Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health

by William Davis

CELIAC DISEASE “LITE” While celiac disease affects only 1 percent of the population, two common intestinal conditions affect many more people: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and acid reflux (also called reflux esophagitis when esophageal inflammation is documented). Both may represent lesser forms of celiac disease, what I call celiac disease “lite.” IBS is a poorly understood condition, despite its frequent occurrence. Consisting of cramping, abdominal pain, and diarrhea or loose stools alternating with constipation, it affects between 5 and 20 percent of the population, depending on definition.41 Think of IBS as a confused intestinal tract, following a disordered script that complicates your schedule. Repeated endoscopies and colonoscopies are typically performed. Because no visible pathology is identified in IBS sufferers, it is not uncommon for the condition to be dismissed or treated with antidepressants. Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid is permitted to climb back up the esophagus due to a lax gastroesophageal sphincter, the circular valve meant to confine acid to the stomach. Because the esophagus is not equipped to tolerate acidic stomach contents, acid in the esophagus does the same thing that acid would do to your car’s paint job: It dissolves it. Acid reflux is often experienced as common heartburn, accompanied by a bitter taste in the back of the mouth. There are two general categories of each of these conditions: IBS and acid reflux with positive markers fo...