Do you happen to know if there's anything to adult stem cells & heart disease? My take so far has been that they do not work in a stem cell way (bona fide regeneration) and any benefits can be attributed to local secretion of growth factors or other molecules.

Absolutely incredible!  Good for them!

In Nov 2007 my lab tests showed blood calcium too high. Further tests showed parathyroid hormone too high. I had ultra sound and various scans ordered by the endo. In June 2008 I had one parathyroid gland removed. During this time my Vit D was 25 and 27. The endo was not concerned because "it was winter". I talked my PCP into OKing 1000 iu of Vit D but she said she had never seen the supplement increase the Vit D levels in any of her patients. No advice re D2 vs D3 or tablets vs get caps. Following your advice I am taking 1000 iu D3 gel caps. After some months I increased it to 2000 iu. Of course, I am wondering if the low Vit D might have had some bad affect on the parathyroid. Also I would like to know how much Vit D3 I should be taking but don't have a doc who seems knowledgeable. Any suggestions?

BettyB

Bettyb,

Doctor Davis doesn't often have time to answer questions posted at his blog. If you really want to know about how much vitamin D to take and how to get tested, you can learn more at the Vitamin D Council:

www.vitamindcouncil.org

Congratulations on your magnificent article "Halt on Salt Sparks Iodine Deficiency" for
October's Life Extension Magazine.  It should be required reading for all Doctors.  
Iodine is looking like the last piece of the puzzle for me reaching 60/60/60 without statins.  Thanks
for fighting the hard fight.

Matt W.

I have heard that excitement is a risk for heart patients. But this funny Cartoon says it excitment can kill anybody. See this cartoon

Thought I'd share this article from the UK about Vitamin D. I remain shocked some in the medical profession (or should that be industry) still do not understand the importance of D3 for children, and of course adults.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/children_shealth/3350394/Why-vitamin-D-is-so-vital.html

I was very interested to read this post because I too have a congenital heart defect (not nearly as bad as this boy) which has led to aortic valve stenosis and I've been keen to know how much vitamin D might help with this since 2007 when I first started following Dr Davis' blog.

I live in the UK and I'm lucky that I have both a good cardiologist and good endocrinologist. My endocrinologist is keen for me to supplement with vitamin D3, both for my heart and for osteoporosis, which I also have, and I get regular 25(OH)D tests. I take 2,000 IU of D3 gelcaps per day and my level of 25(OH)D varies between 125 nmol/L (50 ng/dl) and 250 nmol/L (100 ng/dl), once rising as high as 384 nmol/L (154 ng/dl) so it's lucky a close eye is kept on these levels so my dosage of D3 can be adjusted. Lab error was thought, but every time the 25(OH)D has risen too high my alkaline phosphatase levels (bone specific) have also risen above normal, and every time the 25(OH)D is lower they are in the normal range.

My cardiologist is also supportive of the D3 as well as supportive of me using omega-3 fish oil and he prescribes it for me since it works out cheaper on prescription here in the UK than it does from a health food store.

The pressure gradient across my heart is increasing gradually and I will need an aortic valve replacement at some point...but who knows, things might have got worse faster without the D and the fish oils.

Anne

Bettyb,
I started on 1000iu of vitmain D3 then upped it to 2000, 5000 and 10000iu per day. At this dose my vitamin D results had achieved the magic 50 level. It is now six months since being on 10000iu and I am feeling fine. No side effects that I am aware of.

It's no wonder there is nutritional ignorance among MDs worldwide as they have only 1-2 nutrition classes during their training.  

We need to empower those who do have the training and education by expanding their resources and accessibility to patients.  Nutrition needs to be recognized as a vital part of healthcare, needs required post-graduate training for specialization in various disease states, and needs to be covered by insurance.

I agree that ignorance about nutrition is mainstream, however the problem seems to run deeper than this.

Taking supplements of any kind is thought to be unnatural and a compromise of some kind. Only nutrients from fresh food (preferably organic, local produce) are considered valid by the progressive class here in the UK. Supplements are pills and therefore are evil 'chemicals' and products of greedy pharmaceutical companies.
One or two vitamins/nutrients no doubt *are* poorly absorbed when isolated in pill form. This argument is used to condemn all supplements. Repeated headlines appear in the MSM which intimate that taking vitamins is actually harmful.

I'm trying to explain the feelings that cause many otherwise thoughtful people not to supplement. If it sounds vague and illogical that's because it is.

For example, in the cases of at least four of the most helpful supplements (vitamin d3, iodine, magnesium, vitamin k2), for most people it simply isn't feasible to obtain optimum amounts *without* supplementation.

Yet fashionable orthodoxy tends to prevent them from supplementating.

The importance of Omega-3 fatty acids is more widely accepted. If you examine it carefully, mainstream advice recommends averaging 2-3g per day without supplementation. It's very hard to take this seriously.

The weight of mackerel and oily fish you would have to eat is staggering.

It's a kind of doublethink.

Hi, Kismet--

This post wasn't meant to endorse nor critizie stem cell therapy for heart disease, something I have no experience nor strong opinions about.

Here's a paper on it:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19274033

Betty--

You really need to find a helpful healthcare provider who can coach you through the vitamin D and calcium issues. This is something you shouldn't do without assistance when calcium issues are involved.  

However, we have seen many cases of "secondary" hyperparathyroidism improve with vitamin D supplementation. Dosing is by blood levels, particularly important in your situation.

Michaela,
I read a post today that you should be interested in.  It is relative to ejection fraction and how blueberries increased EF by 82%.  You will find it at "nephropal.blogspot.com".  Dr. T is a nephrologist who is the author of the blog.  He is one of those brave hearts like Dr. Davis who is interested in helping people.

Safe Remedy for Heart Patients:Tashi Cardio Pro Capsules developed by face doctor is really a great help for most of the heart patients.

How cool to be able to give that to someone, to change their life with an email.

wew. it's not a good story..

Hi, Tom--

This is why we need to stage a "revolt" in the form of self-directed health, putting many strategies, including access to nutritional supplements, out of conventional healthcare and in the hands of everybody. This includes access to lab services, even diagnostic testing.

Off-topic, Dr. Davis, but this will be your new favorite photograph:

http://www.frigginrandom.com/images/beer-belly-master/

Lifting of Calcium Scan Ignorance?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930102536.htm

The ScienceDaily Press Release article is below.  You probably already knew this, but, just in case.

Calcium Scans May Be Effective Screening Tool For Heart Disease

ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2009) — A simple, non-invasive test appears to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with silent heart disease who are at risk for a heart attack or sudden death. Coronary artery calcium scans can be done without triggering excessive additional testing and costs, according to the multi-center EISNER (Early Identification of Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Noninvasive Imaging Research) study, led by investigators at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.

The findings appear in the September 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Coronary artery calcium scans that detect plaque in the coronary arteries have been shown to be more effective than standard cholesterol and blood pressure measurements in identifying patients who are most vulnerable to heart disease. Currently, these scans are not covered by private insurance carriers, in part because of concerns that detection of low levels of cardiovascular disease will result in unnecessary and expensive further testing, including exercise imaging and invasive cardiac catheterization procedures. "Over half of patients who suffer heart attacks have no warning that they have heart disease until the heart attack occurs. If we knew the patients were at risk, current treatments could prevent the majority of these unnecessary events. We had to address the concerns about unnecessary testing and costs related to this potentially lifesaving procedure," said Daniel S. Berman, M.D., the study's principal investigator and chief of Cardiac Imaging at Cedars-Sinai's S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center in Los Angeles.

In the EISNER study, supported by The Eisner Foundation, researchers performed coronary calcium scans on 1,361 volunteers at intermediate risk for coronary artery disease, and followed them over a four-year period, from May 2001 to June 2005. The objective was to determine the relationship between coronary artery calcium scores and subsequent cardiac events and to evaluate the performance of additional cardiac diagnostic testing. Coronary artery calcium scores of 0 indicate no plaque, 1-9 minimal, 10-99 mild, 100-399 moderate, 400-999 extensive, and 1,000 or more very extensive plaque.

SNIP
Recent evidence has demonstrated that screening with coronary artery calcium is a better prognosticator of risk than the Framingham Risk Score—the traditional way of assessing risk based on blood testing and blood pressure--in middle aged and elderly patients. Yet controversy surrounds expansion of cardiac screening to include coronary calcium scanning imaging because of concerns that the extra costs may not outweigh the benefits. The findings of the EISNER study, the researchers note, is the first direct evidence that coronary artery calcium scanning could be an acceptable cost-effective screening test for coronary artery disease, since it is able to identify high risk subgroups in need of aggressive medical treatment, and patients who undergo additional testing constitute only a small fraction of the screened population.

Hi Dr. Davis:

Are you familiar with Dr. Wolfgang Lutz from Austria.  He has a book entitled "Life Without Bread."  He has been treating patients with a low carbohydrates diet for over 40 years and he has seen improvements in the same conditions in his patients.  In his book he presents data from his patients over the last 40 years and it's very impressive.  Here is the amazon.com link to the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Without-Bread-Low-Carbohydrate-Diet/dp/0658001701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253192708&sr=8-1

Thanks so much for writing this blog.

I absolutely agree with what you're saying here--for the most part, I do not eat wheat, but I must tell you, the desire for any wheat product never leaves (in my case, anyway) and is frequently craved--but what a punishment for indulging, even once in a great while:
A few days ago, whilst enjoying a delicious mostly protein and fat dinner at Outback, my wheat devil got the best of me, and I took a mere slice of that delicious bread they put on the table, with a generous pat of butter.  Within 5-10 minutes, I literally felt my nose and sinuses swelling up on me.  Not fair, but reality.
Hmmph.

Oh this is so true! I love myself when I stop eating wheat and a lot of sugars - can't get enough sex och have much more energy!

But from time to time I fall back and just crave that pasta... and every time I do, I regret it; Stomach cramps is always what will be served for dessert!

Dairy and lots of sugar.
But wheat might be the worst.

Two years ago, my knees hurt so badly that I avoided sitting in low chairs (I couldn't get out of them) and I was "one-footing" stairs. Then I went on a low-carb diet and the pain cleared up. I failed to put two and two together until a trip to France where I "allowed" myself small amounts of bread and suddenly it became important to know if a metro stop had an escalator. Now I know that eating wheat will result in knee pain 48 hours later.

Fast forward to this summer when my 24-year-old daughter was having stomach pain--it was after meals, but sometimes the pain woke her in the night. "Heartburn," said her physician, maybe related to stress, and put her on Nexium for a month to see if it cleared up. It did, but returned when her prescription was over. Having read about the side effects of PPI use, I suggested to my daughter that she consider eliminating gluten and/or milk products for a while to see if that helped. She did (although she whimpered a bit about giving up beer). The pain disappeared almost immediately, and a bit of experimentation showed that it was wheat and only wheat that caused the pain (cheers).

When my daughter described the pain, I realized that I had the same symptom when I was her age, but I didn't have it looked into because it never lasted long enough to bother with (I'm one of those doctors' kids who avoid doctors).

So my question is, in light of all of the signs that point to wheat intolerance as a cause of gastrointestinal distress and joint pain and a whole lot of other things, why is eliminating wheat not the first course of action?

By the way, I found the recent article in Scientific American on celiac disease, leaky gut and automimmune disease to be very interesting.

Does wheat elimination include eliminating beer, particularly, wheat beer?

It's the only wheat--or grain for that matter--in my regular diet.

"after someone eliminates wheat for several months, re-exposure of an errant cracker or sandwich results in cramping and diarrhea in about 30% of people."

I gave up wheat a long time ago when I found it triggered acid reflux. And I found just the opposite.

As long as I didn't eat wheat regularly, I could have the occasional wheat with no problems.

Does anyone know if Ezekial 100% sprouted whole grain bread (yes contains some sprouted wheat + many other grains) is still considered "wheat" as I want to have a zero wheat diet.  Hmmm  think I just answered by own question.  thanks!

Hi, Chris--

Beer is clearly the least desirable of all alcoholic beverages, partly because of its wheat origin. However, perhaps because of fermentation or some other modification, it doesn't seem to exert all the adverse effects of other products, though celiacs will still react to the gluten.

Anon--

Likewise with Ezekiel. I believe it's better, though not necessarily perfect. It still trigers carbohydrate responses.

Hi, Olga--

Amazing how we are re-learning many lessons learned previously before drugs and fancy hospital procedures.

Another factor in the increased libido may be a reversal of very early nerve damage from high glucose levels. Peripheral neuropathy starts at blood glucose levels that are not really very high at all -- around 140mg/dL, which a person may be seeing after meals for YEARS before they hit the diabetic diagnostic criteria of 180mg/dL after meals or 126mg/dL fasting (and very many diabetics do have measurable neuropathy at diagnosis, for exactly this reason). People worry about their feet when they're considering diabetic neuropathy, but ALL the nerves are adversely affected by being bathed in excessive glucose, and those in the sexual organs are among the most sensitive; I think it's a reasonable theory that one would see a decrease of sensation there even before you have measurable effects in the hands and feet. Fortunately, if neuropathy isn't very advanced, it can be reversed by getting blood glucose under control, and of course that would improve sensation and increase the enjoyability of sexual activity, which would naturally factor into the desire for same. I'm sure there's more to the story, including some or all of the factors you've named, but I think this is probably part of it too.

How do the various grains compare: wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice etc.?

It's called wheat allergy, look it up.  Different antibodies to celiac, different symptoms, but same cause and same cure.

There are gluten free beers available, based on sorgum.  Budweiser makes one called Red Bridge, but there are others on the market.    My sister has active celiac and so I eat an anti-inflamatory gluten-free diet.  Last year at my highschool reunion I had pizza and beer with the boys.  I had bloody stools for several days after!  I believe that most of us are gluten intolerant, that is we cannot really digest the gluten molecule. Many of us develop "leaky gut" from the gluten and then go on to antibody production against the gluten-gliadin molecule.  This protein has several key amino acid sequences in common with tissue proteins in many various organ systems (thyroid, pancreas, adrenal,gut, skin, uterus, placenta  etc) and autoimmune disease begins.  Which organ system is affected depends on your genetic make up.   The persistance of GI docs in refusing to diagnose gluten enteropathy without a small bowel biopsy is amazing to me.  see enterolab.com

A lifelong depression lifted when I went wheat and gluten free 6 yrs ago. I am 66 years old and I wake up with no joint pain. Peripheral neuropathy is better, but not perfect. I have a long list of health improvements.

As far as my heart, dropping wheat and gluten totally relieved my pitting leg edema and shortness of breath. I had cardiac bypass over 9 years ago, but I did not start to heal until I went gluten free. I am sure that gluten contributed to my CAD.

I have no idea what would happen if I were to eat a wheat cracker or a slice of wheat bread. I never want to feel that sick again so I have not been tempted to try even one bite. An accidental crumb is enough to cause my brain to fog and my energy level to bottom out.

This past year I dropped sugars and all grains in order to level out my blood glucose - this has worked well.

I have heard the celiac experts say that no one is able to digest wheat well.

Dr. Davis,
A majority of beer recipes are based on Barley, not wheat. Sure it could contain wheat as an ingredient and most "summer" beers often contain a malted barley/malted wheat mix with the latter as a minor component. Beer (at least other than the generic mass market brews like coors, bud etc) contain substantial polyphenols from hops which I would assume have antioxidant value.

I don't buy this obsession approach that everything that might contain a grain is probably bad. H1N1 is called the "swine flu" so what has happened; people have stopped eating pork.......  I am grateful for the discussion on this site but just sometimes I get a little disheartened with the  generalizations.
Trevor

Dr. Davis, my diabetic friend just announced to me today that her Triglycerides dropped from 400 to 200, her total cholesterol dropped to 178 and all other blood values are now within normal range just by changing her diet and eliminating all starchy foods (white and brown rice, all wheat products, etc.). Her wheat-free diet truly gave her some unexpected effects. Josephine

Dr. Davis
I'm 66 years and was diagnosed with migrene from 20. At 62 I startet to eat lowcarb and high fat. My migrene was gone after 14 days. I thougt that sugar was the worst, but I have come to understand that wheat and barley trigger my headaches more than sugar does.
Other pleasant side effects are no more anal- itching and nearly no more nightly peeing.

My concern about the sprouted grain breads is the inclusion of soy.  I am not sure that the sprouting process eliminates all the toxins from soy (phytic acid, estrogen, goiterogens, protease inhibitors etc. ). Traditional cultures often soaked grains, sprouted them, and then used lactofermentation (sourdough)  methods to prepare their breads or porridges.  This reduced many of the toxic portions of the grains, but soy is much more resistant.  Traditional Asian cultures often fermented soy for months before using as food.

Before the phrase "wheat-belly" was phrased, there was the phrase "beer-belly." Personally, I don't care if it's made from barley or wheat, beer poses a clear danger either way.

I suffered from IBS for years, and discovered the "cure" when I went on Atkins in 1999.  I'm afraid, though that in my case, eliminating wheat alone isn't sufficient, I seem to have problems with any grain that is high in fiber. One or two amaranth based cookies was enough to trigger IBS symptoms for a whole weekend.

Gluten >> Allergy ? > InTolerance ? > Celiac ?

Did YOU Know / Have you been told ?

That > If YOU suspect that You have a Gluten InTolerance / Celiac Disease > Do NOT begin a Gluten Free DIET > Until You have been Medically Diagnosed ( See Below ).

IF ..
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Why Wait ? > Certainly > Your Celiac Disease and HEALTH Will Not.

Research indicates that > Children will visit 6 Pediatricians BEFORE their Celiac Disease is Diagnosed... WHY ?

ALSO > Allergy Mothers of Allergy Children > Who wish to > Take the FEAR Out of FOOD > i.e. Eat a Peanut = Trouble for their Child > Need only visit their Primary Care Dr. for an Insurance covered, FOOD Allergy Blood Test.

Test to Determine if InTolerance of ALLERGY.

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Best Health = Wealth Regards

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DropYourAllergies.com

Celiac Information:

> Serology ( Blood testing ) as well as Biopsy requires the presence of antibodies to gluten.

> A gluten-free diet reduces circulating antibodies thus compromising a proper diagnosis.  There are no clear guidelines for a proper gluten challenge to ensure sufficient circulating antibodies for a positive result; some individuals requires 1 month, other years.  

> Key Take HOME Message !

With 1 in 100 being affected,
Rule out Celiac Disease > Before going Gluten-Free
Regardless of Rationale.

Susan,
couple weeks ago, I had to take a trip and drove for 8 hours right after my hard work out at gym. didnt have time to eat at my regular time. that night i had stomich spasm, so bad that it almost made me cry. (now i am completely wheat free for more than 10 months now). only thing that helped me immediate,was powdered Magnesium. the pain would start around 2am and stay on until I take liquid magnesium. the pain wouldnt go away for week or so. funny thing is that in the morning i would go to gym and workout hard with no pain at all. 4 days ago I had to see my doctor and he put me on on Nexium. That was the first night that there was no pain how ever the side effects of Nexium were sharp headache and stomach spasm for 5 minutes. I think that when body is firing on all cylinders, it is important to eat regularly, small meals, more often.

Dr. Davis,

I have seen the mention of eliminating wheat from the diet in many of your articles. Does that mean something like rice is not as bad as wheat namely is wheat is the worst among the grains rice, barley, corn etc ?

Thanks!

-Suresh

Sara,

I found your comments extremely interesting and would like to know more about your research, especially relative to this:
"those in the sexual organs are among the most sensitive"  Do you have reference I can follow?

I've been reading about periperhal neuropathy and autonomic neuropathy and this article was particularly interesting:

Unlike PN, AN is often asymptomatic. Among symptomatic patients (55%), erectile dysfunction seems to be the sole symptom, in line with the higher degree of parasympathetic damage.  

pns.ucsd.edu/JPNS/Ravaglia.accepted.06.16.04.pdf

An improvement in his ED was definitely an unexpected results of a gluten free diet (wheat free was not enough), but my spouse saw further improvements without dairy and soy.

William,
Your comment on the fermentation of soy in Asian cultures appears to imply that this is important to render "safe" food from Soy.  So do you make the same generalization about cow's milk.....? IE it should be cheese and yoghurt before consumption?

Donny,
what is the scientific relation between "wheat belly" and "beer belly" ? none, I would argue. Other than both are not desirable and result from over indulgence.

There are a surprising number of people who are sensitive to specific foods.  I love sushi.  My wife is allergic to raw seafood yet she can down a piece of wheat gluten (seitan) with no affects. I have friends who can't go near gluten without severe cramps. My wife can also eat beef yet it gives me terrible gas. On the other hand, beans have absolutely no impact to my gas productivity.  I write this to highlight that many many people have issues with certain foods while other remain unaffected. YMMV as the saying goes, so lets celebrate those who find relief in changing their diets but lets not claim panacea
Trevor

Suresh--

Yes, wheat stands out as a uniquely destructive grain. While other grains can also increase blood sugar and trigger adverse patterns, wheat is undoubtedly the worst. I know of no other grain than wheat that is accompanied by addictive behavior, also.

Re: beer and barley

Barley also contains gluten, so if you're avoiding wheat because of the gluten, you'll need to avoid barley (and rye) as well.

Re: rice

The data that the idiotic "China Study" book is allegedly based on suggest that rice is the best grain to eat if you're going to eat grain. The highest rate of heart disease in China is found in the province where wheat is a dietary staple and little meat is consumed.

1:100 may have celiac disease, but estimates of those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity range from 10-40% of the population.

It is true, if you want to be tested for celiac disease(villous atrophy), then you do need to keep eating gluten until the testing is completed. If the tests come out negative it does not mean that you have no problem with gluten. You may still have latent celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy or wheat intolerance. I am beginning to see more journal articles about gluten sensitivity. Dr. Green recently wrote in the JAMA that more attention needs to be given to gluten sensitivity.

I did not go through blood a biopsy testing as my doctors refused to run these tests. I used Enterolab to confirm I have antibodies to gluten. This was enough proof for me. Enterolab cannot diagnose celiac disease, but it can tell you if you are reacting to gluten and you can be wheat/gluten free for up to 2 years for this test.

There is nothing dangerous about a gluten free or wheat free diet and, luckily, we don't need a doctor's prescription to change our diet. A gluten free diet can be as healthy or as unhealthy as one wants to make it. Along with gluten free, I follow Dr. Davis' recommendation of a low sugar diet to keep my blood glucose in check.

Ouch! much sugar? Damn! diabetes is you will get.

Dr. Davis,

Okay... wheat is BAD.  But... does this include wheat bran, often used as a source of fiber in the diet?  I mean the bran only, NOT wheat germ, or whole wheat, or wheat flours.

Thanks for all you do!

madcook

Hi, Mad--

No, wheat bran is essentially inert. It does not interact with anything and so does not exert any adverse effects. It's like eating wood.

I disagree with wheat bran being inert.  It is a source of phytic acid which has mineral binding properties.  Also, reading sites like FiberMenace.com, bran fiber is certainly not benign.

@Anonymous (before me)

I agree with your statement. Its a fact, try read health book.

I have to mention one more benefit to your list, that I noticed:

- hugely improved dental health and self-healing (sealing) of damaged teeth.

We know that wheat's agglutins (WGA) affect and reduce D3 transport, I have a suspicion that wheat may be also interfering with K2 (thus teeth) but haven't seen much esearch on this yet.

Stan (Heretic)

Re FiberMenace author Konstantin Monastyrsky
Perhaps those wishing to make a value judgement out this website might first want to checkout Jimmy Moore's blog
Jimmy's interview with Konstantin Monastyrsky
and then compare/contrast it with this one in which a certain Dr Davis is interviewed

TedHutchinson, there are many other sources that agree that fiber is not beneficial and is indeed harmful if you don't care for the one referenced.

Nevertheless, Dr. Davis is incorrect about bran being inert.  It does contain phytic acid which interferes with mineral absorption.  Another reason wheat avoidance helps teeth and bones.

@taemo

haha. you're right.. control use of sugar to avoid diabetes.

@Thomas

it has different nutrition level and most of all, its taste.

I have a question: after spending a year in France, I realized that yes, French people are typically lean and thin, however, they eat so much wheat! Pastries, white pastas, cereals...
Do French people display the same numbers when it comes to celiacs disease and wheat intolerance? I am curious to know. Or might it have more to do with volume or the fact that their breads are more often homemade? Thoughts?

I went gluten free for nearly two years and then have been dabbling back into spelt and wheat. My primary reasons for trying the elimination were skin-related (itch, chronic eczema). Sad to say, it don't help much, though I did feel pretty healthy. I just ate a croissant the other day from an organic bakery that stone mills. It was heavan. I didn't feel foggy or anything, so perhaps the key is moderation?
Anyway, great site, very informative. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on those skinny french people.
PS-I don't have a weight problem and ironically I didn't lose weight when I went gluten free. Ended up eating more meat (allergic to nuts)...

Interesting that inflammation would appear to be a component of nearly all these symptoms which wheat elimination "cures".

My depression and mood swings appear to be closely correlated with blood glucose swings, which may be why that also improves.

I'm another one for whom wheat bran is not inert: it generates BG spikes, although not to the degree of whole wheat. Lectins, phytic acid or wheat germ agglutinin?

http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-toxic-is-wheat-well-first-point-is.html

Ted,
Thanks for the link to the livin lavida low carb site interview with Dr. Davis.  Your links are always informative.
In my opinion, all newbies visiting this web site should be directed to this reference for a great summary of what is important in taking care of your heart via diet changes. v.cool, thanks
Trevor

I've just found your blog via Feed the Animal, and I'm so happy I did!  Thank you so much for you posts, I'll be reading often.  

You have a few comments here, but I figured I'd add to your collection of anecdotal evidence:  I'd gone paleo for about a month when I took one 24 hour period off (dinner to dinner).  3/4 of a medium pizza, a snickers bar, 1/2 can pringles, and a dozen chocolate coated gingerbread cookies ended up on the menu.  Within 30 minutes of eating the pizza my heartburn had returned, withing hours of eating bits of the rest I was in PAIN.  Why I kept eating this junk for the next day, I have no idea.  The more of it I ate the worse my stomache got.  Severe upset stomache, badly sufuric burps, bowel discomfort, you name it!  And after that 24 hours I finally reached a level of toxicity where my body literally rejected the food.  So toxic was this junk that use to be "normal" food, that my body threw it up in self defense.  

Needless to say I'm totally commited to the paleo eating now!

What element in wheat are you referring to? everyone needs fiber which is a major component of wheat, people can't be allergic to fiber as their digestive system would pack up if you didn't have any.

Does abstaining from wheat include staying away from spelt and kammut and Emmer wheat as well..or is it the GMO wheat that is the problem?
Some doctors believe spelt is more digestable than regular wheat.

Jenny,

Not true at all. I eat very little fiber and am more regular and have less digestive issues than I ever have. As long as one eats enough fat, there is no need for fiber.

You can get Gluten-Free beer.  One brand is called Red Bridge.  There's another, but I forget the name.  I drink the Red Bridge.  Not bad.

Besides, you can get your "roughage" from raw veggies and salad.  I've been low-carb for about 6 wks. now; haven't had any bread, rice, pasta, wheat, etc.  I've never felt better and have more energy.  My brain is functioning better, too.  Also, have lost 4 lbs.

Beverly

Hi Dr Davis,
Thanks for a great blog.
I just wanted to share my experience of wheat free (I actually went paleo so fully grain and legume free)
No more swelling knees. Probably mild auto-immune, mother has it also.
Large - I mean large and multiple bumps - ganglion cyst that I had for 10 years shrank and disappeared.
PMS with horrid breast pain - gone.
Menstrual pain - less with fish oil, gone with paleo.
Constipation - gone
Pre-menopausal spotting the week prior to menstruation, had this for 10 years - gone.
Lost weight - that last 3 pounds that make me look my best.

I wrote about it here, I for one want to spread the news as a nutritionist.
http://paleozonenutrition.wordpress.com/2010/05/24/my-nutrition-journey/

Is whole grain wheat also harmful?

Thank your very much for all your information.

So people just give up having

1. bread and butter with meals or crusty bread with pasta
2. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna fish sandwiches etc.
3. pancakes

That seems hard to give up.

As an experiment and in an attempt to lose weight, I put my whole family on a low-carb diet. Cutting out wheat was part of it.
My husband has suffered from a mild type of colitis for the last 15 years. One year ago an awful smell developed with the colitis. Whenever he went to the toilet or passed wind an obnoxious, sour smell like old cheese/rotten eggs lingered a long time after. It caused me to move out of our bedroom, as the smell would cause me to wake up repeatedly. 3 weeks on the wheat-free diet the smell was suddenly gone. It was nothing short of a miracle. It was not something I had expected from the diet, but a very welcome side-effect indeed, as I hate bad smells. By the way - can anyone tell me what generates that particular sour, rotten smell?

legend 018 said:
So people just give up having

1. bread and butter with meals or crusty bread with pasta
2. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna fish sandwiches etc.
3. pancakes

That seems hard to give up.



Yes. They are addictive, aren't they? Isn't that the point? Wheat is addictive.

A criticism, then a question:
Any food you give up for months will cause diarrhea and cramping when you come back to it, because you've lost the bacteria that help you digest it.  I've experienced this with dairy, meat, and potatoes.  I am skeptical that wheat is any different than other foods in that regard.
I have family members who have experienced benefits from gluten free diets, but don't want to give it up altogether, for various reasons.  Does cutting back-- say, not eating bread but not actively eliminating gluten from all your food choices-- have lesser but similar effects?

Thank you so much Dr. Davis.  You have confirmed our worst fears that seemingly "healthy" wheat is actually a form of subtle malnutrition.  Please mention that it is the gluten that causes the problems.  Not in the allergic sense, but by blocking the important nutrients from fruits and veggies to vitamins and minerals.  Gluten forms a mucoid plaque which covers the small intestine thus causing subtle malnutrition and is therefore responsible for dozens of illnesses.

I have given up wheat because of its effects on myself including acid reflux, rapid heart beat, irritated hemmoroids.  

All of the effects you have mentioned have been documented as far back as 1995.  This is especially true of RA. I remember articles in the nutrition press stating that wheat was one of the triggers for RA. Thanks for all the information.

Hello Dr. Davis,

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... fingers: type "submit"... thank you.

I wish this was the case for me.  I have suffered with IBS for 27 years.  I have gone on gluten elimination diets for up to 30 days twice in the past 15 years with no change.  Incorporating it back in, the only thing I noticed was a little bit of heartburn if I had wheat in the morning. I've tested negative for Celiac's and wheat allergies.
I'm not saying your are wrong. But for me a wheat free diet was no cure for IBS.    (I WISH!)
-Karen