Okay that is amazing...wow. Can't wait to read your book.
Jana

Wow, just wow.
I hope you are able to 1. Track these folks to see how they do over time, and if making these changes affects their outcomes and 2. You'll be able to publish the TYP information so that more 'open' cardiologists, etc, can see what you do works.
This country is involved in the biggest dietary trial in the history of the world, outside of famine and deliberate starvation of populations. Probably no other group of people has been subjected to malnutrition while being overfed. That our food supply has been so adulterated with no testing is beyond amazing to me.
I read your blog regularly and encourage others to do so, but many are still listening to their doctors and are fearful.
It's not going to happen overnight, but i wonder if there isn't a selection process going on here.

Hi, Jean--
Hmmm. Interesting notion. Evolution in action.

Rather than weeding out the weak by infection and predators, the weak will succumb to Kelloggs, Nabisco, and "healthy whole grains."

When you say small LDL is zero, are you refering to both LDL4 and LDL3 on the VAP? Or just LDL4?

Where do I find out how to do this? my husband has a current lipoprotein a of 213 nmol/L and want to lower them STAT

Hi, Amanda--

We use high-dose fish oil and thyroid normalization, specifically T3, to start, followed by hormonal manipulation, niacin, and dietary changes. I invite you to join our discussions on how to do this on the Trackyourplaque.com website, the website that this blog accompanies.

I’ve been on a daily D3 regimen now for some 2 years (4000-8000 iu), taking an occasional 1 week break. Things were fine (no apparent side effects) until recently when I started to experience strange chest sensations, especially at bedtime and upon rising in the morning. My heart felt stressed, accompanied with a slight dizziness. I also had this weak feeling of pain in my chest very occasionally during the day. One morning I had fairly strong chest pain sensations on my left side, and I decided to go to the hospital. The chest pain subsided fairly quickly, and following an extensive checkup with EKG and blood tests. it turned out that there was nothing wrong with my heart according to the doctors. However one doctor pointed out that my D3 intake was fairly high and that that chest pains like mine are sometimes one of the symptoms of D3 toxicity and suggested I suspend D3 supplements for a time on the off chance this may be the source of my problem.

Hi, John --

I think you got some bad advice. This is highly unlikely.

It would be like saying "Your chest pain is from your suntan."

Very interesting John. I have been very open around this community about battling what sounds like the identical type of chest feeling. "My heart felt stressed" is a great description for what I have felt. For me, it comes and goes, and is often more pronounced between meals, even hours after eating. Also, I have noticed that the feeling is completely absent after a good weight lifting session and I'm not sure what to make of that. We should keep in touch somewhow incase on of us discovers something and wants to share it with the other.

-Jack Kronk

I'm a wife of a patient of Dr.Davis, also on 8000 VD/day.  I, too, notice every so often a definite heart beat.  At one of those times I was just slightly dizzy.  It's of a nature that I definitely notice it.  It comes and goes, with no particular rhythm and I can't relate it to anything I'm doing...except I'm thinking maybe stress?  I'm in very good physical health.  I don't think there is really anything wrong with me and no new stressors.   I find it puzzling.

Hi, Jack--

This leads to an off-topic idea, but I have been using the HeartMath program for such emotional/ stress effects with good--no, great--results.

Do you believe this program could be potentially helpful in my case? What does it entail and how might I find out more info about it?

Thanks Doc.

-JK

Sorry, Jack, hard to say without knowing more. But, speaking generally, I can tell you that the information we provide here and in the Track Your Plaque program, in my view, makes conventional heart health and nutrition advice look like kindergarten play time.

Two more people with zero Lp(a) today alone!

On November 16 or 17, 2011, there was an article on msnbc.msn which warned that too much vitamin D has been found to cause atrial fibrillation, a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm.  Doctors found that this side effect occurred typically in people whose blood levels of vitamin D had reached more than 100 ng/dl.  It is hoped, they said, that the atrial fibrillation is reversable once the vitamin D is stopped and the blood level of the vitamin declines.

Doc Davis, I had an NMR lipid profile in February of 2012. my scores were fair, however, did not get LP(a) score? thought this test provided ldl sub-classes. did i mis-read the test? should i get the VAP test next? my scores were: ldl-p count, 1130, small ldl-p 101, hdl-c 75, trigs., 35, ldl size 21.7, TC 209. i am 7 years out from 5x by-pass, 3 failed, 2 minor MI, one stent. i am a  56 year  old male, never any weight issues(160#). my current doctors think my cholesterol is too high. i am on a small dose of crestor (10mg). any thoughts.

Lp(a) is a separate test, it is not part of NMR.

Yes, Lp(a) must be specified on NMR.

On VAP, it is part of the standard panel.

Hi Doc, You say a lot about what ISN'T that great for us but where's the stuff that DOES pass the tests? What are the best cereals out there?

Exactly.  It seems my choices are so limited, as I stroll down the isle at the grocery store and every single packaged food is bad for me.  I eat plenty of fruit, but my body needs bread and I need something convinient when I am not able to cook and need food fast.

My problem with Volek's study is that it's analogous to putting someone on a LC diet and then doing a GTT.

They kept people on a low-fat high-carb diet and put others on a high-fat, low-carb diet and then did a lipid tolerance test.

In both cases, your response to the nutrient (carbs in GTT and fat in lipid test) will be impaired because you stop producing enzymes you don't need.

The people on the low-fat diet didn't tolerate fat as well as people who had been on a high-fat diet when suddenly challenged with a tremendous amount of fat.

What I'd want to know would be the lipid responses *during* the 6 weeks on the two diets.

What his results show me is that eating a high-fat diet makes your body adapt to burning fats. This is what I would expect.

While these results are interesting, I wonder how relevant they are in a real life setting. The fat load that generated these results was 123 grams, which would be like eating 1.3 sticks of butter in a single meal, or like sitting down and drinking nearly 3 cups of heavy whipping cream all at once. Who does that?

Dr. Davis, I know you are encouraging 3 hour postprandial TG checks in the TYP program via CardioChek. Are you seeing these types of postprandial results (viz. results similar to Volek's) following meals with less exaggerated (i.e. normal) fat intake?

Here is prospective study done in Sweden with a follow up period of 12 years that shows a higher consumption of dairy fat like butter and cream is associated with a 45% reduction in risk for heart disease. "Nothing in biology must make sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/10/2626/pdf

After eating low-carb for over a year, my post-prandial triglycerides never go above 100.

I do agree with Gretchen on the adaptation process.  I shudder to think what an OGTT test would show.  Maybe some day, I'll drop $70 to find out if I can get someone to take me.  I'll be in no shape to drive after consuming that much sugar.

I agree Gretchen. There can be a long adaptation period. Dr. Davis's patients are blessed to have him as their doctor, but I suspect he can't quite kick the lipid hypothesis!

At least for me, I think Dr Ron Rosedale's diet is best.  Low carb, protein at 50 to 70 gms. No grain, mostly no dairy.  He says if you want to lose weight you need to avoid saturated fat because saturated fat keeps you insulin and leptin resistant.   Unless you drink olive oil, the diet winds up being low calorie.
Hmmmm.  Maybe that is the answer.

I have to wonder what the mechanism is for high triglycerides causing heart disease? High triglycerides in a high carb diet usually means high insulin, high glucose vs fat metabolism,and low hdl. Aren't high triglycerides in a low carb diet a slightly different picture?

Right or wrong, I admire your willingness to go against the tide (any tide) for what you see as right.

Absolutely!  What amazes me is, in spite of their adaptation to a high fat low carb metabolism, the patients still saw their OGTT triglyceride results improve over time!  This is my experience too.

There is no doubts, on a high animal fat diet or on a high fat diet of any kind, our tolerance to glucose is indeed reduced.  50g in one does is OK for me (I weigh ~65kg) but 100g in one go as sugar would still be too much and would make me feel sick (but the same amount of carbs in vegetables spread over a day would be ok).

It took a good few years to improve my tolerance.  Right after (2 weeks after) I went on a high animal fat LC nutrition (in 1999) I could not tolerate even a 50g of sugar in one shot! Even one bottle of beer (~20g of carbs) would make me feel stomach sick + give me a headache.   It took me more than 2 years to reach this tolerance to carbs, and I even noticed some steady improvement from year 2 to year 7 into this.

It is indeed totally illogical, although unsurprising given the present standards of medical science, to use big glucose shots to assert patients response under  predominantly ketogenic metabolism.

It is a curious lack of curiosity on behalf of the mainstream medicine that no nutrition research group seem interested in studying the exact effects (all beneficial for me), vitamin and nutrient requirements (very different!) and adaptation issues on the high fat low carb diets.

Stan

The last few posts have generated quite a few comments!!!


Anonymous said...
"The last sentence made me cry."


Alfred E. said...
"This is becoming more confusing by the minute. First, no carbs, only fats and protein. Now, no butter, no dairy, no, carbs, just a few drops of fat and protein. I am going to cry, like the previous poster."


Dana Law said...
"I've learned a lot but need some direct guidance. I find that making daily decisions on what to eat difficult. I want to eat healthy and have some variety. Here's the question. What do you eat? What did you have for breakfast this morning? What did you eat last night? What do you keep in the fridge and on the counter to make following your dictates easier. I don't want to over-think it but all this information is overwhelming."


Helen said...
"Again, with so many cautions of what not to eat, I'd love to see a Dr. Davis-approved diet plan. If I were just following all the Don'ts, I'd go crazy (and hungry)."


The bottom line is that Jimmy Moore, William Davis, Matt Stone, Kurt Harris, Stephan Guyenet, Don Matesz, Art Ayers, Billy E., B.G., T., Mark Sisson, Richard Nikoley, Michael Eades, Matt Metzger, Peter, Arthur De Vany, Chris, Ryan Koch, Chris Masterjohn, Jenny Ruhl, Richard Bernstein, Fred Hahn, Jonny Bowden, Larry McCleary, Mary Vernon, Dave Dixon, Mike O'Donnell, Scott Kustes, Gary Taubes, Rob Wolf, Seth Roberts, Loren Cordain, Sally Fallon, Mary Egin, Keith Thomas, Tom Naughton, PaleoDoc, Nora Gedgaudes, Barry Groves, John Briffa, Laura Dobson, Dana Carpender, Keith Norris, Rusty Moore, Doug McGuff, Martin Berkhan, Bryce Lane, Erwen Le Corre, Dan, Drew Baye, Uffe Ravnskov, Eric Westman, Lierre Keith, Brian Peskin, Steve Parker, Jeff Volek, Stephen Phinney, Diana Schwarzbien, Barry Sears, Nina Planck, Lyle McDonald, T.S. Wiley, James Carlson, Steven Gundry, Keith Berkowitz, Richard Feinmann, Jan Kwasniewski, Konstantin Monastyrsky, etc., etc., etc. cannot come to a cohesive way of eating that is workable for everyone. My guess is there are not two of these people whose diet is identical!!

Is it any wonder we are confused? Many folks are looking to emulate the diets of others - a method that will never provide personal optimal health.

Take the time to watch/listen to the following lecture by Dr. Bruce German from UC Davis. It will help to explain why we have this conundrum.

http://www.researchchannel.org/prog/displayevent.aspx?rID=29854&fID=567

Then read the writings of a Venetian gentleman who lived to be almost 100 yars of age (Born 1467 - Died 1566).

http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020105cornaro.html


Both of these together put nutrition and health in perspective for me.

Tom

Dr. Davis, please comment on the study released today by the Harvard medical School.  How does one avoid saturated fats and still get proteins if he is a low carber??   http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8580899.stm  Thanks!

Hi, David--

Studies are meant to make observations. That is the reason for the unnatural intake of fats.

People on the Track Your Plaque Diet approach rarely show such high levels because they've reduced or eliminated the foods that form the basis for high postprandial responses (wheat, cornstarch, and sugars) and do not indulge in high fat intakes that cause near-term surges of postprandial particles.

Hi, Gretchen--

I agree, but I believe that the observations are still relevant. It shows us that postprandial responses are sensitive to carbohydrate intake over time. It also shows us that average people have substantial surges postprandially with fat challenges on an average American diet.

While I advocate carbodrate restriction and weighing diet more heavily in fats and oils, you can see that the emerging conversation is that unlimited quantities of oils, low-carb or no, have the potential to generate extravagant postprandial responses.

I tested my postprandial triglycerides after having been on a LC diet for about 11 years and wheat-free even longer (because I discovered that it was wheat that was giving me acid reflux). With about 50 g of fat, the TGs went very high, over 400.

Someone else said his rarely went over 100 after only a year on a LC diet.

The author of "Life Without Bread" presented a graph showing that younger people reduced cholesterol on a LC diet but older people didn't.

We may all react slightly differently to different diets (as well as interpreting them differently, as someone else has pointed out; you can be on a LC diet that includes mostly LC junk food or a LC diet that includes a lot of greens and lean meat).

I have type 2 diabetes, and some people think that metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes is basically a disease of disturbed lipid metabolism.

So what worries me is that people with insulin resistance, who may not respond the same way as people without IR, are taking LC advice to eat a lot of fat that is based on the experiences of people without IR.

Here's an article that addresses this issue:

http://www.lipidworld.com/content/4/1/21

This is why some time ago I felt the "GO Diet" by Jack Goldberg and Karen O'Mara, which is LC but emphasizes monounsaturated fat, yogurt, and fiber, was the best solution and helped them rewrite it as "The Four Corners Diet."

Apparently very few people agreed with me, and the book bombed.

I still think LC with restrained fat intake, meaning restrained calorie intake, and real foods along with reasonable exercise is the best solution on the basis of today's evidence.

@Tom (anonymous)

Although there are many voices and styles of presentation, I can state, through frequent communication with them, that my approach at PaNu is a tent that fully covers the diets of Eades, Dr. Stephan, Peter at Hyperlipid, Sisson, Nikoley, and although I do not correspond with them, Bernstein and Groves. There is also significant overlap with the Weston A Price Foundation and even Matt Stone.

If you look for a common element in all of our approaches, and indeed the crux move in choosing a healthy alternative to the SAD, it is actually nothing to do with paleo so much as the simple and total rejection of Ancel Keys and the multiple versions of the lipid hypothesis he spawned 50 years ago.

This then allows the realization that humans are evolved to eat substantial calories from animal products, including animal fats, and further including (on purpose, and without limitation or fear) SATURATED FAT.

All versions of the lpid hypothesis have in common the belief that somehow, somewhere, there is a molecule that is fat, tastes like fat, is  kind of like fat, is associated with fat, or reminds us of fat, and that molecule is perversely designed to give us atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Start to view all these dietary approaches through the filter of whether they reject the lipid hypothesis instead of "low carb" or "paleo" and the dividing line will start to look much much brighter.

So for someone that works out a lot and is suppost to gte something in the 3000-4000 calories per day... what would be the addecuate kind of food to use as high calories source?
I was taking unlimited almonds, but this post makes that look like way too much fats.

@ Dr. Harris,

You obviously did not read/listen to the two links that I provided in my comment.  I happen to believe every word you wrote in your response.   My contention is that personal optimal health and longevity is beyond the simplicity of following 12 simple steps (though I do think they are a huge step in the right direction).  Health is determined at the molecular level based upon an individuals genetics as affected by many factors, particularly, stress. Please Google nutrigenomics, epigenetics and metabolomics.

My apologies to Dr. Davis.

(I may have inadvertantly sent a another version of this comment previously.)

Tom

Isn't this just normal for a well adjusted human? I mean TGs are how fuel (free fatty acids) is transported through the blood from its sources (liver and fat cells) to the places where it is needed i.e. everywhere else.

@ Pythonic Avocado

Yup, eating fat raises TG levels temporarily.  I consume a high-fat diet with lots of nuts, and, based on results from a TG meter, do not see extraordinarily high TG levels (starting from a fasting level near 70).  I also spread meals out during the day, thereby reducing both BG and TG spikes.

The only time I saw a high TG spike was after consuming 2 raw egg yolks!  This influenced how I approach eggs (always cooked, one at a time, mixed with other foods).

btw, if you consume too much fat in one meal, a lot of the fat will end up in your stools, since there is a limit to the lipase that your pancreas can generate on short notice.  Another complication when trying to compare diets.

In other words, low-carb improves postprandial responses substantially--but postprandial phenomena still occur. Postprandial triglycerides of 88 mg/dl or greater are associated with greater heart attack risk because they signify the presence of greater quantities of atherogenic (plaque-causing) postprandial lipoproteins.

As LDL-c is produced by the liver (I don't know where Lp(a) is produced but I'd hazard a guess that it's the liver), could the secret lie in the liver?

See Cirrhosis and corn oil.

Has the effect of beef fat & MCT's on small LDL-c percentage & Lp(a) been investigated?

Dr. Davis,

Could some of the non-response be be caused by underlying food sensitivities (other than wheat), without acute allergic reactions, that contribute to underlying chronic inflammation?  I.e., a gluten like effect but specific to another food in their diet.

-David

Hello Dr.

I have read elsewhere (LA Vida Low Carb, Free the Animal, Hyperlipid)that saturated animal fat intake can positively impact LPa and LDL particle size.  Particularly that of pastured-grass fed animals.  

I am not 100% familiar with your program or dietary recommendations, but it might be worth investigating.

Hi, Nigel--

To my knowledge, not beef fat specifically but various fatty acid fractions, such as stearic acid, and percent fat intake have been examined; MCTs I believe have not been investigated.

However, the effects of adding fats to the existing strategies in the Track Your Plaque program tend to be small, since the diet is not fat restricted.

Hi, David--

Don't know for certain.

However, these are generally slender, athletic types with no bowel symptoms, arthritis, etc. So I suspect an allergic theme does not tie them together.

Consider an epigenetic effect as a possible cause for the resistant patients' failure to respond.

Anon--

Please elaborate.

If the idea is to reduce plaque...

http://www.lef.org/LEFCMS/aspx/PrintVersionMagic.aspx?CmsID=115645

After one year, the group receiving the drugs, but not pomegranate showed a significant 9% increase in intima-media thickness. In contrast, the group receiving the pomegranate plus drugs showed a reduction in carotid intima-media thickness as follows:

After three months: 13%

After six months: 22%

After nine months: 26%

After one year: 35%

Carotid artery blood flow (as measured by end diastolic velocity) improved in the pomegranate plus drugs group as follows:

After three months: 16%

After six months: 20%

After nine months: 31%

After one year: 44%

hmmm, interesting.
Such epigenetic effects have resulted in reducing diabetic moratality during famine times previously. Should be interesting if someone studied similar gene expression for your Lpa problem.

Dr. Davis, I think your diligent quest to reverse heart disease needs to embrace two important additions:

[1] Have your patients seriously reduce inflammation-causing polyunsaturated fats (primarily, any oil with a poly content greater than 10 percent, which means olive oil barely ducks under the bar, but not many other vegetable oils do, including the oft touted as healthy canola oil).

[2] Have them consume more saturated fat, especially coconut oil. In effect, low HDL is a symptom of saturated fat deficiency. A great source of coconut oil is cold-processed virgin coconut oil (should smell like coconuts), and full-fat coconut milk (an excellent base for sauces, and smoothies mixed with frozen berries and whey protein powder).

The main key, IMO, is to reduce processed vegetable oils, a highly inflammatory food ingredient that has a half-life in the body of 2-4 years, so the effects of reduction may take a while to notice.

Dr Davis,
Since hormones have such a profound effect on lipoproteins, could there be a connection between DHT levels and resistance to treatment here?  I recently read that early baldness is a risk factor for heart disease, and that DHT opposes estrogen much more strongly than testosterone.  Since estrogen is so heart protective, is it possible that this would be another avenue of attack?  If a person had high levels of the 5 alpha reductase enzymes, testosterone normalization as a treatment avenue might be neutralized in these cases (I am assuming that all hormones have been optimized in your resistant patients).
I was thinking about this recently as I just came across a patent application for the use of finasteride in heart disease.  You had also mentioned the use of tamoxifen in one of your earlier posts, which would obviously relate here as tomaxifin binds estrogen receptors.

It's so funny that Cheerios has targeted your site for its google ads.

Cheerios® Cereal
Improve Your Heart's Health With Cheerios® Cereal Today
www.Cheerios.com

Dr William Davis said "However, the effects of adding fats to the existing strategies in the Track Your Plaque program tend to be small, since the diet is not fat restricted."

I was thinking more along the lines of substituting MCTs for omega-6 fats rather than adding fats.

I may be wrong but there seems to be an emphasis on treating potentially benign lab values in your post.

What do the heart scan scores show for the patients you mention? Isn't reversing their plaque the ultimate heart-goal of the program? If their plaque is reversing, so what if some lab values aren't perfect?

The interesting question is what happens to the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke when plaque is under control, but small LDL or Lp(a) are not.

Dr Davis,

What about Pauling's old protocol for Lp(a) that involves Vitamin C and Lysine? Is it good?

Andras--

I WISH the Pauling/Rath protocol worked.

We've tried it and I've had a number of patients try it on their own. I have never witnessed any effect whatsoever on Lp(a), though diarrhea is a predictable result (from the high-dose vitamin C).

In January of 09 I started out with LP(a) of 198 nmol/L. After finding Dr Davis and reading his book, I started applying his principles by bumping my Niacin from 1500mg to 2000mg, fish oil dosage of 7200mg to 9600mg combined EPA and DHA, Coq10, flaxseed, oatbran, little to no wheat diet, etc.

However, with Dr Davis suggestions, I also followed the Pauling Therapy of 6g of Vitamin C and L-Lysine along with 2g of l-proline daily. In 3 months my LP(a) went from 198nmol/L to 105nmol/L. In 9 months my LP(a) was down to 45nmol/L, A 77% reduction from January! If you look on Dr Mercola's site, he also states that kind of documented results from the Pauling Therapy.

I give credit to both Dr Davis and Linus Pauling, but most of all my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for answered prayer.

Dr. Davis,

thats interesting. How long did you try?

As I understood him, he didn't recommend vitamin C and L-Lysin in isolation, but together with a Multivitamin, additional vit A, Bs, D, E, K, amino-acids arginine, carnitine, taurine, magnesium,..

I myself started Pauling's protocol against a PAD - and within a half year my walking distance doubled from below a km.

Short before this improvement I also got to experience the 'predictable' result of diarrhea, due to increasing from the usual 6 grams of vit C daily by titrating up to bowel tolerance (which, with 50 grams, proved quite high).

Beside that, I experienced some other unexpected effects:

# a rush on my back I had for a year healed right away
# my seasonal strong hay fever ceased
# a strong chest pain, for which I've been to hospital for one week 3 years ago without any diagnosis or treatment - particularly painful in physical or mental stressful situation - is gone now too.

So already these 'minor' side-effects make me very grateful. Not to talk how glad I am about being able to walk faster than a snail again..
However, in this respect there's still much improvement potential for me.

Therefore, any clarifications - why it could have failed in your case - would be highly appreciated.

Kind regards..

Hi, Kent--

I'm glad it worked for you. Perhaps there are subsets of Lp(a) that respond, as Lp(a) is subject to great individual variation in behavior.

It's also possible that it's the high-dose fish oil. We've seen such delayed responses to high-doses of EPA + DHA that take over a year to develop.

Hi, Anon--

The experiences have been scattered, but all involved only C, lysine, and proline, though everyone here takes fish oil and vitamin D. Many also take magnesium. Most tried for about 6 months.

So it's hardly a systematic study. But any hint of an effect would have been encouraging, but I have yet to see it.

Hi Dr. Davis,

What about exercise-induced hypertension? Do you still find that to be a persistent problem when all other biomarkers are optimal?

Thanks,
David

Also, is there a way to know one has exercise-induced hypertension? Would one get headaches?

Hi, David--

Yes and no. Following all the components of the program will reduce blood pressure. However, some people just don't respond as readily and hypertension with exercise and emotional stress persists. A simple stress test remains the best way to assess this.

Dr. Davis,

I've thought about that concerning the high dose of fish oil. I'm wondering possibly if it's a synergizing effect of all the supplements, including the C, Lysine and Proline.

I also wanted to mention that I split the doses up throughout the day. I've been informed that Vit C and L-Lysine only stay in the system for a short time, therefore, if you take it only once or twice a day, it's not going to have near the effect as splitting it up. I take 2g of the proline, lysine and C in the morning, then take the remaining amounts of C and Lysine throughout the day every 2 hours or so at 1g each, with my last dose at 5:00pm. I try to take my last dose a couple of hours before taking my Niacin, as I've heard the C can sometimes have a negative effect on the Niacin.

My brother has high LP(a) as well, without seeing it go down. He was taking pretty much everything I was, with the exception of proline and only 4-5g of fish oil. And he was only taking the lysine and C twice a day. He has altered it to match more of what I'm doing, so we're anxious to see what his next blood test reveal.

By the way, thanks to applying the principles you laid out in the book and here on your site, my other blood levels have been improved drastically. For that I am extremely greatful!

Dr. Davis,

thanks for your clarification. I appreciate that you remain open to possibly more positive results with Pauling's protocol in the future..


Hi Kent,

what is the negative effect of vit C to Niacin you heard of? I'm aren't aware of any, though I too take the biggest part of vit C separate from meals, during which I use the Niacin.

thanks..

For non-responders doing everything correctly but still holding on to lots of small LDL, what's happening to their heart scan scores?

I was wondering if there were any possibility that small LDL is more associative of heart disease than causative.

Hi Anon..

The negative effects I've heard about Vit C to Niacin are spotty. What I've heard is that there is a possibility of any anti-oxident to diminish some possitive effects of Niacin, such as reducing it's HDL raising ability a bit. I don't know anyone personally that has experienced this, I just try not to the two together if possible.

I try to filter out the "faith" based claims and stick with scientifically backed information.  Niacin improved my very low HDL by 30% but complete elimination of the exercise induced angina I had suffered disappeared for me when I subjected myself to high dose K2 for 6 months.  Nothing I have tried (including wheat elimination) enables me to stay off reasonably high dose statins

Thanks for the reply, Kent. Though my HDL did raise about 18% within one year of 1.5 gram Niacin use, at 33 now it's still much too low.

On your suggestion I'll try to take them more separated, beside raising the dose of Niacin. Which I think is advisable in my case due to Lp(a) anyway (57).

What is the advised upper limit of the daily dose of Niacin at TYP?

Anon..

I really noticed a huge jump in my HDL, when I bumped Niacin from 1.5g to 2g, introduced high intake of fish oil, at least 7200mg to 9600mg, got vitamin D levels up, and alomost eleminated wheat. I went from HDL's of 40's/50's to 86.

I believe the upper limit of Niacin depends on the type, wheter it be immediate, sustained, or slow release. Perhaps Dr. Davis could address that.

We are actively searching for better options for these two problem areas. Given the collective exploration and wisdom that develops from such collaborative efforts as the Track Your Plaque Forum, I am optimistic that we will have better answers for these two stumbling blocks to plaque reversal in the future.

My copy was delivered to my PC Kindle reader first thing this morning. Look forward to reading it. Thanks.
Bill

Congratulations Dr. Davis! I just listened to you on Robb Wolf's podcast and I'll be downloading the Kindle version for my iPad this evening. I hope you have a best seller and I hope it starts a trend toward a healthier country.
Guy

Congratulations...it's so exciting to read all the breakthroughs you are making with heart disease.I bet the drug companies don't like you to much..hahah.  I enjoyed my almond-flour blueberry muffin this morning...no more wheat at our house. We are actually looking forward to our physicals in a few months.
Jana

Congratulations Dr. Davis.  I have you book tucked away in my Kindle and it looks to be very enlightening.  I've also alerted my followers on Twitter.  I have a personal friend who has been off wheat and sugar for years to reverse pretty serious medical problems, so was a believer even before I found your work.  Best of luck with the release!!

Congrats!  Looking forward to reading the book!

Michael:

There is nothing "easy" about open-heart surgery.  I have many friends, relatives, and colleagues (of my own generation) who have had various bypass operations, and to a man (and a few women), when asked if they'd ever have another one, the answer is no. No way, Jose, in fact. Too much pain, too many "complications," too much reduction in "quality of life," etc.  Plus, valve repair or replacement operations (according to the literature) are also rife with similar "complications," e.g., leakage, mechanical malfunction, etc. Nope, I have no desire to become a cyborg.

Now, if I was, say, 25, and not 68, maybe I'd think differently about it. I've already outlived the projected average lifespan for a person born in 1943 (63.95 years). I've had a pretty good life, and I have no desire to live as an incapacitated individual, mostly dependent on others for my care, etc. I'm divorced, and have no children, so no one is dependent on my survival. I also have Alzheimer's in the family tree (three uncles and two aunts).

Plus, Dr. Davis has suggested that vitamin D, for one, may help put off the inevitable for those of us with aortic insufficiency, based on his own clinical experience. It gives me some additional hope that I may be able to fight this off for a few more years, which will give me time to arrange my affairs, etc. And serving as an n=1 experiment, and then seeing what happens, may be helpful to others facing the same decision.

You said that "no amount of exercise or supplementation and nutrition will correct your current situation." Perhaps you're right, but how do you know that with any degree of certainty? Maybe it won't "correct" the situation, but maybe it will postpone the inevitable? Dr. Davis suggests that it just might do that. And getting  another 5-10 years would be a satisfactory resolution, at least it would for me. Provided I was generally healthy and independent for that entire time, and was physically able to continue the exercise, etc.

So I hope Dr. Davis will add some additional insight regarding my situation.

Joe

PS: Apparently there is only one live thread at a time here.  I wanted to reply to Michael Goroncy in the Bad Fat-Good Fat thread, but this is the only thread that will accept it. I keep getting "500" errors otherwise.

PPS: I received my copy of the "Wheat Belly" book yesterday.  It's mostly for my brother-in-law, who subsists mostly on cereal, bread, and pasta, and who has a "wheat belly" of growing proportions.  Maybe it'll help him see the light. But I may also learn a few things myself.

Thanks, Joe!

Hi, Jana-

That's okay. I'm not sure I'd like any drug company to be my friend, anyway!

Thank you kindly, Guy!

Hey, uncle Bill! Good to see you here!

Congratulations on the new book and for getting it featured in "Woman's World" cover recently.

Where else to put a new idea on eating and weight control but in a magazine that for years has featured endless weight loss articles?  I think it is a great move to get exposure there.

I'll be ordering my book soon, but will be gone for a week long bicycle camping trip as part of my keep in shape because I am too old to fall out of shape and get back easily. Then, when I rest up, I'll want the book.

I really enjoyed the wheat articles you have posted, and am beginning to feel that my escalating blood glucose reading are linkable to the previous day's carb and wheat content.  However, there is so much variability in the function of my home blood glucose monitors that I can't yet be sure of such associations being real, yet.

Bought the Woman's World yesterday. Read it in the pm today. And I Nook-ed WHEAT BELLY about 10 mins ago. Gonna read it after supper.

Thanks, Doc!

I also asked this question in the Vit D post from a few days ago.

I began experiencing tightness and soreness in my hips and lower back this year. Have been low carbing for over three years, and, except for a short period of stupidity earlier this year, have not consumed any flour products. My multi-vitamin contains only 500 IU of D3, so I am adding this to my daily supplementing. Should I start slowly, 1000 IU a day for a month, and slowly increase? Is D3 toxic? BTW I am in my late 60′s, and I do exercise 5-6 days a week as well.
I do not hang out in doctors' offices unless it is absolutely totally necessary, so I am choosing not to have any testing done.

Hi, Linda--

The best way to think of vitamin D is as sunlight exposure. However, the vitamin D in your multivitamin is, more than likely, an unabsorbable or poorly absorbed form. It should be taken as gelcap.

I know of no advantage to doing it slowly. Embrace the D!

100% wheat-free, I hope, Princess!

Hi, Dr. Buch--

I am mindful of what Woman's World is, seeing it in the checkout line at the grocery store. Please know that I did not "place" it there; I simply responded to questions posed by the reporter.

I can, with every confidence, assure you that wheat in the diet exerts outsized effects on blood glucose due to the unique configuration of branching of the glucose polymers in the amylopectin A unique to wheat.

In reply to Joe
You are 68 yo....”hope to get another 5-10yrs”
Gosh! Your attitude is negative and perhaps a different outlook may be the biggest weapon in your arsenal of 'tricks' that you have at the moment. From what you have said..I can't see why you can't be looking at  20-30 yrs more.
You can run 5k+ 3-4 p/w....I would have to wake up early and hope to get back by sunset to walk 5k.

My heart problems (self inflicted) are a tad different than yours...
MI and CAGB at age 37 (25yrs ago) Pumping on LAD and collaterals currently. Treated with medication and a similar nutrition and supplement list as your own.
Have smoked since 15yo and still do..insane! I know..will make first attempt to quit by years end..simply tired of being breathless and feeling ordinary. Also drink a litre of red wine daily (to take the edge off)
Needless to say am not qualified to be a mentor to anybody (just sharing thoughts and experiences)

Now back to you and your 'faulty parachutes'....
(1) Consult an interventional cardiologist and a holistic cardio man for opinions on surgery (write a list of all your questions beforehand)
(2) Seek other patients that have been in your position to get their feedback (google away)
(3) CHD is a scary disease that draws us into a feeling of doom and if you can cross this barrier...zippidy -do-da.

If certain farmers started growing the "old" type wheat would this eliminate the problems of  "modern" wheat?
Maybe some entrepreneurial farmers could fill this niche market at least as far as flour for home use, then we could eat bread without concern. It's hard to completely give up the all the crunchy stuff. Drinking and smoking is easier to quit  (no joke).

Congratulations, Dr. Davis. Looking forward to reading your book.
BTW, do you know if Europe has switched to the dwarf variety too?

Hi, Stip--

Yes, most farmers in Europe and Asia, big and small, have converted to the semi-dwarf variant. I'm told this by wheat breeding experts, as well as by Dr. Gary Vocke at the USDA, who collects all data relative to wheat worldwide.

Hi, Wayne--

Yes, it can be difficult psychologically for many.

Wheat in all its forms has been a problem for as long as humans have eaten it. We have records suggesting, for instance, that celiac disease was described in 100 AD. The modern forms have made it much, much worse, however.

I believe that a return to the forms of wheat--einkorn, emmer, non-genetically-manipulated "heritage" cultivars of wheat--would be far better, though it would not be perfect since some people will still respond with abnormal immune responses, while others react to the carbohydrates. But it would indeed be somewhat better.

Hi Dr. Davis,
I just read Tom's review over at his 'Fat Head' blog and I'm looking forward to reading the book. Do you have any idea why the Kindle version isn't available in Canada? Hopefully it's just a timing issue and it will be available shortly.

To Michael Gorancy:

No, Michael, my attitude is extremely positive. But I'm also a realist. I just don't have a desire to undergo open-heart surgery, and I never expected to live forever anyway. I'm already past my anticipated expiration date.

I'm sorry to hear about your problems; yes, they seem self-inflicted.  Most of our health problems are. I smoked for about 15 years, early in life, and thankfully quit about 38 years ago. And that you continue to smoke in your condition, well, that seems pretty negative to me. I'm fighting back; you seem to be giving up. But it's definitely your decision to do so, as it is mine.

Another "20-30" years? I don't think so. That would mean I'd be 88-98 years old at death.  Are you serious? As stated before, I have Alzheimer's in my family, and there may not be a worse disease than that. Dropping dead from a sudden heart attack or heart failure (say, while out jogging) versus perhaps decades of not even knowing who I am, needing to be confined for my own safety, and a burden to others? That's a no-brainer for me, Michael.

Your points:
1. I've already decided not to have open-heart surgery.
2. Yes, I wish I could find such patients.  But as Dr. Davis has said, it's apparently a rare condition. I can't find anything in the literature or on the Internet that's been any real help in that area.
3. Again, I don't have a feeling of doom. Quite the contrary, in fact. Someone once said that "life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a ride!"  I want to be able to "skid in broadside" when I go, not be forced to lie in a bed in my own feces.

I wish you the best of luck, Michael! But I sure wish you'd stop smoking!

Joe

I suggested to my mother-in-law that she eliminated sugar and flour from her diet.  She is overweight, and has hypertension, IBS, depression, hypothyroidism and fatigue (and, I believe, undiagnosed low cortisol based on an at-home salivary test)- she is a delight for the drug firms.  Without any exercise, she has now lost 23 pounds in about 4 months.  She is a lot better mentally and has more energy.  We will have to wait and see with her other problems pan out.

I have ordered the book from Amazon and looking forward to its arrival. It is hard to argue against bread with its biblical endorsement - your book changes this.

Was 30 pounds overweight and suffered frequent heartburn.  I ate a lot of bread and pasta as I though it was healthy.  WRONG!  After reading Dr. Davis' "Have some more" I gave up wheat entirely and lost 20 pounds of fat in four months (muscle strength has remained constant.)  I eat as Dr. Davis recommends and am never hungry.  Friends have commented that I look quite robust (I am 58.)  No more heartburn to boot!  I am spreading the word about this great site to whoever will listen.  Thank you very much!

Hello and gratz on the book.

I heard your interview on Robb Wolf's podcast. A fantastic show i must say and extremely interesting with all these stories of what wheat can do.

My son who is 1½ years old has been suffering from som nasty wounds in his head for the last 6 months.
The doctors have given the diagnosis Ofujis disease. Do you have any knowledge if this disease could be caused by wheat?
I can find nothing on the disease besides it's rare and there seem to be no cure.

Keep up the good work,

best regards
Your knew danish fan

Got the book yesterday from Amazon and already a few chapters into it. Congrats, Dr. Davis!

Left it on the dining table for friends and family to read. People have read parts of it (my plan is working!) and the verdict: it's scary. They should be scared.

Dr. Davis any comments on the CNN show last weekend with Dr. Gupta called 'Last Heart Attack'? There was an awful lot of disturbing talk about eating healthy whole grains and avoiding meats and oils. At least they talked a lot about calcium scans and interviewed Dr. Agatston. Wish they'd interviewed you instead of Ornish. Too bad.

I would also enjoy reading your opinion regarding "The Last Heart Attack". It has been discussed on other blogs as well. Many of us feel that our former president looks awful. Not at all healthy or robust. He's been taking the advice of Ornish for quite awhile and has had heart problems at the same time. Perhaps he needs a new physician!

I got my copy in the mail and read the first section before looking at the rest of the mail.  Following your advice from just this blog I've lost 70 lbs, raised my hdl and got my triglycerides to 80 and lowered my total cholesterol. I don't think any words are enough to say how thankful I am for your advice.  You're not only helping people lose weight and feel better, you're extending their lives.

I've been waiting for a post to comment on and this seemed like a good one...

Hi Michael G.,
Smoking generates myelo-peroxidase enzymes that oxidize the Apo A1 lipo-protein and then the ApoA1 component of HDL doesn't function well ... maybe you know this already.

Good work.

The book is turning up all over the place.

http://suzanneloomscreativity.blogspot.com/2011/09/roaming-ancestors-standing-still.html

Nina

Congrats Dr. Davis on the new book!  Look forward to learning more about the problems wheat can cause the body.

Dr. Davis,
I just posted a review of Wheat Belly on my blog ( see below).  I think the release of Wheat Belly will be a watershed event.  With the increased focus that has occurred recently on low carb diets and now this, the indictment of wheat as the primary culprit, I think many Americans will finally see a way out of this health nightmare.

http://cravingsugar.net/wheat-belly-book-review-william-davis-gluten-intolerance-diet.php

As I read your book I kept on running across the thoughts that "that happened to me" or "so that's what happened to one of my friends".  I think many will get the same reactions.

Congratulations on publishing such an important book!
...Joe...

+1.  As someone thats new to the paleo/primal diet and a young heart attack survivor I'm very concerned and confused after watching this.

This was meant to be in response to "The Last Heart Attack" comment above.

RE: The Last Heart Attack, my suspicion is that any diet that gets people off of factory produced food is a giant step in the right direction, whether it's Dr. Davis's, or Ornish's, or Esselstyn's or Agaston's.  These doctors all blame different foods, but they all advocate eating natural foods and staying away from processed ones.

Wow, Joe! You wrote a basic primer on the Wheat Belly project!

Very nice. And thanks!

Thanks, soul! Stay tuned. On both The Heart Scan Blog and the Wheat Belly Blog, I will continue to chronicle the growing wheat-free experience, as well as better ways to enjoy diet while remaining 100% wheat-free!

Hi, Nina--

That's great . . . provided I don't receive any unmarked packages with a ticking sound!

Thank you, Tom, for sharing your experience. Simply telling your story will catch the attention of a few more people, who will then return and post their experiences, which will then . . . and that's how you and I build this grassroots effort to buck the nonsensical "cut the fat and eat more healthy whole grains" nonsense that passes for dietary advice today.

Hi, Vin--Thank you!

What I told Linda a few comments above applies here as well. The world has been misled by the faulty logic: If something bad (white processed flour) is replaced by something less bad (whole grains), then more of the less bad thing is great. This is faulty, and potentially fatal, logic, but the basis for the entire nationwide advice to "cut your fat and eat more healthy whole grains." Gupta fell for it, hook, line and sinker.

Hi, Linda--

I admire Gupta's intentions. But he fell for the same nonsense that passes for conventional advice in health and heart disease prevention.

In particular, the world has been misled by the faulty logic: If something bad (white processed flour) is replaced by something less bad (whole grains), then more of the less bad thing is great. This is faulty, and potentially fatal, logic, but the basis for the entire nationwide advice to "cut your fat and eat more healthy whole grains."

I obviously don't have access to Mr. Clinton's health records, but he has every sign of being a small LDL particle kind of guy. He might also have Lp(a). I'd be surprised if either of these have been identified.

Interestingly, while I admire much of Arthur Agatston's work, he has stated publicly that coronary calcium cannot be reduced. Anyone following these discussions knows that this is not true: coronary calcium can be reduced, even to extreme degrees. But the solution does not involve cutting fat, whole grains, and does not necessarily involve statin drugs.

Thank you, Jesper. Sorry, I know of no association of wheat consumption and your son's condition. However, I have to say that the reach of wheat into multiple health conditions even continues to surprise me.

I wish the best for your son.

Thanks, Dave! And thank you for coming back to share your experience.

It's stories like yours that build the experience. Please continue to come back and report your progress!

Hi, Paul--

Congratulations to your mother-in-law!

In Wheat Belly, you will learn that the wheat of the Bible is different from the stuff being passed off to us today--it's completely different.

Hi, Mike--

Sorry, no idea. I can't imagine that will continue.

Did you notice Bill Clinton's odd red face? While it could be that he simply drinks too much, I've seen this rash in many, many people who have odd responses to wheat; accordingly, the rash goes away with wheat elimination. Interesting. I suspect Clinton has a wheat addiction, since programs like that advocated by Ornish cultivate this sort of thing.

Hi Dr. Davis. I'm reading "Wheat Belly", and one thing that really jumped out at me were the studies about reduction of intake of wheat-based foods from naloxone administration. Did these studies have any control to measure the amount of appetite reduction for non-wheat foods? Thanks.

Hi, Dave--
The researchers didn't look specifically at wheat foods, but made statements like "the reduction in unhealthy fatty and sugar foods like cakes, cupcakes, and pie were reduced." So there was a bit of extrapolation on my part, but the final message, I thought, was pretty clear even though the investigators with their pre-existing dietary biases did not see it.

Yes, Peter. I agree.

An argument could be made for this approach in some genetic types, e.g., apo E4. Note also that neither of these docs are cardiologists and have probably treated as many heart attacks or dealt with real heart disease as the kid working at Home Depot.

We should learn from them what lessons might be useful for people outside of the exceptional apo E4. It was the Ornish diet that, 20 years ago, made me gain 30 lbs, pushed my HDL to 27 mg/dl, increased my triglycerides to 350 mg/dl, and made me diabetic. Going off their diet and eliminating all wheat and sugars corrected everything, including no more diabetes. Having seen a similar scenario play out many, many times, these guys are, in my view, flogging a dead horse. The horse ran a good race while it was alive, but now it's dead.

Dr Davis, you seem to have nailed it in my opinion.  Still trying to get my wife on board.  It was that (Ornish) diet that gave me a heart attack two years ago (34 yo and 155 lbs).  HDL was 16!  TC 115!  I just very recently found the whole Paleo, or eat fats, not grains, diet and I really hope this works for me.  I am very very confident it will.

Right. And presumably they were looking at binge eaters, and I suspect most people don't have a problem binging on foods which don't contain wheat and/or refined sugar.

Just as an FYI, from my Canadian IP, going to the Kindle version of the page ( http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Weight-Health-ebook/dp/B00571F26Y ), it says "This title is _not available_ for customers from Canada". The 'not available' links to the following explanation: "Due to copyright restrictions, certain Kindle Titles are not available everywhere...". So it appears to be something to do with the publisher.

Dr. Davis,

I heard your interview on Robb Wolf's podcast and I'm eager to read your book after your very convincing appearance! As a Cardiothoracic Surgeon (in Norway), I've put my head on the block by both publicly and on my blog recommending people to take grains out of the diet. Imagine my disappointment when I found that I can't buy the e-book because I'm situated in Norway! Is there any way I can get around "the ban of Europe"?

Best regards,

tg

I'm looking forward to reading the new book. I'm going to download it to Kindle as soon as I finish The Art and Science of Low-Carb Living. Based on what I've read on you blog in the past, I'm sure I will be recommending it to our RDs and Personal Trainers at Life Time Fitness.

Thanks, Tom!

Dr. Geisner--

I saw your question over on the Wheat Belly Blog. I will need to check into what is going on.

Thanks for asking!

Looks like a great book. It's startling to know--for a beginner like me how twisted the food production process has become from the books and documentaries i've seen since i've converted to eating healthy.

Perhaps William Davis is correct in the claims he makes in Wheat Belly. And perhaps not. Time will tell. Many have made nutritional proclamations about a number of things, including the “fact” that eggs should be avoided, or that red meat can and will certainly cause heart disease, or that we must stay away from anything white, including flour, milk, and yogurt. And now the claim is that wheat is an opiate that must be eschewed at all costs.
Has wheat been genetically engineered—with deleterious effects—for mass production? Probably. But what hasn’t been? Davis recommends eating salmon…is that wild caught or farm raised? Even if advertised as wild caught, how do we know this? There has been some unresolved controversy over mislabeling, and serious concerns over mercury and PCB content in some salmon. Eggs are recommended by Davis— “not in the once a week” style as we’ve been taught—but as often as one’s body tells one to eat them. But what kind of chickens produce these eggs and what are they eating? How do we know? The same holds true for the other recommended items on the Davis diet. Even if all of the “cage-free, grass-fed, wild-caught, organic, super organic, sustainable, pesticide-free” goods were accessible and affordable to the average American (a separate topic, of course), there are all sorts of issues about authenticity—some of which probably won’t surface for years. It’s not necessarily possible for us to each have a plot of land with our own chickens, cows, pigs, vegetable gardens, and spring water.
Among other issues, there are two things that are especially troubling about Davis’s work. One is the polemical tone that allows for nothing less than everyone going off of every form of wheat--and not having wheat in any quantity ever again (unless one wants to face uncomfortable and even dire side effects). Regardless of family history, exercise, indigenous foods, cultural background, etc., the message is the same for everyone. The second troubling feature is that those who write positive reviews on Davis’s blogs are often commended by him, while those who write in to say that perhaps his stance is a little extreme are not even addressed (and perhaps not included?). “Pascal” from Davis’s blog on oatmeal, for example, writes in to say that his glucose level after eating a regular serving of oatmeal is nowhere near what Davis prophesied that it would be—and says that his is not an isolated case. There was no response to this.
Walter Willett, MD, and Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard Public Health Department, argues that it’s not at the starting line that we determine whether or not a particular diet is effective. It is not over the course of three or six months, or even a year or two. All the “before” and “after” pictures in the world don’t really matter if five or ten years down the line, the individuals in question have gone back to their “before” weight and numbers—or worse. What counts is that which can be sustained over a lifetime…and this takes time and resources to chart and scientifically assess. (As a sidebar, Willett promotes certain types and quantities of whole grains, in conjunction with a number of other food types, as well as exercise).
Time will tell whether or not Davis’s work is the best thing since sliced bread—or not.

If you're going to go on like that, I think it would be best to leave a name or identifier. Nothing like throwing rocks and then running.

One issue: There is absolutely no question that wheat has changed genetically. Ask any agricultural geneticist. This is not concealed; in fact, it is openly talked about, even proudly. The incredible thing is that it is not seen as the cause of multiple health problems.

And I have to pick my battles. Some are simply not worth fighting.

Please forgive me if my response seemed too strong. As I say, you may be right about everything in your book; you certainly make some fine points and have given people good things to think about. My point was simply that some claims in Wheat Belly may need to be mitigated or adjusted over time—and that there are medical professionals, researchers, and scientists with varying opinions on the topics you present.  Hopefully that is a good thing in that it encourages further thought and study in an ever-changing field. Your diet may work perfectly for some people, and that is great. For others, perhaps your recommendations work in modified form. And for yet others, maybe another nutritional plan works best. Hopefully that’s okay. Thank you for taking the time to respond, and for helping people to consider such an important topic. And thank you for helping me to think carefully about some new ideas.

Ah, THAT anon.

Please keep in mind that it is a book. It is not a round table discussion.

From where I view the world, wheat looks to me like the biggest nutritional blunder ever committed on a large scale. Removal of it yields some of the most incredible weight and health turnarounds I have ever seen. It doesn't have to work for everybody and it's okay with me if this makes some people angry. My concern is that people need to hear the side of the argument that few are talking about . . . while being inundated with proclamation of the benefits of "healthy whole grains."

I just bought your book today.  I'm only about a quarter-way through it, and it's excellent so far.  Intriguing, and very well written.  

I'm full blooded Mexican born and raised in the US on a pretty typical American diet.  Rice and beans were staples in my house, but we favored bread and flour tortillas over corn tortillas like good Americans.  Everyone in my family has struggled to varying degrees with weight.  I'm by far the thinnest because I've worked very hard to stay fit and trim.  I work out about 4-5 times a week, lifting and doing cardio.  I can't eat like most other guys who seem to be able to consume 50% more than I do, workout less, and look just as good or even better.  When I was younger I thought maybe Mexicans were just prone to more pudge around the middle.  Even at my thinnest, fittest, and buffest I still maintain some semblance of a belly.  It's frustrating.

When I was 15 I traveled to Mexico for the first time to visit extended family.  I wasn't in as good of shape then as I am now (at 35), and had more belly fat.  A very curious thing happened on that trip:  In spite of eating copious amounts of my grandmother's delicious food for a solid month - 3 hearty meals a day including "cena", the last Mexican meal of the day which happens right before bed - I shed pounds.  To my American friends this seemed implausible.  "But Mexican food is soooo fattening!"  "Eating right before bed?  That's the worst!"  "All that cheese?"  etc.  Still I lost weight without any physical effort, and while eating way more than I did as a self-conscious teenager back in the States.  

I've since traveled to Mexico more times than I can count, and every single time without fail, I eat more and lose weight, noting the difference especially in my belly.  Chilaquiles (fried strips of corn tortilla with cheese), chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers with cheese), tamales made with lard (yes, lard), etc.  Doesn't matter.  Pounds come off without additional exercise, indeed without the exercise I'm used to in the States.  It dawned on me one day that maybe there's something about the American diet and our processed food that makes it so challenging for me to stave off gut flab.

I just spent a month there this summer, and this time I did do a little exercise (push ups and sit ups in my hotel 3 times a week and running on the beach just a few times - far less than I do at home), but I certainly didn't skimp on food.  By the end of my trip, my stomach was the flattest it's ever been in my life, finally exposing those two elusive cans on my lower abdomen to reveal my six pack.

A couple of weeks after my return to the States, I was back to my four pack in spite of eating much less and ostensibly healthier food, and working my ass off at the gym.

All this to say, maybe it's the wheat.  (You nod.)  When I'm in Mexico my main source of carbs is corn not wheat.  Could it be that that simple switch is why my belly flattens out when I'm in my ancestral homeland?  I'm going to put it to the test, and will let you know how it goes.  

Hi, Alejandro--

Wonderful observations! You seem to have a gift for connecting cause-effect relationship.

While corn is, by no means, without its own set of concerns, given a choice of corn vs. wheat, I'd pick the corn. Perhaps that's at least part of the reason you experience the weight loss with each trip.

Dear Dr. Davis.  I am really hoping that you will answer this note.  I have read your book and it resonates with me so much.  I am ready to drop the wheat..which is in everything!  Here is my question.  My husband has high blood pressure...he first heard about Dr. Dean Ornish for revrersing heart disease, then Dr. Esselstyn..the two doctors treated President Bill Clinton..my husband is convinced that is the way to get healthy...yet reallyquestion it..because Esselstyn has bread bread and more wheat products for breakfast and tofu...too much of it...and no meat, no dairy no cheese...

My husband wrote an email to Dr. Esselstyn asking about how a person can live with out meat or something that comes from animal protein...he actIually called us at our home.... to talk to my husband about his questions.  I am hoping that you would do that too??? 250-869-1677...or my husbands cell 250-470-0042 ...that would be such a bonus ..even call collect!

I believe in what you say...I was thought to be " a little bit Celiac"...am not actually yet my numbers can show up to 45 when I do the test...anyhow, it is just what you say, how you say, that makes so much sense to me....

What is bothering my husband is to go from no meat, oil, dairy etc allowed to it being allowed in your diet?  can you help us in this?

I just noticed I haven't received any of your blogs this year.  I tried signing up again and it said I was already signed up.  Your blogs aren't in my spam folder either.  Can you get me receiving your blog again please.

my daughter gave up weight several years ago and still does not loose her belly fat....are there other foods that you think could be interacting? she is almost 21.

Drs. Esselstyn and Ornish are doing the public a grave disservice with their fairly absurd approach to diet and health. If you read the many posts on this blog, you can see why.

The Ornish diet that I followed 22 years ago made me diabetic while I was jogging 5 miles a day. It is nonsense.