In heart disease prevention, shoot for perfection

12. April 2006 William Davis (0)
It really struck me today that it's the people who've chosen to compromise their prevention program who end up with trouble--heart procedures, heart attack, even heart failure.

Take Bob, for example. Bob is 73 years old and had a bypass operation in 2000. The procedure went well and Bob enjoyed 6 years of seemingly trouble-free life. Bob had a seriously low HDL cholesterol for which he as taken a modest dose of niacin, but was unwilling to do much more. His HDL cholesterol was thererefore "stalled" at around 40 mg. (We aim for 60 mg or greater.) We talked repeatedly about the options for increasing HDL but Bob was content with his results. After all, since his bypass operation, he'd felt well and could do all he wanted without physical limitation.

But Bob underwent a stress test for surveillance purposes (which we routinely do 5 or more years after bypass surgery). The test was markedly abnormal with two major areas of poor blood flow to his heart (signalling potential heart attack in future). Bob ended up getting 5 stents to salvage two bypass grafts, both of which showed signs of substantial degeneration.

I've seen this scenario repeatedly: A person is unwilling to go the extra mile to obtain perfection in lipid/lipoprotein patterns, lifestyle changes, and taking the basic, required supplements. Compromises eventually catch up to you in the form of another heart attack, more procedures, heart failure, physical disability, even death.

The message: Don't draw compromises in heart disease prevention. Coronary plaque is a chronic process. It will take advantage of you if you ever let your guard down.

The epidemic of small LDL

11. April 2006 William Davis (0)
Of the patients I saw in my office yesterday, virtually EVERYONE had small LDL.

Small LDL is emerging as an extraordinarily prevalent lipoprotein pattern that drives coronary plaque growth. Previous estimates have put small LDL as affecting only 20-30% of people with coronary disease. However, in my experience in the last few years, I would estimate that greater than 80% of people with measurable coronary plaque have small LDL.

If you have a heart scan score >zero, chances are you have it, too.

I call small LDL a "modern" disease because it has skyrocketed in prevalence recently because of the great surge in inactivity in Americans.

When's the last time you walked to the grocery store and back, lugging two bags of groceries? How many years has it been since you've push-mowed your lawn? All the small conveniences of life have permeated further and further into our activities. Most of us spend the great majority of our day right where you are now--on your duff.

On the bright side, small LDL in most people is reducable by simply getting up and going. But the old teaching of 30 minutes of activity per day is now outdated. This was true when the other hours of your life included physical activities, like housework or a moderately active job. However, if the other 23 1/2 hours of your day are sedentary, then 30 minutes a day won't do it. An hour or more of activity, whether exercise or physical labor of some variety will get you better small LDL-suppressing results.

For most people with small LDL, fish oil and niacin are also necessary to fully suppress small LDL to the Track Your Plaque goal of <10 mg/dl.

A great discussion on vitamin D

10. April 2006 William Davis (0)
If you need better convincing that vitamin D is among the most underappreciated but crucial vitamins for health, see Russell Martin's review of vitamin D and its role in cancer prevention. You'll find it in March, 2006 Life Extension Magazine or their www.LEF.org website at:

http://search.lef.org/cgi-src-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0&page_id=1308&query=vitamin%20d&hiword=VITAM%20VITAMER%20VITAMERS%20VITAMI%20VITAMINA%20VITAMINAS%20VITAMINC%20VITAMIND%20VITAMINE%20VITAMINEN%20VITAMINES%20VITAMINIC%20VITAMINK%20VITAMINS%20d%20vitamin%20

Our preliminary experience over the past year suggests that vitamin D may be the crucial missing link in many people's plaque control program. We've had a handful of people who, despite an otherwise perfect program (LDL<60, HDL>60, etc.; vigorous exercise, healthy food selection, etc.--I mean perfect)continued to show plaque growth. The rate of growth was slower than the natural expected rate of 30% per year, but still frightening rates of 14-18% per year--until we added vitamin D. All of a sudden, we saw dramatic regression of 7-25% in 6 months to a year.

This does not mean that vitamin D all by itself regresses plaque. I believe it means that vitamin D exerts a "permissive" effect, allowing all the other treatments (fish oil, LDL reduction, HDL raising, correction of small LDL, etc.) to exert their full benefit. So please don't stop everything and just take D. This will not work. However, adding vitamin D to your program on top of the basic Track Your Plaque approach--that's the best way I know of.

MSNBC Report: We need more heart procedures!

10. April 2006 William Davis (0)
A recent headline from MSNBC by Robert Bazell reads:

NEW YORK - Angioplasty, bypass surgery and cholesterol-lowering medications are among the many interventions that have brought a sharp decrease in heart disease deaths in recent years. But, as Dr. Sharon Hayes of the Mayo Clinic points out, there is one big problem.

“The death rates in women have not declined as much as they have in men,” she says.

The piece goes on to suggest that women are getting short-ended in the diagnosis of heart symptoms and heart attack. The solution: More testing to assess the need for procedures like bypass.

This is typical of the device and medication-dominated media consciousness: More procedures, more medication, more devices. Who's paying for advertising, after all? The money at stake is huge. But is this what you want?

Don't be swayed by media reporters with limited understanding of the real issues (at best), consciousness of who's paying for advertising (at worst). Yes, heart disese is often underestimated or misdiagnosed in women. The answer is better detection earlier in life followed by efforts to halt the process--effective, safe treatments for people's benefit, not just profit.

What role cholesterol medication?

10. April 2006 William Davis (0)
A frequent conversation point among my patients, as well as participants in the www.cureality.com program, is "Are cholesterol medications really necessary?"

No, they are not. What IS necessary is to correct all manifest and hidden causes of coronary plaque. Among these causes, in my view, is LDL cholesterol of 60 mg/dl or greater. There are many other causes of coronary plaque--e.g., small LDL particles, unrecognized hypertension, Lp(a), hidden diabetic patterns, etc.--but reducing LDL to 60 mg is still an important part of a plaque-reversing effort.

Insofar as we wish to get LDL to this goal, the statin cholesterol drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, etc. may play a role. However, they should only be considered after a full effort dietary program is pursued. Don't follow the American Heart Association's diet unless you want to fail. It's nonsense.

For a more detailed discussion of how to use nutrition and nutritional supplements to reduce LDL cholesterol, go to www.lef.org, the website for the Life Extension Foundation. I wrote an article for their magazine called "Cholesterol and Statin Drugs: Separating Hype from Reality". You'll find the article at http://search.lef.org/cgi-src-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0&page_id=1295&query=davis%20cholesterol%20natural&hiword=CHOLESTEROLA%20CHOLESTEROLS%20DAVI%20DAVID%20DAVIE%20DAVIES%20DAVIN%20DAVIO%20DAVISON%20DAVISS%20DAVIT%20NATURALBASED%20NATURALES%20NATURALIZED%20NATURALLY%20NATURALS%20NATURE%20NATURES%20cholesterol%20davis%20natural%20.)

Can your plaque-reversal efforts succeed without statin drugs? It depends on your causes. For instance, someone with small LDL and Lp(a) only may do great on our basic program and then add niacin. Unfortunately, another person with a starting LDL cholesterol of 240 mg/dl--sky high--will have more success with these drugs.

Believe me, I am no blind supporter of drug companies and their flagrantly profit-seeking practices which, in my view, are cut-throat, shoving anyone and anything out of their way to increase profits and market share. I share many of Dr. Dave Warnarowski's views on how vicious their tactics can be; see his recent Blog post at http://www.drdavesbest.com/blog/ called "I smell a rat".

Nonetheless, the deep and well-funded research of the pharmaceutical industry does yield some useful tools. You don't have to love the insect exterminator, but if your house is being eaten by termites, his services can be useful. Same thing with these drugs. Useful--not the complete answer, not even close, but nonetheless useful in the right situations. Sometimes antibiotics are necessary, even life saving. That's how cholesterol drugs are, too.

Take it all in the proper perspective. Your goal is not cholesterol reduction, per se, but plaque control, preferably reversal.

Supplement Mania!

9. April 2006 William Davis (3)
Ever hear of "polypharmacy"? That's when someone takes too many medicines. People will have lists of 15-20 prescription medicines, for instance, with crazy interactions and oodles of side-effects.

Well, how about "poly-supplments"? That's when someone takes a large number of nutritional supplements.

Let me tell you about a 45 year old man I met.

In an effort to rid himself of risk for heart disease that he felt was likely shared with his family (brother and father diagnosed with heart attacks in their late 40s), Steve followed a program of nutritional supplementation. You name it, he took it: hawthorne, anti-oxidant mixtures, vitamins C, E, B-complex, saw palmetto, 7-keto DHEA, velvet deer antler, gingko biloba, policosanol, chronium picolinate, green tea, pine bark extract, St. John's Wort, CoEnzyme Q10, papain and other digestive enzymes...He became a distributor for a nutritional supplement company to allow him to afford his own extraordinary program.

To satisfy himself that he had indeed "cured" himself of heart disease, he got himself a CT heart scan. His score: 470, in th 99th percentile. Steve's heart attack risk based on this score was around 10% per year. High risk, no question.

For weeks after his scan, Steve admitted walking around in a daze, not knowing what to do. Years of telling himself that he had effectively dealt with his heart disease risk, now all down the drain.

When we met, I persuaded him that to think that this collection of supplements would reverse heart disease was magical thinking. We trimmed his list down to the essentials and got him on the right track.

Heart disease is controllable and reversible, but not this way. Don't fool yourself into thinking that some collection of supplements will be enough to stamp out your heart disease risk. Just like taking an antibiotic when you don't have an infection achieves nothing, so does taking the wrong supplements.

What does heart scanning mean to you?

8. April 2006 William Davis (0)
CT heart scans can mean different things to different people.


What does a heart scan mean to you? There are several possibilities:

1) A way of reducing uncertainty in your future.

2) A tool to crystallize your commitment to health.

3) A device to help you track how successful your heart disease prevention program is.

4) A trick to get you in the hospital.

5) A moneymaking tool for unscrupulous physicians hoping to profit from "downstream" testing, particularly heart catheterizations.


Like anything, heart scans can be used for both good and evil. How can you be sure that your heart scan is put to proper use--for your benefit and not someone else's profit?

Simple: Get educated. Understand the issues, be armed with informed questions.

If, for instance, you're a 55-year old female with a heart scan score of 90, active without symptoms, and you're told to have a heart catheterization right off the bat---run the other way. This is bad advice. A heart procedure like catheterization at this score in an asymptomatic woman is very rarely necessary. That decision can only be made after a step-by-step series of decisions are made by a truly interested, unbiased party. (A stress test is almost always required in this situation before the decision can be made to proceed with a catheterization.)

Unfortunately, in 2006, getting unbiased advice from your doctor is still a struggle. That's why we started Track Your Plaque---unbiased information, uncolored by drug or device company support, with an interest in the truth.

Coronary disease is drying up!

7. April 2006 William Davis (1)
I had an interesting conversation with a device representative this morning. He was a sales representative for a major medical manufacturer of stents, defibrillators, and other such devices for heart disease.

Since I'm still involved with hospital heart care and cardiac catheterization laboratories, this representative asked me if I was interested in getting involved with some of the new cardiac devices making it to market over the next year or two. "The coronary market is drying up, what with coated stents and such. We've got to find new profit sources."

Well, doesn't that sum it up? If you haven't already had this epiphany, here it is:

HEART DISEASE IS A PROFITABLE BUSINESS!

Why else can hospitals afford billboards, $10 million dollar annual ad campaigns, etc.? They do it for PROFIT. Likewise, device and drug manufacturers see the tremendous profit in heart disease.

The representative's comments about the market "drying up" simply means that the use of coated stents has cut back on the need for repeat procedures. It does NOT mean that coronary disease is on the way out. On the contrary, for the people and institutions who stand to profit from heart care, there's lots of opportunity.

Track Your Plaque is trying to battle this trend. Heart disease should NOT be profitable. For the vast majority of us, it is a preventable process, much like house fires and dental cavities.

Mammogram for your heart

6. April 2006 William Davis (0)
With the booming popularity of "64-slice CT scans", there's a lot of mis-information about what these tests provide.

These tests are essentially heart scans with added x-ray dye injected to see the insides of the arteries. However, to accomplish this, a large quantity of radiation is required. In addition, the test is not quantitative, that is, it is not a precise measure that can be repeated year after year.

It is okay to have a 64-slice CT coronary angiogram. It is NOT okay to have one every year. That's too much radiation. However, a heart scan can be repeated every year, if necessary, to track progression or regression. Once stabilization (zero change) or reduction is achieved, then you're done (unless your life takes a major change, like a 20 lb weight gain).

The tried-and-true CT heart scan is the gold standard--easy, inexpensive, precise, and repeatable. Not true for 64-slice angiograms.

Is your doctor using "leeches"?

4. April 2006 William Davis (0)
What if you went to your doctor for a problem and he/she promptly placed leeches on your body?

Yeccchhhh! Would you go back? I'd bet that you'd run the other way as fast as your bleeding legs could take you. Outdated health practices like "bleeding" are outdated for good reason.

Then why would you allow your doctor to approach your heart disease prevention program by checking cholesterol and then waiting for symptoms to appear? That miserable approach leads to tragedy and death all too often--ask Bill Clinton! He might as well have had leeches!

Don't allow your doctor's ignorance or disinterest impede your prevention program. Get your coronary plaque measured, then attack it from all sides by knowing all causes, hidden and obvious. That's why Track Your Plaque is such an effective program.

I often wonder why more doctors aren't using this unbelievably powerful approach to deal with heart disease. But when I see colleagues implanting stents, defibrillators, and the like for many thousands of dollars per patient, the answers are obvious. Given a choice of a rational, effective program of prevention that pays the doctor a few hundred dollars for his time, versus $2000 to $10,000 for a procedure, you can see that the temptation is irresistible for many physicians.
Krill oil: Do the math

Krill oil: Do the math

21. May 2013 William Davis (0)
The manufacturers of krill oil claim that the phospholipid form of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, enhance their absorption. There are indeed some data to that effect:


Here are some representative krill oil preparations available on the market:


MegaRed Krill Oil:
EPA 50 mg
DHA 24 mg
Total omega-3s (EPA + DHA + other forms) 90 mg
Price: $28.99 for 60 softgels

Source Naturals (a fine company otherwise, by the way):

EPA 150 mg
DHA 90 mg
Total omega-3 fatty acids 300 mg
Price: $24.99 for 60 softgels

Alright, let's do some simple math:

Average volume of blood in the human body (all components): 5000 cc
Percentage of red blood cells (RBCs) by volume: 45%
Total volume RBCs: 2250 cc
Percentage of total volume RBCs occupied by fatty acids:

Tags :

Add comment

Loading
Wheat belly

Wheat belly

23. July 2007 William Davis (31)
You've heard of "beer bellies," the protuberant, sagging abdomen of someone who drinks excessive quantities of beer.

How about "wheat belly"?

That's the same protuberant, sagging abdomen that develops when you overindulge in processed wheat products like pretzels, crackers, breads, waffles, pancakes, breakfast cereals and pasta.



(By the way, this image, borrowed from the wonderful people at Wikipedia, is that of a teenager, who supplied a photo of himself.)

It represents the excessive visceral fat that laces the intestines and triggers a drop in HDL, rise in triglycerides, inflames small LDL particles, C-reactive protein, raises blood sugar, raises blood pressure, creates poor insulin responsiveness, etc.

How common is it? Just look around you and you'll quickly recognize it in dozens or hundreds of people in the next few minutes. It's everywhere.

Wheat bellies are created and propagated by the sea of mis-information that is delivered to your door every day by food manufacturers. It's the same campaign of mis-information that caused the wife of a patient of mine who was in the hospital (one of my rare hospitalizations) to balk in disbelief when I told her that her husband's 18 lb weight gain over the past 6 months was due to the Shredded Wheat Cereal for breakfast, turkey sandwiches for lunch, and whole wheat pasta for dinner.

"But that's what they told us to eat after Dan left the hospital after his last stent!"

Dan, at 260 lbs with a typical wheat belly, had small LDL, low HDL, high triglycerides, etc.

I hold the food companies responsible for this state of affairs, selling foods that are clearly causing enormous weight gain nationwide. Unfortunately, the idiocy that emits from Nabisco, Kraft, and Post (AKA Philip Morris); General Mills; Kelloggs; and their kind is aided and abetted by organizations like the American Heart Association, with the AHA stamp of approval on Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp Cereal, and Berry Kix; and the American Diabetes Association, whose number one corporate sponsor is Cadbury Schweppes, the biggest soft drink and candy manufacturer in the world.

As I've said many times before, if you don't believe it, try this experiment: Eliminate all forms of wheat for a 4 week period--no breakfast cereals, no breads of any sort, no pasta, no crackers, no pretzels, etc. Instead, increase your vegetables, healthy oils, lean proteins (raw nuts, seeds, lean red meats, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, Egg Beaters, low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese), fruits. Of course, avoid fruit drinks, candy, and other garbage foods, even if they're wheat-free.

Most people will report that a cloud has been lifted from their brains. Thinking is clearer, you have more energy, you don't poop out in the afternoon, you sleep more deeply, some rashes disappear. You will also notice that hunger ratchets down substantially. Most people lose the insatiable hunger pangs that occur 2-3 hours after a wheat-containing meal. Instead, hunger is a soft signal that gently prods you that it's time to consider eating again.

You will also make considerable gains towards gaining control over your risk for heart disease and your heart scan score, a crucial step in the Track Your Plaque program.
Tags :

Comments (31) -

  • JT

    7/23/2007 1:42:00 PM |

    Ahhhhh.... a picture of an average American, fat and round.  I don't mean to say that in a negative way about my countries people but looking around I've noticed how many obese people there are in the USA.  Being overly thin at 6' and 145lbs makes me stick out and that's no fun.  I wish more Americans would take better care of their health, avoid high glycemic foods like wheat, and become thin.  If that happened then I could look like an average American.

  • ortcloud

    7/23/2007 10:23:00 PM |

    I did it, I am off wheat and sugar and it wasnt easy, its very addictive and its everywhere.

    So, the consensus is I feel GREAT !!

  • Stan

    7/23/2007 11:18:00 PM |

    100% true!  Especially the brain fog part!

    Heretic

  • Anne

    7/24/2007 11:03:00 AM |

    Convincing others that wheat may be contributing to their health woes is an uphill battle. I have found most people refuse to consider that food may be affecting their health. They usually tell me that their medication is working and they could never give up foods with wheat.  

    I am not only wheat free, but gluten free and so much healthier than I was when I was eating breads. It was not easy to give up my favorite food, but well worth it.

  • Dr. Davis

    7/24/2007 12:59:00 PM |

    I believe that we can only set examples for others to follow.

    If you are a clear-thinking, energetic, slender person, free of wheat products, eventually the wheat bellies around us will ask why. That's your opportunity to instruct.

  • Bix

    7/25/2007 12:08:00 PM |

    Wheat bellies Smile

    I agree with anne, especially the uphill battle part.  My experience: people nod in agreement but silently dismiss the no-wheat message, thinking, "It can't be my Shredded Wheat!"

    Please excuse my icon.

  • JT

    7/26/2007 12:55:00 PM |

    These are two reports I do not enjoy reading this morning.
    JT  

    Panera Bread reports 28 per cent revenue boost

    By Karen Willmer


    Industry develops whole grain 'action plan'
    Panera raises outlook after strong Q3 results
    Panera holds up against higher costs
    Panera Bread to acquire 23 bakery-cafes
    Strong growth for Panera Bread offset by high costs?




    News Archives

    All news for July 2007
    All news for June 2007

    26/07/2007 - Panera Bread said yesterday second quarter revenues for 2007 increased 28 per cent over the same period last year, but operating profit fell by 3.4 per cent.

    Operating profit was $18.9m (€13.8m) for the quarter compared to $21.4m (€15.6) the previous year.

    The company said this was due to shifts within the product ranges and the high prices of raw materials.

    "While second quarter results are somewhat disappointing, we are pleased to see some of our investments in the bakery-cafes pay off with higher comp store sales increases," said chief executive Ron Shaich.

    Bakery-café sales increased 2.1 per cent during the period, and Panera Bread expects this to increase by 3.6 to 3.9 per cent over the four weeks up to July 24.

    The company also predicts bakery sales growth of 2.25 to 4.75 per cent following the opening of 39 new bakery-cafes and the acquisition of a further 32 bakery cafes during this last quarter.

    Bakery-café sales revenue increased from $157m to $209m for the second quarter of 2007, forming 82.9 per cent of the company's total revenues. Bakery-café sales formed 79.7 per cent of total revenue during the same quarter the previous year.

    "We look forward to continuing our positive sales trends while at the same time addressing the margin issues currently impacting our results," Shaich said.

    Panera Bread operates 1,027 bakery-cafes across US, 391 are company owned, and 696 franchised, all producing speciality breads and bakery products.

    The company's focus on the bakery-cafes helped increase revenues, however fresh dough sales to franchises were down 2.1 per cent of total revenue to $26m and revenue from franchise royalties was down to 6.7 per cent of total revenue to $17m.
    ___________________________________

    Researchers: Obesity Can Be Contagious in Social Circles

    Wednesday, July 25, 2007

    LOS ANGELES —  If your friends and family get fat, chances are you will too, researchers report in a startling new study that suggests obesity is "socially contagious" and can spread easily from person to person.

    The large, U.S.-funded study found that to be true even if your loved ones live far away. Social ties seem to play a surprisingly strong role, even more than genes are known to do.

    "We were stunned to find that friends who are hundreds of miles away have just as much impact on a person's weight status as friends who are right next door," said co-author James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego.

    The study found a person's chances of becoming obese went up 57 percent if a friend did, 40 percent if a sibling did and 37 percent if a spouse did. In the closest friendships, the risk almost tripled.

    On average, the researchers calculated, when an obese person gained 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms), the corresponding friend put on an extra 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms).

    Gender also had a strong influence. In same-sex friendships, a person's obesity risk increased by 71 percent if a friend gained weight. Between brothers, the risk was up by 44 percent and 67 percent between sisters.

    Researchers think it is more than just people with similar eating and exercise habits hanging out together. Instead, it may be that having relatives and friends who become obese changes one's idea of what is an acceptable weight.

    Despite their findings, the researchers said people should not sever their relationships.

    "There is a ton of research that suggest that having more friends makes you healthier," Fowler said. "So the last thing that you want to do is get rid of any of your friends."

    The study was published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the National Institute on Aging.

    Researchers analyzed medical records of people in the Framingham Heart Study, which has been following the health of residents of that Boston suburb for more than a half century. They tracked records for relatives and friends using contact information that participants provided each time they were examined over a 32-year period.

    In all, 12,067 people were involved in the study.

    After taking into account natural weight gain and other factors, researchers found the greatest influence occurred among friends and not among people sharing the same genes or living in the same household. Geography and smoking cessation had no effect on obesity risk.

    Indiana University statistician Stan Wasserman said while the study was clever, it had its limitations because it excluded relationships outside of the Framingham group.

    Obesity is a global public health problem. About 1.5 billion adults worldwide are overweight, including more than 400 million who are obese. Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese.

    Much of the recent research focus has been on the intense hunt for obesity genes involved in appetite or calorie burning.

    The findings could open a new avenue for treating this worldwide epidemic. The researchers said it might be helpful to treat obese people in groups instead of just the individual.

    "Because people are interconnected, their health is interconnected," said lead author Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard sociologist.

  • Dr. Davis

    7/26/2007 1:47:00 PM |

    Yes--connect the dots. Our overweight friends and relatives who eat at Panera and similar wheat-prmooting establishments don't realize that the inches they pack on fatten someone elses' wallet.

    What I find puzzling is the focus in the second article on genetics as a cause:

    Much of the recent research focus has been on the intense hunt for obesity genes involved in appetite or calorie burning.

    It ain't the genes. It's the food.

  • JT

    7/26/2007 5:28:00 PM |

    I agree,  

    The way I see it, we live in a pc era.  If one makes a judgment in the general pubic concerning why someone is overweight chances are the pc police will attack.  It is easier to blame something else, like genes, as being the cause.

  • Cindy Moore

    8/4/2007 3:30:00 AM |

    I've been using the beer belly as an example recently and I'm amazed that people think a beer belly is from the alcohol, not the carbs! That's when I explain the difference in appearance, etc between a big belly due to cirrhosis and one from too many carbs....and how it's not where the carbs come from, but the levels.

    Until recently I thought most of my co-workers thought I was nuts, and many still do, but lately I've had a couple of conversations with a few that are trying to get healthy and they've been listening! There are now a few of us that discuss things, compare diets and share articles. It's nice to see people questioning the dietary advice that the "experts" promote.

    I've been off sugar for over 22 weeks...and wheat is the next thing I'm cutting out. I'm hoping cutting wheat will bring my triglycerides down to where I want them. Last checked they were 146! My doc was happy, but I'm not!

  • Dr. Davis

    8/4/2007 3:36:00 AM |

    My prediction: You will be amazed at the results in plummeting triglycerides, weight loss, clearer thinking, increased energy.

  • Jerome

    12/24/2007 1:46:00 PM |

    Being a 32 y/o male and just having finished nursing school, I can say that in the past year I have gained 32#'s.  I was attributing this to my mediterrainian diet of pasta/starches, vegetables, meat, pasta, bread and pasta but must also now add beer.  A drink surely given to us by the gods that I had abstained from consumption until the past 1.5 years.  I can really tell you that I have noticed not only weight gain but definate truncal expansion.  When discussing it with some close friends and trusted sources of info (over a pint of the good stuff) we all can say we notice that it is becoming more prominant especially since we enjoy so much of the wheat based product.  All though I cannot say I can guarantee I can break from the wheat stronghold entirely, I can surely start making a change and see how that effects my life, health, weight.

  • Syera

    6/11/2008 2:11:00 PM |

    I've heard vegetarians blaming these protuberant paunches on meat of all things - it's nice to see someone on the Interwebs actually pointing a finger in the right direction for once.  Smile

  • DrBee

    7/15/2008 7:23:00 PM |

    What about other sources of processed carbs?  I'm mainly thinking of things like rice and corn-based products that are presented as alternative to wheat.

  • Ricardo Carvalho

    9/12/2008 4:10:00 AM |

    I think this can be called Paleodiet: www.thepaleodiet.com, www.marksdailyapple.com, www.staffanlindeberg.com, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet, www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/11/start-running-your-body-on-the-right-fuel/

  • Anonymous

    9/19/2008 9:32:00 PM |

    Wow, look at those PECS, he must work out a LOT!

    I heard you had to eat a lot to gain muscle, and some of it is fat. So WOW!

  • Anonymous

    3/9/2009 3:47:00 AM |

    Let's not forget that nearly ANYTHING done out of balance can cause problems. Eat enough carrots (like tons) and you go … a bit orange. Eat nothing but fats and … Well, you get it. ANY diet that's far our in ANY direction will cause problems. Heck, even eating a balanced diet but loaded with snacking and no exercise… right back where we started. So while Wheat can be a bad guy, it's far from the only one.

    Erik

  • Gardener Cath, mum of some

    11/5/2009 4:14:31 AM |

    Is it wheat specifically or other grains also?

    I have had a battle (lately lost) to control my weight but always knew that if I cut carbs I lost weight very quickly. Never maintained the weight loss because whenever I went back to a normal diet (and I eat a well balanced vegetarian diet and always have, not a snack-ridden processed one) the weight crept back on.

    Recently dropped wheat (and all other cereals) after stumbling across this site and already shedding excess baggage.

    When I get back to the size I like to be can I include some non-wheat grains and carbs?

  • Anonymous

    6/9/2010 1:39:50 PM |

    I've been on low-carb (no wheat , no processed sugar ) since November. I feel GREAT ! I have lose my wheat belly ( lost 23 lbs. ) and no more acid reflux. This is a great change. I do feel more mentally clear.  No more IBS since giving up the glueten. I am convinced this is the way to go.

  • ADVENTUREinPROGRESS

    7/26/2010 12:46:34 PM |

    I hear what you are saying, but I don't think you can necessarily blame wheat. I think the problem is refined foods in general and lack of fresh fruit/vegetable consumption. It just so happens that wheat is in most of those processed foods, and thus looks like the culprit. I would posit that we would see exactly the same problems if any other refined starch were used as the base.

    Eating some whole grains and starches (including wheat) - and I am not talking about flour based - like rolled/steel-cut oats, sweet potatoes, etc. can be a very healthy part of a good diet.

  • Dorothy Minichiello

    8/19/2010 2:03:52 PM |

    Great article that most folks need to read.  I must also point out with all due respect to the young man who supplied the photo that just by observation alone, he has had excessive exposure to xenoestrogens which can come from plastic, herbicides, pesticides etc. (that's just the tip of the iceberg and a whole other subject) - this is something he should also address in his diet makeover and would be another great health improvement in his life.  

    Great article I will certainly repost!!

  • buy jeans

    11/2/2010 7:45:04 PM |

    As I've said many times before, if you don't believe it, try this experiment: Eliminate all forms of wheat for a 4 week period--no breakfast cereals, no breads of any sort, no pasta, no crackers, no pretzels, etc. Instead, increase your vegetables, healthy oils, lean proteins (raw nuts, seeds, lean red meats, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, Egg Beaters, low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese), fruits. Of course, avoid fruit drinks, candy, and other garbage foods, even if they're wheat-free.

  • roberto cavali

    11/19/2010 11:08:27 PM |

    Hello to all Smile I can�t understand how to add your site in my rss reader. Help me, please

  • O Primitivo

    1/28/2011 5:17:31 PM |

    Low density lipoprotein cholesterol is inversely correlated with abdominal visceral fat area: a magnetic resonance imaging study. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21247428

  • Margaret

    7/10/2011 11:05:16 PM |

    After being off all grains and being healthier would eating oatmeal once in a while be permitted? Also should dairy be eliminated and what about Soy or Rice milk?
    I find some advice confusing.
    Margaret

  • melissa

    7/15/2011 4:33:16 AM |

    Am I wrong, or is it pretty much impossible to establish a wheat-free diet AND maintain a vegetarian one? Sure seems like that would be the case.

  • JLC

    8/6/2011 10:36:12 PM |

    Question. I have only been doing this a week but it sounded like I would see results like "1 pound a day for the first 10 days". I am not seeing that. I went cold turkey and have not had any grains, processed foods, or sugars in that time and intend to continue. Should I be concerned? I lost 5 pounds after the first few days, and now seem to have gained it back. Not sure what's going on. I HAVE NOT CHEATED!
    Thanks for any advice or help. Maybe I just need to stick with it? I have tested and am not in ketosis judging by the strips, my blood sugars never seem to go above 100 or 105 even 1 hour after a meal. Thanks again.

  • Dr. William Davis

    8/8/2011 12:07:02 AM |

    Hi, J--

    More than likely there's something in your diet that is booby trapping your weight loss or you are hypothyroid.

    Hypothyroidism is incredibly common and underdiagnosed.

  • JLC

    8/8/2011 1:15:21 AM |

    Please another question. The only thing I can think of is a scotch after dinner. Does alcohol sabotage this process? Can't wait to get the book. I'm sure it will be great. Just put it on my wish list on amazon and it said it would be delivered to my ipad (kindle app) Aug 30.

  • Anna D.

    9/28/2011 11:31:31 PM |

    Alcohol can absolutely sabotage any weight loss. Although one or two drinks should not cause weight gain, many people say that a day they consume ANY alcohol is a day that they will not lose any weight. So you want to limit drinking to 1-2 days per week, and limit the number of drinks to 2-3. Elimination of alcohol consumption, or limiting to only special occasions would however be most ideal.

  • Carole

    11/6/2011 5:41:00 PM |

    Please clarify regarding the use of the following foods on the Wheat Free plan- brown rice pasta, brown rice bread, spelt bread. I have had success on the program losing 20 lbs in 6 weeks but wanted to know if I could have small quantities of the above mentioned products and still avoid the perils of wheat! Thanks

Add comment

Loading
Wheat hip

Wheat hip

10. August 2010 William Davis (39)
You've heard of wheat belly. How about wheat hip?

Recall that the innocent appearing wheat belly is actually a hotbed of inflammatory activity beneath the surface. The visceral fat of the wheat belly, i.e., fat kidneys, fat liver, fat intestines, fat pancreas, produces abnormal inflammatory signals, such as various interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, and leptin. These are the inflammatory signals that create insulin resistance and diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and cancer.

These same inflammatory mediators are able to enter the joint spaces, such as those in your hips, knees, and hands. This leads to osteoarthritis, the exceptionally common form of arthritis that affects 1 in 7 Americans. In particular, the level of leptin in joints mirrors that in blood, a phenomenon that has been associated with joint destruction.

The previously widely-held notion that arthritis is simply a wear-and-tear phenomenon due to the mechanical stress of excess weight is proving to be an oversimplification. Arthritis is also part of the carbohydrate-driven, weight-increasing, inflammatory condition of insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.

Throw into this cytokine storm the fact that glycation, i.e., glucose modification of proteins, also causes cartilage destruction. The cells of human cartilage lack the ability to divide, so the cartilage cells you had at age 18 are the cartilage cells that you will hopefully still have at age 80. However, high blood sugars (glucose) glycate the proteins in cartilage. (Wheat raises blood glucose higher than almost all other foods, higher than a Milky Way bar, higher than a Snickers bar.) The process is irreversible and cumulative. Because cartilage has next to no capacity for repair or regeneration, it becomes brittle. Over years, it essentially crumbles, leading to the "bone on bone" that prompts conversations about total hip and total knee replacement.

So that ciabatta or blueberry muffin in your mouth takes you a step or two closer to joint destruction via heightened inflammation arising from the visceral fat of the wheat belly, worsened by glycation of high blood sugars after carbohydrate consumption.

My solution: Lose the ciabatta.
Tags :

Comments (39) -

  • Anonymous

    8/10/2010 4:21:02 PM |

    how much daily carbs is a good amount to try to stay under?

    my high fiber cereal in the morning alone has 49g of carbs (7g sugar, 10g Fiber) and 10g protein,

  • Matt Stone

    8/10/2010 5:25:39 PM |

    Anonymous-

    I try to keep my carb intake above 500 grams per day - almost all unrefined starches. This causes instant fat loss, a drop in insulin levels due to improved insulin sensitivity, and reversal of metabolic syndrome in most people - hence why the leanest people on earth almost invariably eat a very high-carbohydrate starch-based diet, such as the Yuzuri Hara of Japan, the Kitavans, the Q'ero of the Andes, the Southest Asians, people all over subSaharan Africa, and other of the rare places on earth where obesity and metabolic syndrome is still exceedingly rare.

  • Anonymous

    8/10/2010 6:22:35 PM |

    Don't believe Matt Stone.  His current photos and videos show a bloated face and pot belly.  Photos from his low carb days reveal that he was much leaner back then.  He couldn't carve out a niche for himself as a low-carber so he switched tactics and became insanely anti-low-carb in order to create a name for himself.  Cynicism at it's absolute worst.  You would do well to ignore everything this guy has to say.

  • Tommy

    8/10/2010 7:08:19 PM |

    "Don't believe Matt Stone. His current photos and videos show a bloated face and pot belly. Photos from his low carb days reveal that he was much leaner back then. He couldn't carve out a niche for himself as a low-carber so he switched tactics and became insanely anti-low-carb in order to create a name for himself. Cynicism at it's absolute worst. You would do well to ignore everything this guy has to say."

    I have found that the internet in general is loaded with extremes. On one end you have the extreme of equating eating any grains or carbs with worshiping false gods while on the other, tiny bits of meat garnish loads of carbs. As always the answer is somewhere in the middle. Add to that personal requirements taking into account illness, body type, exercise, sensitivities or allergies etc and you can do well just "eating healthy" and exercising.
    I do find the Yuzuri Hara and their potato eating very interesting. Add to that the fact that you have 95 year olds smoking like chimney's and healthy as 20 year olds and it makes you wonder.
    Eat right, everything in moderation (even moderation) and no lab or factory created foods (refined/processed crap), exercise, the right intake of calories compared to the outgo of energy, and forget about extremes. There are many ways....mix and match.

  • Anonymous

    8/10/2010 9:06:16 PM |

    The native people in your list, Matt, lived much more labor-intensive lives than we here in the Western world.  That enabled them to burn off the blood sugar as it developed, before it had a chance to be deposited as fat.

    That was combined with the fact that, without industry available to refine the starches, they tended to absorb less of the energy from the food, leaving them hypocaloric.  It's easier to remain lean when you are in starvation mode.  Doesn't paint a rosy picture of life, however.

    The foods they ate, unrefined starches, are by design very nutrient-poor other than as glucose-storage methods.  Why would it seem logical to center one's diet BY CHOICE around such nutrient-poor foods, just because highly active people can mitigate their negative effects?

    If you have to choose between vitamin and mineral-rich foods which are inherently satiating, such as meat and fat, and fibrous starches which impose an energy load on the body which then must utilize emergency methods to mitigate their negative impact on blood sugar, I just don't understand why one would choose the latter.

    Yes, there have been primitives living in primitive societies which did not suffer as adverse effects from their starch-based existence as do we in the more affluent world, but that does not automatically mean that their method is superior.

  • Anonymous

    8/10/2010 10:16:20 PM |

    If one gets and uses a glucometer, what is revealed is how the body responds to a high carb diet. In my case, it reveals that a low carb diet the way to go. No seeking of the mean between the so-called extremes. For me, the high carb diets are just wrong. YMMV

    Trig

  • Tommy

    8/10/2010 11:14:43 PM |

    "If one gets and uses a glucometer, what is revealed is how the body responds to a high carb diet. In my case, it reveals that a low carb diet the way to go. No seeking of the mean between the so-called extremes. For me, the high carb diets are just wrong. YMMV"

    This is why I said depending on the individual and any preexisting conditions. But I said nothing about "high carb." Those aren't my words. "High carb" is an extreme. Of course your meter readings would be out of whack.  High carbs would probably get to me eventually also and I currently have no problems with carbs. Actually without some grains I would lose so much weight I'd fade away!! I train hard and my body requires a lot of food and I couldn't eat enough meat or protein alone to satisfy that. But moderate carb works well for me (and many people). (I don't eat processed foods or wheat or sugar) Middle of the road. In the post above that responds to Matt, there is mention of the natives burning off what they ate. That doesn't ring right with me. It seems too much like a justification "not to" exercise. "What can I eat that doesn't require me to move and burn it off?" Exercise might help balance a moderate eating style. "use" the fuel rather than saving it.

    For me...reading a meter everyday would be the same as weighing yourself everyday. When I have blood work done every 6 months and my glucose is fine I don't worry about what is going on daily. It's the average that counts.  Why stress about it? That's not good either. But as you say "YMMV" and we need to approach it as individuals. I tend to lose weight if I miss a meal. At one point I was consuming close to 4500 calories per day. But I work out a lot. Right now 3000 calories isn't cutting it and I keep losing weight. I need my rice (brown/soaked overnight), oats (soaked) and quinoa, sweet potatos.

  • stratis

    8/11/2010 12:12:49 AM |

    check out his current photos and videos---wheat face!! he's a schemester, that is for sure. lurks in these areas and pops out like a turd from a full bowel from time to time.  

    but then again Dr. D's face looks quite plump too. And he has never shown his body pictures..hmmmmm

  • Anonymous

    8/11/2010 2:25:29 AM |

    Dr, you have sold me

    Ten days without any wheat products, I never thought I could do it, thank you

  • Anonymous

    8/11/2010 2:35:14 AM |

    Dr. D,

    Please screen your responses and restrict the destructive kooks/vegans. They negate your message, and should start their own blogs rather than trashing other's.

    I suggest you also scrub portions of messages that are merely arguments with previous posters.

  • Anne

    8/11/2010 3:37:45 AM |

    When I stopped eating gluten 7 years ago, the first of many improvements I noticed was my knees no longer hurt. Slowly my fingers improved and the knobby look disappeared. Then my hip pain vanished.  I am 67 and I wake up with NO joint pain now. I use to hurt all over. There is no "moderate" amount of wheat that is safe for me.

  • V. Iagra

    8/11/2010 7:13:26 AM |

    The heart scan blog measure, track and reduce atherosclerotic plaque and gives the details of wheat hip.

  • Ed Terry

    8/11/2010 11:17:45 AM |

    I discovered that infrequent blood glucose measurements led me to a false sense of comfort.  Several times this year, I had laboratory blood glucose measurements and even after a low-carb meal, the level never rose above 100.

    Just for the heck of it, I ordered an HbA1c test and the result was 5.6 which corresponds to an average level of 114.  After that I spent a couple of weeks using a glucose meter to track my blood glucose around the clock for several weeks.  Interestingly enough, my blood glucose was always higher after a weightlifting session in proportion to the intensity of the workout.  For example, after back squats my blood glucose was 154.

    I also dicovered that different batches of blood glucose testing strips produce wildy different measurements, sometimes as much as 30 mg/dL between batches on the same meter.

  • Peter

    8/11/2010 12:15:55 PM |

    I stopped eating grain 5 weeks ago and I would like to test my lipid levels to see if there's any change.  Is it too soon?

  • Tommy

    8/11/2010 12:20:20 PM |

    @ Ed Terry

    Hi Ed
    Let me ask a stupid question (only because I tend to think of things in simple terms). When we have our blood pressure checked or take our pulse we do it at rest. We look for a resting (true) reading. There are other things we read at rest also. Why is it that we would take a reading for glucose after a meal that would naturally raise our levels? I would think that our concern would be what our body is doing at rest when there would be no reason (normally) for an elevated reading.  By your example and the reasoning I have been reading... cutting out that which makes your levels rise...it seems by the same logic you should not squat either.  Or lift weights?

  • Donna

    8/11/2010 3:55:55 PM |

    Dr. D....show us your wheatless body! It would be nice to see how a body looks without inflammation.

  • Tommy

    8/11/2010 4:40:05 PM |

    "Please screen your responses and restrict the destructive kooks/vegans. They negate your message, and should start their own blogs rather than trashing other's.

    I suggest you also scrub portions of messages that are merely arguments with previous posters."

    I have learned a lot from this site but a lot of it has been not only from the information here, but references to other sites.  The problem with blog comments or "screening" is that it then becomes very one sided. Without a flip side people take everything as gospel. But in actuality, for every great piece of evidence and data found here, or on any other site, there is just as convincing data in the opposite direction somewhere else. Once again I have to think the answer is somewhere in the middle. If a site like this had some "debate" and alternate views it might open up intelligent and helpful discussion rather than blind following.

  • Thumb

    8/11/2010 5:33:17 PM |

    Heart Health

    Heart Disease, in all of its various forms can be avoided.

  • David M Gordon

    8/11/2010 6:31:40 PM |

    Having a private argument with a doctor-friend who claims,

    "Niacin (nicotinic acid) comes in prescription form and as dietary supplements. Dietary supplement niacin is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the same way that prescription niacin is. It may contain widely variable amounts of niacin — from none to much more than the label states. The amount of niacin may even vary from lot to lot of the same brand.

    "Thus, dietary supplement niacin must not be used as a substitute for prescription niacin. It should not be used for cholesterol lowering because of potentially very serious side effects."


    Would (could) somebody knowledgeable please argue whether this doctor-friend is full of hot air, and merely protects his fiefdom...?

    Thank you in advance,

  • Onschedule

    8/11/2010 9:51:49 PM |

    @David M Gordon

    Dr. Davis has written a blog entry on this topic. Search for "niaspan" in the search box (upper left-ish corner). I believe it's about the third article down...

  • Anonymous

    8/11/2010 9:51:55 PM |

    Like Anne, I have found that removing grains from my diet has resulted in pain-free joints.  If I get "glutened" by mistake, I almost always respond with an inflammation in a large joint - shoulder, knee, even back - with heat and sharp pain.  Before a grain-free diet, I had what I thought were normal aches and pains in my finger joints.  Those are completely gone with a grain-free diet.

  • David M Gordon

    8/11/2010 10:53:31 PM |

    Thank you, Onschedule. Perfect!

    And thank you, Dr Davis.

  • stop smoking help

    8/12/2010 3:24:47 AM |

    Two days into my no wheat experiment and I'm not having any cravings like I thought. I probably have a lot of those wheat carbs still floating around.

    So far though, I think this may be easier than I first thought. Although, I might get tired of eggs for breakfast pretty soon, then what. Everything else has wheat (pancakes, waffles, cereal) and I'm allergic to oats. Maybe yogurt and fruit?

    Lunches and dinners are, so far so good. We'll see what happens.

  • Anna

    8/12/2010 11:30:07 PM |

    stop smoking health:

    re: what to eat for breakfast

    Rethink "breakfast".  The cereal companies have done a good job convincing Americans that breakfast is a sweet and starchy meal, but that isn't so around the world.   In Poland and other parts of Eastern and Northern Eastern Europe, I have happily enjoyed breakfasts that included salad or cut up vegetables, smoked or pickled fish, salami or sausage, cheese, as well as simple yogurt and fresh cut fruit.  

    How about some leftovers from the previous dinner?  

    When I'm in a hurry I make a Real Food high fat protein shake:  I blend together a couple raw eggs or egg yolks, a couple tablespoons of heavy cream or coconut milk, a tablespoon of Dutched cocoa powder, and either some water, crushed ice,  or cold coffee/espresso.  I don't sweeten my shakes, but they can be sweetened a little, too.  Frozen berries can be substituted for coffee and ice to change the flavor/add sweetness.  Plain whole fat yogurt is a nice tart probiotic addition, too.  Make it up the night before if needed and store in the fridge.  With practice and keeping the ingredients stocked, this shake is blended and cleaned up in less than 5 minutes.  

    My main point is to explore different ideas for breakfast and don't let the food processing companies define "breakfast" foods for you.  Redefine "breakfast" for yourself.

  • RaySolution

    8/13/2010 12:01:57 AM |

    Thanks for pointing out the connection between high carbs and inflammation of the joints.  I very much enjoyed the many comments and learned from them.

  • Tom

    8/13/2010 12:27:11 AM |

    Thanks to this blog I avoid wheat almost completely nowadays but for the sake of interest I would like to add a rejoinder: what should one replace the ciabatta with?

    People eat food to *get high* and maintain their moods as much as to supply their bodies with fuel and raw materials.

    So, in the absence of fundamental personal change, my guess is that the ciabatta is going to be replaced by:

    (a) more coffee,
    (b) more alcohol,
    (c) more getting angry,
    (d) drugs/painkillers, or
    (e) some other vice

    This is the cental issue of low-carb eating, in my opinion.

    The body and mind are part of a *system* which inclues the rest of the eater's life.

  • Vlado

    8/13/2010 12:56:34 AM |

    how about no breakfast in the morning, that is if you had a good dinner. Our energy should be the highest in the morning with cortisol and testosterone at the highest levels so any food just messes it up. This is something natural for us as I don't think our ancestors ate in the morning as they didn't have refrigeration, we are genetically predisposed eating later in the day. Only a few nuts or berries in the morning may be all right.

  • Anonymous

    8/13/2010 3:13:54 PM |

    "People eat food to *get high* and maintain their moods as much as to supply their bodies with fuel and raw materials."

    Blimey, never looked at it like that.

    What's your opinion of Sauerkraut?

  • Anonymous

    8/13/2010 3:30:46 PM |

    This just in:

    Low-carb diet causes profound increase in HDL cholesterol

    MedWire News: Long-term adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet is associated with marked improvements in lipid levels, in particular a large increase in levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, US researchers report.

    The low-carbohydrate diet was also associated with significant weight loss, leading the study authors to recommend the diet as a "viable option for obesity treatment for obese adults."

    Gary Foster (Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and colleagues undertook a randomized trial to compare the efficacy of a low-carbohydrate versus a low-fat diet, both of which were given alongside a comprehensive lifestyle modification program.

    http://lipidsonline.org/news/article.cfm?aid=9601

  • Tom

    8/13/2010 3:54:37 PM |

    >What's your opinion of Sauerkraut?

    It's been quite a while since I ate any, but, if memory serves, I don't think it's a particular favourite of mine Smile

    However, it might be a good example of how various sour and bitter foodstuffs have evolved into expensive delicacies within human culture.

    This is despite the fact that bitterness is a fairly reliable indicator of toxicity.

    Thus we do not eat foods directly for the sake of our bodies but for the the way we interpret the tastes and other internal sensations. It's a mental thing, and causes addiction for many of us I think.

  • Alex

    8/13/2010 6:40:41 PM |

    Sauerkraut? An expensive delicacy? It's just cabbage and salt!

    I make my own so that I can eat it raw. The recipe I use is a half-tablespoon of additive-free salt per pound of shredded cabbage. I make it in mason jars, with the lids tightened, loosening the lids once a day for the first 5 days to release the CO2 gas (loosening them only enough to release pressure but not allow air to get in.) I put the jars in the fridge after 3-5 days to finish aging.

  • Matsmurfen

    8/14/2010 1:02:14 PM |

    Matt Stone wrote:

    I try to keep my carb intake above 500 grams per day - almost all unrefined starches. This causes instant fat loss, a drop in insulin levels due to improved insulin sensitivity, and reversal of metabolic syndrome in most people

    WHAT A JOKE!  500g of carbs is 2000 kcal per day!  The body won't take the fat when it has that much carbs available... you need to get down to at least below 100g, perhaps as low as 20g...

    I must agree with others here - remove such comments or at least respond to it so it won't be uncontradicted.

  • Tommy

    8/14/2010 1:22:19 PM |

    Matsmurfen wrote:

    "I must agree with others here - remove such comments or at least respond to it so it won't be uncontradicted."

    I truly wish that rather than removing such posts there could be an open discussion. I think everyone would learn a lot more if such things were addressed and both sides dissected. Counterpoints from Dr. Davis would really be great. A lot of questions get raised here but never answered or addressed in any way. That can be potentially very bad because people read and then go of with half baked info. That could be dangerous.  What is needed here is a "forum" where these things can be discussed and many sides looked at.

  • Neonomide

    8/16/2010 12:58:04 AM |

    Ok, so here are so many wheat topics it's hard to know where to put stuff so that things get noticed.

    Regarding wheat and heart disease, Loren Cordain has written interesting pieces called “Whole Wheat Heart Attack” part 1 and 2. I found the second one on google:

    “Common dietary lectins are potent stimulators of
    inflammatory cytokines in white blood cell cultures20,21.
    In Figure 3 you can see that lectins
    from lentils, kidney beans, peas and WHEAT
    potently increase the production of inflammatory
    cytokines (IL-12, IL-2, and INFγ). WHEAT lectin
    (WGA) also stimulates production of two other
    inflammatory cytokines (TNFα and IL-1β)21 that
    promote the atherosclerotic process.”
    - -
    “Enzymes
    called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs),
    secreted by white blood cells and other cells
    within the plaque, are known to cause collagen
    and elastic tissue within the fibrous cap to disintegrate.
    Consequently, any dietary or environmental
    factor which facilitates synthesis of MMPs
    is not a good thing for cardiovascular disease
    patients. Well guess what? Lectins from wheat,
    WGA22, and lectins from kidney beans, PHA23,
    cause tissue cultures of white blood cells to increase
    their production of MMPs.”
    - -
    “WHEAT lectin also influences
    the final and fatal step in
    atherosclerosis, the formation
    of a blood clot in an artery.
    Integral to the formation of
    clots are platelet cells, which
    circulate in the bloodstream..
    Platelets are normally activated when they contact
    collagen from a damaged blood vessel.
    WGA directly causes the activation of platelets
    and potently increases their aggregation
    (clumping) 24. Hence, the consumption of WHOLE WHEAT
    may be integral in the thinning and destruction
    of the fibrous cap as well
    as the formation of the fatal clot.”

    http://www.deflame.com/Portals/0/Wheat%20lectins,%20heart%20disease,%202008.pdf

  • Eva

    8/17/2010 4:17:11 AM |

    What is for breakfast?  (I think that was the original question).  I like a bit of fruit like berries and banana. Or I will put a bit of berries with coconut milk and blend it in the blender.  Bacon and/or eggs are always another option.  Cheese with a bit of meat or leftover meat from the day before works nicely.  Or a breakfast burrito with lowcarb tortilla. Or muffins made with almond butter and banana taste great with a slab of butter on top!  Another classic is a grapefruit half.

  • Anonymous

    8/18/2010 12:56:27 PM |

    Dr. Davis:
    Interesting article, in the NY Times about Moose and arthritis.Also about native American Indians, developement of arthritis on change of their nutrition to corn and food eaten by the misionaries.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/health/research/17moose.html?_r=1&hpw

    kasing12

  • Hans Keer

    8/18/2010 2:06:33 PM |

    Follow our series of posts: "Grains, the world would be better off without them" http://bit.ly/a8GqfY VBR

  • Anonymous

    8/18/2010 8:45:15 PM |

    Do you have a link to the study for your comment "Wheat raises blood glucose higher than almost all other foods, higher than a Milky Way bar, higher than a Snickers bar." as I would be interested in following up on this.

  • Dr. Berg effective diets plan

    9/2/2010 2:26:28 PM |

    You have an interesting topic with very interesting comments as well. I learned a lot. Thanks!

Add comment

Loading
The Detection Gap

The Detection Gap

5. July 2007 William Davis (3)
You've heard of the Generation Gap, the Income Gap, the Technology Gap, the Gender Gap, and the Achievement Gap.

How about the Detection Gap?

Haven't heard of it? That's the gap between coronary heart disease detected by conventional methods widely practiced in the community and the real prevalence of the disease.

The standard approach to coronary heart disease detection is a relatively simple formula. One of three things are sought:

1) Symptoms of heart disease like chest pain or breathlessness.
2) An abnormal EKG or abnormal stress test.
3) A catastrophe like heart attack or sudden cardiac death.

By this equation, the American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that 36% of American men and women have coronary disease.

However, we say the number is more like 48%. That's the number we arrive at when we ask: How many men and women have CT heart scan scores above zero?

The difference is the Detection Gap. Though only around 12%, it amounts to millions of people. The problem is that, by the conventional approach to detection of heart disease, you often don't know you have it until you're lying on a hospital gurney being wheeled off to a major procedure. Or your friends, family or neighbors find your body.

If heart disease is detected by a CT heart scan, it tends to be early, before catastrophe strikes. You can use tools like niacin, vitamin D, flaxseed, etc., all the components of the Track Your Plaque approach.

If heart disease is detected by waiting for the appearance of symptoms, then a stress test (usually nuclear) is followed by a heart catheterization, stents, bypass, etc. So there's more than a Detection Gap. There's also a difference in the sorts of therapies chosen. There's certainly a difference in cost.

In my view, there is no rational reason not to close the Detection Gap. While CT heart scan scores aren't perfect, they're damn close. The Detection Gap could be closed to around 2%. We'd also save billions of dollars.
Tags :

Comments (3) -

  • Mike

    7/5/2007 6:06:00 PM |

    Those billions of dollars that would be saved are billions of dollars that would not go to medical professionals. Where is their incentive to prevent heart problems?

  • Susie

    7/5/2007 7:57:00 PM |

    If I'm a woman age 52 in apparent good health,  how could I get a doctor to order a CT scan?
    SWR, Ph.D.

  • Dr. Davis

    7/5/2007 9:07:00 PM |

    Of course, there is no way to compel someone to do something like order a test. However, many states do not require a doctor's order to perform a CT heart scan. It's best to check with a center performing the scan and they can tell you if an order is necessary.

Add comment

Loading
Diet by LDL

Diet by LDL

7. March 2012 William Davis (0)
Conventional notions of heart healthy diets, such as that advocated by the American Heart Association, are largely based on observations of total and LDL cholesterol.

So, cut the saturated fat in the diet, cut the overall fat content, and replace them with polyunsaturated oils like safflower, corn, and vegetable oils and increase consumption of whole grains and total and LDL cholesterol show a modest downturn. Thus, diets like the American Heart Association Total Lifestyle Change approach advocate limiting total fat to no more 25 to 35% of calories and saturated fat to no more than 7% of calories.

Tags :

Add comment

Loading
Gratitude

Gratitude

24. December 2006 William Davis (2)
The holidays and the end of the year may be a good time to reflect on how grateful we should be for having the freedom to discuss the ideas we share on this Blog, the Track Your Plaque website, online and offline.

Although I rant and rave against the status quo in heart disease, the shameful profiteering of my colleagues and hospitals, the cut-throat marketing practices of drug and device manufacturers, I am truly grateful that, in the U.S., I have the extraordinary freedom to say these things. You have the freedom to agree or disagree and none of us pays a price for truth.

I've been reflecting myself a great deal on this idea of happiness and gratitude being a critical component of coronary plaque regression and dropping your heart scan score. (See The Heart Scan Blog from earlier this week.) The more I think about this, the more I think that it is indeed true: Harboring anger and resentment, regrets, irritability, all those petty emotions that most of us know are not good for us, erode our chances for success in dropping your heart scan score.

We could rationalize it this way: Anger and other negative emotions are adrenaline-driven states, also characterized by activation of the "sympathetic" nervous system. (Despite its name, the sympathetic system is not sympathetic, as in compassionate; its the "fight-or-flight" activator that accelerates heart rate and blood pressure.)

Happiness, contentment, and gratitude are "parasympathetic" states characterized by slower heart rates, deeper respiration, greater variation in beat-to-beat heart rates (a powerful predictor for health and the basis for the HeartMath program of Lew Childre), lower blood pressure, and even a subtle change in brain waves. In other words, happiness is not just a mental and emotional state, it is a constellation of physical phenomena.

Even though I pick on Dr. Dean Ornish for his stubborn adherence to the outdated low-fat mantra, I do agree with him on the value of happiness. His book, Love and Survival, articulates this concept. Ornish has even said on several occasions that it wasn't the diet that was most important but the connection and warmth that was created by the comraderie created by participation in the Ornish Program group sessions.

I am personally grateful that the concepts I promote are gaining a following and that I can say so without fear of prosecution. I am grateful that Track Your Plaque followers are not just sharing our concepts, but obtaining genuine and powerful health advice that will help keep them home and healthy, away from hospitals, procedures, and the dangers of heart disease.

I hope you share in my gratitude and are thankful for all the truly wonderful things that surround us. I wish you all a wonderful holiday and long, healthy life filled with gratitude.
Tags :

Comments (2) -

  • Heart_Man

    12/27/2006 3:45:00 AM |

    I discovered HeartMath in 1997. I had been experiencing many life threatening illnesses over the past several years. Learning and practicing HeartMath's tools and technologies literally saved my life. If you are interested in learning more about how HeartMath can enable you to prevent, manage and reverse the effects of stress in your life, in-the-moment and achieve better health, more energy and improved mental and emotional clarity, please go to www.emotionalmastery.com.

  • Bix

    12/27/2006 11:41:00 PM |

    Beautiful.

    Thank you.

Add comment

Loading
Rerun

Add comment

Loading
Fortune teller

Fortune teller

25. November 2006 William Davis (0)
Whenever your doctor uses your cholesterol values--total, LDL, HDL, triglycerides--to judge your heart disease risk, he/she is trying to act as your fortune teller.

In some states, fortune telling is illegal, a misdemeanor. The New York State lawbooks say:

A person is guilty of fortune telling when, for a fee or compensation which he directly or indirectly solicits or receives, he claims or pretends to tell fortunes, or holds himself out as being able, by claimed or pretended use of occult powers, to answer questions or give advice on personal matters or to exorcise, influence or affect evil spirits or curses; except that this section does not apply to a person who engages in the aforedescribed conduct as part of a show or exhibition solely for the purpose of entertainment or amusement.
(Source : Wikipedia)

Rather than occult powers, your physician claims to use "medical judgement" to tell your fortune. Except for that distinction, it might be construed as a misdemeanor.


Let's take three typical examples:

58-year old Laura has a high LDL of 195 mg/dl. Her HDL is 52 mg/dl, triglycerides 197 mg/dl. Does she have heart disease?

51-year old Jonathan has an LDL of 174 mg/dl, HDL 34 mg/dl, triglycerides 156 mg/dl. Does Jonathan have heart disease?

71-year old Marian has an LDL cholesterol of 135 mg/dl, HDL 84 mg/dl, triglycerides of 67 mg/dl.

None of the three have symptoms. They all feel well. Nobody is taking a statin cholesterol drug or other agent that would modify the numbers. Jonathan is around 30 lbs overweight. Nobody has an impressive family history of heart disease.

Can you tell who has heart disease and who doesn't? If you can, you're smarter than I am, because I certainly can't tell. But your doctor tries to divine your future by looking at these numbers.

Do they know something that we don't know? No. It's a crude odds game, a guessing game. A guessing game that frequently comes up on the losing end.

These are three real people. Laura, despite her high LDL, has no identifiable coronary heart disease. Jonathan has advanced coronary disease. These were his numbers just prior to his stent. Marian has a moderate quantity revealed by a CT heart scan score of 419.

Don't even try predicting your future from your cholesterol numbers--it simply can't be done. Every day, I see patients and physicians beating their heads over this dilemma. Telling your fortune using pretended occult powers is illegal. Telling your fortune using cholesterol numbers should be, too.

If you want to know if you have coronary plaque, that's the role of the CT heart scan. Plain and simple.
Tags :

Add comment

Loading
Pill pushers

Pill pushers

28. April 2006 William Davis (1)
Have you read the latest cover story from Forbes magazine? It's entitled "Pill Pushers: How the drug industry abandoned science for salesmanship".

It's great reading. (A condensed version is available at the www.forbes.com website: http://www.forbes.com/business/forbes/2006/0508/094a.html. They require you to provide your e-mail address though it's free.)

Drug industry advertising has raised consciousness of all the prescription therapies available for us--that's good. However, they've gone so far overboard trying to squeeze more and more revenues out of drugs that they've cost this country a huge amount in increased health care costs and even lost lives. (Forbes does a great job of summarizing some of these instances.)

Drugs like Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor; diabetes agents; anti-hypertensive agents, etc., that is, medications taken chronically, a huge financial bonanzas for drug companies. Not only do they get $100-200 per month, but they get it month after month after month. That's per drug.

Now not all medications are bad or unnecessary. There are times when they can be truly necessary and beneficial. But don't rely on drug company advertising to tell us when.
Tags :

Comments (1) -

  • Anonymous

    4/30/2006 8:09:00 AM |

    I feel better then I have in Years.

Add comment

Loading