diabetic and my symptoms are gone from muscle pain, headaches, chronic itching, bloating, digestive issues, etc., etc. THANK-YOU.”

What a terrific encapsulation of the entire Wheat Belly experience. I didn’t develop the concepts in Wheat Belly by one day just deciding to pick on wheat. These ideas were developed over years of working and researching ways to give people better control over health, but specifically heart health, as I became increasingly disenchanted with conventional notions of heart disease prevention. And it happened on the background of calcium scores of the sort that Debbie’s husband had. So let me tell you how it all happened.

I was practicing interventional cardiology in Cleveland, Ohio, at an academic medical center where I was director of the catheterization laboratory and the cardiology training fellowship. It was an age in which new devices, new procedures, and new techniques were being introduced at a rapid clip. A former trainee of mine asked me to join him in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I told him: “No way! It’s too darned cold up there!” Nonetheless, I visited him and liked the town, the hospitals, the staff I met, the neighborhoods. Despite my initial misgivings, I moved to suburban Milwaukee to join him. I practiced out of several hospitals, doing much the same: day-to-night angioplasties, implanting stents, dealing with heart attacks and other cardiac emergencies, continuing to introduce new techniques.

Then my mother died of sudden cardiac death just two months after having undergone successful two vessel angioplasty at a New Jersey hospital near my hometown. This hit me like a ton of bricks: the disease I dealt with every day, 7 days a week, was the same disease that killed my mom.

But this event drove home to me that focusing on acute procedural care allows many people to die or experience other dangerous events before they can even get to the hospital. I began to look for methods to identify heart disease before such events took place. And I mean real methods, markers that, for instance, predicted the future in ways such as “heart attack within three years highly likely.” Symptoms? I was looking for markers in people without symptoms. Cholesterol? Don’t make me laugh. High blood pressure, family history, etc.–all were “soft” markers that didn’t have real power, didn’t tell you the “when” or “how much.” About that time a new device had come on the market, a type of CT scanner called an electron beam tomography device, or EBT, that was very fast, able to take an image of the heart in one tenth of one second, rather than the two seconds of conventional CT devices. The heart is a moving object and therefore very difficult to image in detail, but this device could do it.  Then colleague and now friend Dr. John Rumberger at the Mayo Clinic did something extraordinary: he used this EBT device to image the coronary (heart) arteries of hearts from people who had died in car accidents and other means. He discovered that calcium–an easy component of atherosclerotic plaque to image–occupied 20% of the total volume of the atherosclerotic plaque that lined arteries. In other words, measuring calcium in the arteries provided a gauge, a dipstick, for the amount of total atherosclerotic plaque in the 3 coronary arteries. Early scientific publications validated the fact that the “calcium score”–zero for none, increasing values for greater quantities of calcium–was the most powerful predictor for future heart attack and death from heart disease ever developed.

I put together some investors in Milwaukee to bring an EBT device here. (I was never an investor, just the medical adviser.) No hospital showed interest, as they saw it as a tool for prevention, not for increasing procedural revenue. Thus Milwaukee Heart Scan was born and we began to image the hearts of hundreds, then thousands of people. But it created a dilemma: a businessman, say, would have his heart scan, obtain a score of 500 (quite high), then ask “What the heck do I do about it?” Because this was about 18 years ago, we’d tell them what I now understand is nonsense: cut your fat, take Lipitor, and exercise. The businessman would come back in a year for another scan: score of 670–much higher. Now he’s freaking out: “What now?! Do I need heart catheterization or bypass surgery?” (Recall that these people were without symptoms, often exercising, and usually proved to have normal stress tests. Regardless, an unintended problem also arose: unscrupulous cardiologists who put such people through unnecessary heart procedures. This was something I did battle with back then, but nonetheless witnessed hundreds of people go through heart procedures without real reason.)  We’d tell them “cut your fat further, take a higher dose of Lipitor, etc.” The businessman would return in another year or so, another scan: score 880. It became clear by our experience, as well as the published experience that we contributed to, that the calcium score increased at a rate of 25-30% per year and that tools such as statin drugs had very little effect in stopping this terrifying progression. We were therefore left without any real tools to deal with this problem, while all around me nice people were freaking out as they watched their coronary atherosclerotic plaque grow.

So I set out to discover ways to put this to a stop. After all, we now had a tool, the EBT* device, that allowed us to track progression–or regression–of coronary disease. Little by little, step by step, we worked on new ways to slow or stop the process. I added advanced lipoprotein analysis, such as NMR lipoprotein testing, to better decipher the details in the fat-carrying particles in the bloodstream. I folded in new insights into such factors as vitamin D. Over many years, I learned several critical lessons:

Having an omega-3 fatty acid RBC blood level of 10% or greater contributed to slowing. In other words, of all the fatty acids in red blood cells, RBCs, 10% or more had to be from the EPA and DHA of fish oil. This was achieved with EPA + DHA daily intakes of 3000-3600 mg per day from fish oil (only).
Vitamin D–Vitamin D, when added to the mix of strategies I was using, yielded shocking effects. Before vitamin D, the majority of people only managed to slow the growth of their calcium scores. Adding vitamin D in oil-based gelcap form as cholecalciferol (not ergocalciferol, the prescription form) didn’t just slow it down; it actually reduced scores, often dramatically. I watched, for example, a score of 600 become a score of 300 a year later. This proved fairly consistent. Of course, vitamin D also proved to be so powerful in many other facets of health, as well.
Small LDL particles that are oxidation-prone and persist in the bloodstream up to 7-times longer than large LDL particles were eliminated in the majority of people by eliminating wheat, grains, and sugars. This mean, for instance, that someone with a total LDL particle number (by NMR) of 2000 nmol/L, a virtual count of LDL particles in the bloodstream, of which 1400 nmol/L were small particles, would eliminate wheat, grains, and sugars and drop small LDL particles to zero, total LDL particle number to 600 nmol/L: 2000 -1400 = 600 nmol/L. An LDL particle number of 600 nmol/L is equivalent to an LDL cholesterol value of 60 mg/dl (drop the last digit from LDL particle number)–a spectacularly low value achieved without statin drugs. Over time, it became clearer and clearer: the majority of people did not need statin drugs and achieved values better than that on the drugs.
Thyroid status needed to be perfect–Even a marginal degree of hypothyroidism (low thyroid function responsible for low energy, weight gain or failure to lose weight, inappropriately cold hands and feet) could trigger extravagant increases in calcium scores. And hypothyroidism was incredibly common, easily affecting 30% of the people I saw. It meant addressing iodine and aiming for a TSH no higher than 1.5 mIU/L and free T4 and free T3 in the upper half of the reference range, along with absence of any symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Blood sugar needed to be in a truly normal range–This meant fasting blood sugars of no higher than 100 mg/dl, preferably 90 mg/dl or lower, and hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, had to be 5.0% or less. In other words, you had to reverse pre-diabetes or diabetes to gain control over coronary plaque growth.
Efforts to cultivate healthy bowel flora were necessary–This most recent lesson added even greater advantage to control over calcium scores, as well as overall health and metabolic markers.

There were some additional lessons learned along the way that applied to selected groups of people, such as the efforts targeting the genetic pattern, lipoprotein(a); the contribution of phytosterols/sitosterol to heart disease; dietary manipulations to accommodate specific genetic variants such as apoprotein E2 and abnormal postprandial (after-meal) processing of lipoproteins, etc. But, for the majority, the menu proved incredibly simple and straightforward, and most people following this program stopped the growth of their coronary atherosclerotic plaque/calcium scores altogether, many enjoying dramatic drops in scores, something my colleagues declare is impossible even today. And I stopped seeing heart attacks, heart symptoms, need for heart catheterizations, stents, and bypass surgery–coronary disease essentially came to a halt. Though my background was in heart procedures, I stopped doing them . . . because nobody needed them any longer. Five, six, seven, or eight procedures per day fell to zero. (You can also appreciate the indifference from my colleagues and hospitals, also, as their primary source of income is from heart procedures.)

Of course, as I introduced these strategies, I also watched people lose extraordinary amounts of weight, look and feel better, reverse diabetes, reverse autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, reverse skin rashes like eczema and psoriasis, obtain freedom from acid reflux and irritable bowel symptoms, improve their emotional health, enjoy better sleep, reverse depression, obtain relief from migraine headaches, etc.–all the lessons I now talk about in Wheat Belly conversations. But, with the flood of wonderful experiences that continue to come into the Wheat Belly Facebook page, the Wheat Belly Blog, and elsewhere, it is sometimes easy to forget: this whole collection of life- and health-changing revelations began with efforts to stamp out heart attacks and coronary heart disease . . . and it works. It works big time. And it’s incredibly easy, while providing an astounding range of improvements in overall health.

*The EBT device has now been supplanted by a newer type of CT scanner, the multi-detector CT, MDCT, device. So for anyone looking for a heart scan to obtain a calcium score, the majority of imaging centers now have the newer devices. Also, anyone interested in how to apply advanced lipoprotein analysis, see the chapter on metabolic health in Wheat Belly Total Health.

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Who Can Benefit from the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox?

If you’re considering starting or “rebooting” a Wheat Belly lifestyle, the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox (in stores November 2015) is the perfect launch point. The carefully-designed meal plans and delicious recipes will provide everything you need to fully eliminate wheat and related grains in the shortest time possible. This new book packages everything you need to get up and running to regain control over weight and health as quickly, as smoothly, as effectively as possible.

Who can benefit from a grain free lifestyle? Well, truthfully everyone can, but who can benefit ​most? ​If you or someone you love suffers from diseases related to inflammation or autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, or any of over 200 such diseases, the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox can be completely life-altering. 

Many people who suffer from autoimmune conditions regard themselves as unlucky, and consider that they have been dealt a faulty genetic hand. There is some truth to that belief, but it is important to recognize that we now know that the gliadin protein of wheat, the secalin of rye, the hordein of barley, and the zein protein of corn initiate changes in the human intestine that increase permeability, what some call gut “leak. Different organs are targeted in different individuals, but much of it begins with the same phenomenon: abnormal intestinal permeability and inflammation from the components of grains passing through the intestines. (If you want the full medical explanation of gut leak, absolutely check out Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health or Wheat Belly Total Health.)

If you want to lose weight, The Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox provides a step-by-step, meal-by-meal plan to get you going in as short a time as possible. If you want to feel and even look better than you have in 10 years, and want the ABCs to do so, then the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox will show you how.

This new book also encapsulates all the newest lessons learned over the past 4 years since the first Wheat Belly book was released, with new strategies and recipes never before released included in this super-fast format.

If you just want to grab health by the horns and get your body healthy FAST, pre-order the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox and mark your calendar for a revolutionary life-changing experience. Stay tuned to this blog and social media, and sign up for my newsletter below—over the next few weeks I’m going to share some delicious recipes, health facts, and self-care tips from the book, as well as some very special offers.

And a new Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox online course to accompany the book is also coming: I shall be releasing the details in coming posts!

The post Who Can Benefit from the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox? appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Marianne’s hands tell the story

Marianne posted “before” and “after” photos of her hands on the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

“This is what my hands look like after getting the wheat out of my system. Thank goodness for Dr. Davis and his research on wheat.”

Marianne’s photos are a graphic illustration of how powerful this wheat/grain-free lifestyle can be for people without celiac disease. The primary reason she experienced such a wonderful reversal of this skin condition is because she is no longer consuming sources of the gliadin protein of wheat, secalin of rye, and the hordein of barley, as well as the zein protein of corn, that initiate the intestinal process that underlies autoimmune conditions.

Marianne’s hands are just one reflection of the marvelous health that people enjoy on the Wheat Belly lifestyle. In parallel with her newly-found skin/hand health, her blood sugars should be dropping, insulin dropping, tummy shrinking, inflammatory measures receding, triglycerides dropping, blood pressure dropping, bowel health improving, mental and emotional health improving–there is NO organ system in the human body that does not enjoy improvements when you banish all wheat and grains from your life.

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