William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 66

Want to arm wrestle?

I have previously discussed (in my Undoctored Blog) how loss of muscle mass is a phenomenon of aging with up to 50% loss of muscle mass from age 25 to 75, especially bad if you yo-yo dieted over the years. We’ve all seen it: Aging involves reduced ability to climb stairs, hike, wrestle with a shovel, hoist heavy grocery bags, eventually leading to need for a cane, walker, wheelchair, or Boy Scout to assist you in crossing the street. Severe muscle loss, sarcopenia, is a close cousin of frailty.

Muscle mass has therefore been labeled a biomarker for biological age. We need a gauge of biological age because, unlike trees in which we count rings or measure antler wingspan in elk, we need a quantifiable measure in humans that we can track and manipulate.

In particular, inflammation—“inflammaging”—is proving to be a major factor that influences muscle mass: Any factor that increases your body’s inflammatory state adds to muscle loss and potentially accelerates associated phenomena of aging. Among the factors that influence inflammation:

Grain consumption–A major contributor to higher C-reactive protein levels and other inflammatory markers via gliadin, gliadin-derived peptides, wheat germ agglutinin, insulin provocation, dysbiotic changes in bowel flora.

Sugar consumption–Via higher insulin levels, dysbiosis, and, with grains, cultivation of visceral fat that is a major source of inflammation.

Dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth–Conversely, increased Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species and prebiotic fibers reduce inflammation and increase muscle mass, including reduction in bacterial lipopolysaccharide, a potent inflammatory mediator produced by organisms that characterize dysbiosis and SIBO (Enterobacteriaeceae). Short-chain fatty acid metabolites of bowel microorganisms, such as butyrate, trigger an increase in systemic IGF-1 alpha levels that promote muscle growth.

Butyrate–Butyrate is a byproduct of microbial metabolism with production amped up by providing prebiotic fibers. Butyrate administration has been shown to protect against age-associated muscle loss via an epigenetic mechanism in addition to its IGF-provoking effect. Notably, butyrate can also be directly ingested; rich sources include butter and our L. reuteri yogurt.

Inflammation is therefore a major influence over muscle status, along with other factors such as testosterone, IGF-1 alpha provocation, and oxytocin. (That last item, oxytocin, by the way, is why consuming our L. reuteri yogurt is such a powerful practice: It boosts oxytocin release from the hypothalamus dramatically, yielding increased muscle, reduced visceral fat, accelerated healing, increased bone density, heightened libido, etc.)

Crucial question: If muscle mass is a biomarker for age, is it simply an accompaniment or is it causal? If an accompaniment, like age spots, then increasing muscle will not yield anti-aging benefits, just as removing age spots does not make you more youthful. If it is causal, then increasing muscle mass should yield age-reversing benefits. However, the jury is still out on whether increasing muscle is associated with age-reversing effects.

Regardless, increasing muscle is a good thing. It allows you to remain independent, less likely to fall and less likely to incur injury when you do fall, exerts metabolic advantages such as enhanced insulin sensitivity and protection from visceral fat accumulation, and improves bone density. My bet is that increasing muscle mass is not like age spots and does indeed backpedal on aging to some degree. In the meantime, by engaging in Undoctored practices, such as wheat/grain/sugar elimination, vitamin D restoration, omega-3 supplementation to mimic primitive eating habits, efforts to cultivate healthy bowel flora including L. reuteri seeding, combined with physical work and/or strength training, I believe that you have stacked the odds in favor of doing the tango at age 90 long after your peers have checked out for the great big breadbasket in the sky.

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The next Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Challenge begins Wed July 18th!

Through my New York Times bestseller, Wheat Belly, millions of people learned how to reverse years of chronic health problems by removing wheat from their daily diets. But, after reading the original Wheat Belly or the Wheat Belly Total Health book, or even using the recipes from the Wheat Belly Cookbook and Wheat Belly 30-Minute Cookbook, people still said: “I’ve read the books, but I’m still not sure how to get started on this lifestyle.”

That’s why I wrote the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox and now help readers along in this Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox CHALLENGE. This is the quickest, most assured way to get started on regaining magnificent health and slenderness by adopting the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

This next CHALLENGE begins Wednesday, July 18th to give you plenty of time to fit into a new slender wardrobe and reclaim control over numerous health conditions so that you can really enjoy this summer.

The Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox supplies you with carefully designed meal plans and delicious recipes to fully eliminate wheat and related grains in the shortest time possible. Perfect for those who may have fallen off the wagon or for newcomers who need a jump-start for weight loss, this new addition to the Wheat Belly phenomenon guides you through the complete 10-Day Detox experience.

In addition to this quick-start program, I’ll teach you:

How to recognize and reduce wheat-withdrawal symptoms,
How to avoid common landmines that can sabotage success
How to use nutritional supplements to further advance weight loss and health benefits

The Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox also includes:

Inspiring testimonials from people who have completed the program (and have now made grain-free eating a way of life)

Exciting new recipes to help get your entire family on board

To join the Detox Challenge:

Step 1

Get the book. And read it (at least the first 5 chapters).

Detox Challenge participants should be informed and active in order to get the most out of the challenge and private Facebook group. READING THE WHEAT BELLY DETOX BOOK IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. PLEASE DO NOT PARTICIPATE IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK or else the conversations will not make sense and you will not enjoy full benefit. It is a very bad idea to try and piece the program together just from our conversations. (Note that the Wheat Belly Detox program is NOT laid out in the original Wheat Belly book.)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JqzMea

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/wheatbelly10daygraindetox-bn

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1KwcFTQ

Step 2

Come join the Private Facebook Group.

http://bit.ly/WheatBelly-PrivateFBGroup

Step 3

Head back to the Private Facebook Group starting Tuesday, July 17th (the day before the official start of the Challenge) and onwards for tips, videos, and discussions to help you get through your detox and reprogram your body for rapid weight loss and health. Dr. Davis and site administrator, April Duval, will be posting video instructions and answers to your questions.

 

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Look what happened to Leslie with Wheat Belly + L. reuteri

 

Leslie has been following the entire Wheat Belly lifestyle with breathtaking results to show for it. More recently, based on our numerous conversations here and elsewhere, she added L. reuteri. Interestingly, although all the skin health and anti-aging benefits have been observed only with the ATCC PTA 6475 and DSM 17938 strains, Leslie took the UALre-16 strain from Nature’s Way, suggesting that this strain may also boost oxytocin and thereby provide all the skin and health benefits of the other strains.

“Many are asking what change I’ve made in my makeup as my skin looks so smooth. I lost 40 lbs in past 2 years with Wheat Belly but this addition [L. reuteri] has been a game changer as you can see in my before and after photos. I don’t think I look 65 anymore. Maybe 45? Before pic was 2 years ago and after is today.

“Total cholesterol went from 239 to 224. Triglycerides went from 112 to 94. Statins no longer being recommended. Vitamin D level went from 30 to 46. ALT [liver test] was elevated but now went from 42 to 27.

Diverticula decreased from 3 pouches to 1. Diverticulitis attacks lessened from average 3 per year to very rare. Was considered prediabetic but no longer in that category. Skin tags vanished. Dental health much improved with bleeding gums healed. Vision has not deteriorated during this transformation. Was told I would probably need cataract surgery but no longer needed at this time. But the main benefit has been the boost in my self confidence and energy level.

“Adding L. reuteri has caused skin to be less dry, smoother and more even toned. I am slowing the aging process.”

Here’s another before photo Leslie provided:

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Michelle’s Wheat Belly health and weight transformation

 

Michelle shared her Wheat Belly transformation in health and weight, something that none of her doctors helped accomplish. She accomplished all this  on her own–with spectacular results: thinner, no longer a diabetic, reversed fatty liver, rashes, and hormonal distortions.

“Just wanted to share how unhealthy I was pre-Wheat Belly. I did not feel well and had diabetes, high liver enzymes, high cholesterol including high triglycerides, high ferritin levels, rashes and too many other things to mention.

“I started Wheat Belly because my life depended on it. Don’t let your health get that far. I have been on this lifestyle since the end of November, 2017. I still have 34 lbs to go, I could even go 50 lbs lower. But in 6 months, my cholesterol is normal, my A1C went from 9.1 (diabetic) to 5.1. My ferritin level went from a whopping 1538 to normal. (Nope, I don’t have the genetic disorder that causes this.) I was just sooo unhealthy.

“My liver enzymes, ALT and AST, went from the 200’s (non-alcoholic fatty liver which can eventually lead to cirrhosis that is not reversible) to normal. Rashes went away. I can tell that my high estrogen levels (caused by grains and other stuff in food and environment and caused me to have a hysterectomy because of estrogen dominance and because they couldn’t rule out uterine cancer) has gone down. Gosh, I may have been able to dodge that had I gotten on this WOE sooner! Even the hormones they gave me didn’t help. They only gave me severe panic attacks.

“Just think: All I had to do was change my diet. But no doctor told me that.

“All these things went normal in 3 month, but those numbers are where I am at in 6 months. I am 48 lbs down. NOW OFF ALL MEDS and considered non-diabetic.”

Is Wheat Belly about shrinking from XXL to size 4? Yes, it is, but it is SO much more than that, as Michelle’s experience illustrates. It is about reversing type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, skin rashes, hormonal distortions, and many other health conditions, not with prescription drugs, but by correcting the factors that caused these conditions in the first place.

ALL of Michelle’s conditions were easily and readily reversible, yet not one doctor recognized this. Michelle’s experience is not the exception; it’s the rule. I wouldn’t be surprised, in fact, if doctors blamed Michelle herself for her conditions, accusing her of gluttony, excess, immoderation. But the cause was conventional dietary advice coupled with medical ignorance.

The good news: Once you recognize that the doctor is useless, the healthcare system and prescription drugs offer nothing but Band-Aids, but that the answer is in your own hands, then you can be on your way to finding solutions. And look at the magnificent results. This is why I often say that the health that emerges from your own efforts is superior to the “health” the doctor achieves.

 

 

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The unique probiotic effects of L. reuteri

We’ve lately been discussing (some would say obsessing) about the unique benefits of consuming the microorganism Lactobacillus reuteri, specifically the ATCC PTA 6475  and DSM 17938 strains (available from Swedish company, BioGaia, as the Gastrus product). Benefits such as increased skin thickness, dramatically increased dermal collagen, accelerated healing, reduced inflammation, preservation or increased bone density, turning off appetite, increased empathy, facilitation of fasting, increased libido, etc. are all mediated via L. reuteri’s unusual capacity to stimulate oxytocin release from the hypothalamus. So many of the most visible and measurable health benefits from our yogurt making with this strain of L. reuteri are due to higher levels of oxytocin.

But there are additional benefits to L. reuteri that don’t involve oxytocin but are due to this organism’s other properties, particularly its probiotic effects, in particular its anti-bacterial and immune-mediating/anti-inflammatory effects. These are just as fascinating, though not as outwardly visible.

Among the non-oxytocin benefits of L. reuteri (various strains) are:

Reduction of acid reflux and infantile colic
Potent suppression of H. pylori , the organism that can proliferate and cause stomach ulcers.
Suppression of C. difficile, the organism that can cause pseudomembranous enterocolitis, a life-threatening infection from proliferation of this species after antibiotics (though occurring “spontaneously” lately)
Reduction in antibiotic-associated diarrhea 
Protection against some intestinal infections from toxic strains of E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella (especially the ATCC 55730 strain)
Protection against gastric cancer
Reduction in chronic diarrhea (IBS?)
Immunomodulation via stimulation of CD4 lymphocytes in the stomach lining, similar to that seen in skin healing in the MIT studies, reflecting reduced inflammation.

Note that some of the probiotic benefits of L. reuteri are in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This is unusual, as most bacterial species that inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract only colonize the colon with sharply diminishing numbers as you ascend up the ileum and jejunum, with relatively few bacteria in the duodenum and stomach. But L. reuteri has the unique ability to colonize the stomach, duodenum, and upper small intestine. In fact, in the immunomodulation study cited above, L. reuteri strain ATCC 55730 better colonized the stomach and duodenum than the colon.

This has prompted speculation that L. reuteri may be helpful in preventing and treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) that we have been discussing lately. It may also be helpful for dealing with troublesome recurrences that plague management of SIBO. Because L. reuteri is also resistant to many antibiotics, supplementation during SIBO antibiotic treatment may accelerate healing and better suppress recurrence by giving you a head start in repopulating and maybe even tip the balance in favor of SIBO eradication, given its broad antibacterial properties.

So L. reuteri supplementation that we are achieving via prebiotic-infused yogurt to amplify bacterial counts can, yes, make you look and feel 20 years younger. But it also provides some real and substantial gastrointestinal health benefits.

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Who should NOT do the L. reuteri yogurt?

Because consumption of the L. reuteri yogurt made with the ATCC PTA 6475 and DSM 17938 strains work by raising levels of oxytocin (in addition to local probiotic benefits on reducing H. pylori and acid reflux, for example, unusual for its upper, not just lower, gastrointestinal benefits), there are people who probably should not consume the yogurt..

Oxytocin is a multi-faceted hormone whose levels decline as we age, much as does growth hormone and other hormones. But, among its many varied effects is the potential for causing uterine contraction. That is why oxytocin is administered to provoke delivery of a term infant: it provokes uterine contraction to deliver the baby along with cervical relaxation. There are experimental non-human and yet unpublished data that suggest that oxytocin may raise estrogen levels in females. But, because of these potential uterine  and estrogenic effects, there are people who probably should not eat the yogurt that boosts oxytocin. This includes:

Pregnant mothers
Women younger than age 45
Women with a history of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer
Women with active endometriosis
Women who are still experiencing menstrual cycles

The last item, menstruating women, is to avoid making menstrual cramps worse, i.e., amplifying the intensity of uterine contractions. (Interesting, a couple of women taking the yogurt but still experiencing menses actually reported dramatic reduction in menstrual cramps, but that is insufficient evidence.)

That said, oxytocin when administered intranasally or injected, even at many times physiologic doses, has a long track record of safety with virtually no side-effects reported beyond occasional reports of excessive emotionality (e.g., crying too much at movies). So these are just precautions as we all embark on this fascinating adventure of boosting oxytocin levels, given its extraordinary youth-preserving potential that is being played out in experimental evidence and now increasingly in human evidence.

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Wheat: Food from hell

Wheat Belly has inspired a number of creative efforts over the years: the wheat belly portrait by artist Lesley Spanos; bread art; the song and video, Wheat Belly Blues, by James Winningham; and an irreverent poem.

We now add this gem of dark poetry from Prodos:

WHEAT – DON’T GET ME STARTED

By Prodos

Oh Prince of Darkness

Your scheme is exposed

Your buns and bread rolls

Shall all be deposed!

The innocent lives

You callously take

Down your serpent of dough

That’s kneaded and baked!

Oh Satan be warned!

Now don’t get me started!

Your croissants and pastries

Are the Hell you’ve imparted

On the feeble of spirit

And the flesh soon departed

Oh Satan be warned

Now don’t … get me … started!

What’s next: The Wheat Belly ballet?

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What do green bananas and raw white potatoes have in common?

Raw white potatoes and green bananas are natural, often readily available, and inexpensive sources of prebiotic fibers.

Raw white potatoes are rich in prebiotic fiber—with 10 to 12 grams per one-half medium (3 1⁄2 inches in diameter) potato—and contain zero sugar. (Sweet potatoes and yams have far less prebiotic fibers). Some people become so accustomed to the taste that they eat them just like an apple, although they are most commonly added to a smoothie. You can also ferment them, which gives them a slightly tangy flavor great for adding to salads.

Green bananas and plantains—and I mean green. Not green-yellow, or a little green at one end, but green. So green that they are difficult to peel and virtually inedible, so slice them lengthwise, shell out the pulp, chop it coarsely, and then use it in your prebiotic shake.

Prebiotic fibers are essentially the “water” and “fertilizer” that nourish your bowel flora. These are fibers that you ingest but cannot digest, leaving them for microorganisms in the intestines to consume. Some call prebiotic fibers resistant starch since they are impervious to human digestion and digested by microorganisms. Getting prebiotic fibers is crucial to your health and the success of your diet.

The average (unhealthy) American obtains between 3 and 8 grams of prebiotic fibers per day, about half from grains. Measurable health benefits begin at a prebiotic fiber intake of around 8 grams per day, while maximum benefits occur at an intake of 20 grams per day. We therefore aim to obtain 20 grams each and every day, including replacing the modest deficit left by grain elimination, to stack the odds in favor of cultivating a successful bowel flora garden. As with eating fermented foods, this practice should be continued for the rest of your life. Most people make a daily shake or smoothie that includes one or more of the foods richest in prebiotic fibers, especially a raw white potato, green unripe banana, or 1 to 2 teaspoons of inulin/FOS.

Try to include prebiotic fiber choices from the following list every day:

GREEN BANANAS AND PLANTAINS: 10.9 grams per 1 medium (7-inch) banana (0 gram net carbs)
RAW WHITE POTATO: 10 to 12 grams per 1⁄2 medium (0 gram net carbs)(Avoid any raw potatoes with green skin, as this is a fungus. If encountered, peel off the skin.)
INULIN AND/OR FOS POWDERS: 5 grams per teaspoon (0 gram net carbs)
HUMMUS OR CHICKPEAS: 8 grams per 1⁄2 cup (13.5 grams net carbs)
LENTILS: 2.5 grams per 1⁄2 cup (11 grams net carbs)


BEANS: 3.8 grams per 1⁄2 cup (white beans are the richest with twice this quantity) (12 grams net carbs)

Note: Values for prebiotic content vary depending on the source and the method used to measure.

You can find several recipes for prebiotic shakes and smoothies in both my Undoctored and Wheat Belly Total Health books. A word of caution: During the first week of grain-free living, prebiotic fibers should be limited to no more than 10 grams per day (e.g., half a green banana). Exceed this during the first week and you can provoke unpleasant bloating and abdominal distress. So keep intake low for the first week, and then increase to 20 grams the second week. In addition to using no more than half a banana or half a white potato in the shake recipes at the start, also omit the optional inulin/FOS powder the first week. You can add it later if your abdominal status seems favorable. If you experience unpleasant symptoms even with the low starting quantity, you probably have a worse-than-usual case of dysbiosis; in this case, a more extended course of probiotics and fermented foods should be followed.

Try reintroducing prebiotic fibers after 4 weeks of further probiotic “seeding.” If even this causes distress, then it’s time to seek help from a healthcare practitioner with expertise in correcting severe dysbiosis (thankfully, an uncommon situation) and/or consider whether you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, SIBO, that may require additional efforts.

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The Wheat Belly L. reuteri Skin Challenge

I would like to offer you a fun and exciting challenge in skin health that has potential to smooth your skin, reduce wrinkle depth, increase sebum/moisture in as little as 3-4 weeks, changes that can be visible. We do this by ingesting the L. reuteri prebiotic fiber-infused (for higher bacterial counts) high-fat yogurt we have been making.

To join our Challenge, you must agree to:

1) Make the L. reuteri yogurt exactly as described in this Wheat Belly Blog post. Make sure that you start with the BioGaia Gastrus product (available through Amazon and other online retailers) that contains the strains that we know generate these effects, ATCC PTA 6475 and DSM 17938. (In other words, please do not use other commercially-available L. reuteri strains—They may be fine for other purposes, but we do not have evidence that they, like our preferred strains, boost oxytocin levels.) Make consuming 1/2-cup per day part of your daily routine for 4 weeks. (Add blueberries, other berries, a few drops of stevia, etc. to make it even more delicious.)

2) Take selfie photos at the start before you begin consuming the yogurt and after 4 weeks. Even better, take your after selfie holding up a plate of your yogurt—remember, our yogurt, made as directed, is thick enough to stand up on a plate, just as cream cheese would. Post your photos side-by-side on the Wheat Belly Facebook page or the Wheat Belly Blog.

3) Provide permission to use your photos and comments in Wheat Belly and Undoctored social media and other media. (We will need to obtain your email address to obtain your signed release. We can do this privately.)

We will choose 3 or 4 sets of before/after photos. If we choose yours, take your pick of one of the thank you gifts:

An Instant Pot DUO60 like the one here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or a gift certificate for $100 to either Whole Foods Market or Wheat-Free Market to buy Grainless Granola, baking mixes, cookies, Virtue Sweetener and other products.

Yogurt makers get started!

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The next Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Challenge begins Wed. June 20th!

Through my New York Times bestseller, Wheat Belly, millions of people learned how to reverse years of chronic health problems by removing wheat from their daily diets. But, after reading the original Wheat Belly or the Wheat Belly Total Health book, or even using the recipes from the Wheat Belly Cookbook and Wheat Belly 30-Minute Cookbook, people still said: “I’ve read the books, but I’m still not sure how to get started on this lifestyle.”

That’s why I wrote the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox and now help readers along in this Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox CHALLENGE. This is the quickest, most assured way to get started on regaining magnificent health and slenderness by adopting the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

This next CHALLENGE begins Wednesday, June 20th to give you plenty of time to fit into a new slender wardrobe and reclaim control over numerous health conditions so that you can really enjoy this spring.

The Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox supplies you with carefully designed meal plans and delicious recipes to fully eliminate wheat and related grains in the shortest time possible. Perfect for those who may have fallen off the wagon or for newcomers who need a jump-start for weight loss, this new addition to the Wheat Belly phenomenon guides you through the complete 10-Day Detox experience.

In addition to this quick-start program, I’ll teach you:

How to recognize and reduce wheat-withdrawal symptoms,
How to avoid common landmines that can sabotage success
How to use nutritional supplements to further advance weight loss and health benefits

The Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox also includes:

Inspiring testimonials from people who have completed the program (and have now made grain-free eating a way of life)

Exciting new recipes to help get your entire family on board

To join the Detox Challenge:

Step 1

Get the book. And read it (at least the first 5 chapters).

Detox Challenge participants should be informed and active in order to get the most out of the challenge and private Facebook group. READING THE WHEAT BELLY DETOX BOOK IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. PLEASE DO NOT PARTICIPATE IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK or else the conversations will not make sense and you will not enjoy full benefit. It is a very bad idea to try and piece the program together just from our conversations. (Note that the Wheat Belly Detox program is NOT laid out in the original Wheat Belly book.)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JqzMea

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/wheatbelly10daygraindetox-bn

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1KwcFTQ

Step 2

Come join the Private Facebook Group.

http://bit.ly/WheatBelly-PrivateFBGroup

Step 3

Head back to the Private Facebook Group starting Tuesday, June 19th (the day before the official start of the Challenge) and onwards for tips, videos, and discussions to help you get through your detox and reprogram your body for rapid weight loss and health. Dr. Davis and site administrator, April Duval, will be posting video instructions and answers to your questions.

 

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