This is an example of what seems to be developing over at Amazon.com, posted as a “book review”:
The author has no credentials, no credibility, just a small cult of terribly misinformed followers. Don’t be fooled by the high volume screech against wheat and grains. Allegations of “secret ingredients in wheat” to make you eat more, or comparisons to cigerettes. Seriously?! For over 8000 years wheat has sustained and grown human kind, oh and it tastes good when mixed with a little water and yeast. Every nutritionist and serious medical professional will tell you that bread is the most economical and safe source of essential nutrients. In fact, bread is handed out in natural disasters because it sustains life without food safety issues or requiring refrigeration. And now, suddenly it will kill you. Comical! This book is such a bone headed, misinformed way to just scare people into not eating.
As for secret ingredients, humm, apparently the author is ignorant of the food laws that regulate everything that goes into food and on food labels. Unlike some enforcement agencies, the FDA has some serious teeth behind its enforcement. As for frankenwheat, again seriously?! Wheat, due to its ubiquitous presence in the world is treated as sacrosant from any GMO research or development.
If you need real, science based information on healthy eating, check out […] and leave this book and its cult in the compound.
If you recognize the wording and tone, you will readily recognize the footprints of the Wheat Lobby here. “Terribly misinformed followers”? . . . Hmmm. “Food laws”? I didn’t realize that eating more “healthy whole grains” was a . . . law?
Make no mistake: There are people and organizations who have a heavy stake in your continued consumption of the equivalent of 300 loaves of bread per year. There are people and organizations (read: pharmaceutical industry) who have a big stake on the “payoff” of your continued consumption of “healthy whole grains.”
This is not a book review; this is part of a concerted, organized campaign to discredit a message that needs to be heard.
Anybody from the media listening?
I am not sure where to post this question, so I am taking a chance and posting it here. My doctor has prescribed a low fat diet due to a barrage of tests that ended up showing I have a very fatty liver. I am overweight, have high blood pressure, IBS and acid reflux. In all the reading I have done on here, I keep seeing to add fats…healthy ones… to your daily eating. How do I eat these and also stick to a low fat diet to please my doctor? I am 59, female, and really need to try to get healthier.
Thanks, Denise
Sorry, Denise, but it’s not your job to please your doctor. It’s your job to do what’s right for your health.
A low-fat diet CAUSES fatty liver because cutting fat increases carbohydrate intake which, in turn, increases de novo lipogenesis, the conversion of carbohydrates to fats that are deposited in your liver.
Sadly, your doctor is doing more harm than good.
I would like to post your question as a blog post, as others have asked something similar.
Dr Davis:
After I finished Wheat Belly I handed it to my mother, who has diabetes but not celiac. She works out at least an hour a day but hasn’t been able to lose the pretty sizeable tire around her middle. I suggested that she spend a month eating in more Wheat Belly-unfriendly manner, which she agreed to do. I helped her shop and think about her food choices, and even got her to give up her beloved sandwiches and replace them with foods that didn’t require a wheat wrapper.
Within a month she had lost 10 lbs – without dieting. All of her numbers are better, and her doctor told her she would consider reducing her various medications (blood pressure, diabetes etc) if she continues on this path. She hasn’t quit wheat entirely – she still eats some for breakfast, in her cereal (she wouldn’t give it up). But the rest of the day she is wheat free and has cut way back on her grain consumption. She is much more energetic than she used to be and gets less hungry. What a difference it has made for her.
Thanks!
Before I post, I just wanted to list my science credentials. I am a geologist and an archaeologist so I like to think I know something about the scientific method and science in general. I believe that at its core science is the unfaltering search for truth. No scientist should have a stake in the outcome of any research. Our job is to see where the data and evidence leads us. When the scientific community condemns conclusions based on undeniable fact (as is shown above) they become no better than the medieval clerics who condemned Galileo. Dr. Davis keep up the good work and thank you.
Hi, Jennifer–
I’m envious! Geology and archaeology are such fascinating areas. Doing my background work trying to understand the ancient origins of wheat, I found the archaeological literature absolutely fascinating.
Yes, it indeed has been an incredible instance of ignoring data, selective blindness, and false conclusions. And now the Wheat Inquisition!
Because of poor sleep (wheat related?) was up very early and caught Dr Davis on Fox. Checked it out on google, etc., and went out to get last copy at BN. Incredible read, identified with so many things, went wheat-free immediately. Have lost 8 lbs, back problems are SO much better. Am combat wounded Viet Nam Vet, so Dr Davis, I’ve got your back in this battle with “them.” Thank you so much.
I just started eating wheat-free yesterday. I haven’t noticed a huge difference yet of course but what you say makes sense. We have a son who has Celiac Disease but the rest of us (hubby and 2 other children) and came back as not having it. But I’ve been having issues with acid reflux, skin problems, flatulence, irritability, etc and I’m going to give this way of eating a good try to see if any of my issues will resolve. I have had “gut issues” my whole life – when I was a teen I had such bad abdominal pain and went through a battery of tests and ultrasounds only to be told in the end that they couldn’t find anything so it must be stress. I have had flare-ups that do tend to get worse when I am under more stress but I’m just so tired of not feeling well. I am 35 years old and I also have hypothyroidism. In my family, I have a cousin and an uncle who also have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Can’t wait to save up a few dollars to go out and buy your book – in the meantime I am loving your website!
Katrina
Maybe you had false negative tests. Also, like the lady in Dr. Davis’ book who almost had some of her intestines removed, you may never get a positive test.
Hmmmm, anger, baseless accusations, denial…. sounds like *somebody* has an addiction! A WHEAT addiction!!!
Keep on swinging! It’s a good fight when all your opponents can do is whine. Besides, how much of an opponent can they be? They’re frightened and confused by their wheat brains (hey, there’s a good title for the next book).
Great idea, Matt!
Also: wheat butt, wheat face, wheat colon . . . nothing is sacred!
It seems as though he hasn’t read the book, and anyone who brings up the FDA as a credible source for anything needs to have his head examined.
I just got the book in the mail and I’m almost finished with it. (I live in the Netherlands but ordered the book from the US since I didn’t feel like waiting for the UK release date.) The book is so descriptive and well written, and I love the use of metaphors! I’ve been wheat free for over three weeks and I feel so much better. My cravings and mood swings are gone and the rashes on my hands cleared up. The Dutch eat wheat breakfast, lunch and dinner. A lot of them have auto-immune disorders, too. I know several people who have had their intestines cut out. After reading this book I don’t want to go near the stuff! “Wheat Belly” and “Why We Get Fat” are my two fav low carb books. I can’t wait to try the recipes. Many thanks to Dr. Davis!
Who mentioned the FDA? I’m curious about Dr. Davis’ response.
@Land –
The Amazon reviewer we’re discussing wrote:
As for secret ingredients, humm, apparently the author is ignorant of the food laws that regulate everything that goes into food and on food labels. Unlike some enforcement agencies, the FDA has some serious teeth behind its enforcement. As for frankenwheat, again seriously?! Wheat, due to its ubiquitous presence in the world is treated as sacrosant from any GMO research or development.
I am someone who has eaten wheat in my cereal, bread with every meal, cake and doughnuts and pizza as often as I can, etc. etc. for 60 years. I don’t have any health issues, I don’t have any excess weight, and I’m not taking any medications. I came across the MacLeans article recently and was interested enough to come to the blog. I think a valid point in the article, and there were many, was that there is a subset of people who are going to be more impacted by a wheat portion in their diet. There was no suggestion of how big that subset might be. Dr Davis?
I understand that breeding, especially when in a big hurry for profits, can leave a food source like wheat, or corn, or soy etc changed more quickly than people can adapt to the new varieties. I wonder if the seemingly big increase in wheat allergies hasn’t come about because of that kind of plant breeding being used. (ie mutational breeding) On the other hand, one of the comments in the article strikes me as being unproven and that is the idea that the dwarf varieties of wheat might be having an impact when it is my impression that these varieties are primarily used for animal feed.
Is there even a single person out there who can say ‘I’m middle-aged. I see my doctor regularly, have fabulous bloodwork, no problems with weight, take no medications because I have no health problems at all and I eat wheat with every meal, as I have done every day since teething’? Because so far I’ve seen hundreds of people across celiac / low-carb / paleo / primal forums discussing from personal experience the amazing results garnered from going wheat/grain-free. I’ve yet to see any one person sing paeans to gluten gluttony relating to personal health — citing studies and raving about their vegan friends, sure, but no solid first person info with medical history to back it up. Yet we’re the crazy cultists. Go figure.
Wow, Roz. Elegant and eloquent!
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I agree: Sickness in its many forms is simply accepted as a matter of aging. Over 50? Hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis–it’s all just a “normal” part of aging. Funny that this goes away with elimination of wheat.
I have to give my mom credit for the idea. My parents are 68, and in excellent health. My mom had a severe ear and jaw ache, which turned out to be some sort of infection that cleared up with a vitamin B shot, but at the time thought it might be heart related so went the ER. The nurses and most of the doctors who saw her asked the usual ‘what medications do you take? why didn’t you bring your meds with you?’ and didn’t believe her when she said she’s not on any. Talk about age-ism! Or would that be wheat-ism? Both have been gluten-free for almost a decade, with a recent reduction in starch and grain intake that coincided with my pre-diabetes diagnosis in Dec 2010.
I’m afraid I’m not one of life’s great warriors, but I drop little snippets of information into conversations. I teach adults so I meet a lot of people, so if one or two in each class are intrigued to look further then that is a success. I know your book is on order at our library here in Auckland (NZ) and I have recommended it to a few already. There is a waiting list for it so obviously the word has got out.
Great, JJ: Even in New Zealand!
Are you enthusiastic wheat consumers like Americans?
Yep! Big wheat eaters here. Which is probably one reason why New Zealand is in the top five in the world obesity league (depending on which study you read).
Dr. Davis….All I can say about some of the reviews I’ve read, is that they can kiss my wheatless ass!!!!!
which by the way, is 11.5 lbs smaller than it was when I started this journey around August 31st.
There is absolutely no denying that I feel better than I have in YEARS!!!!! I have no stomache distress and bloating which has plagued me forever!!!!! I’ve lost weight, I’m not nearly as exhausted at the end of a 9-10 hour day sitting at a desk as I have been, My nails (finger and toenails) are growing like crazy and are stronger. I even think that I am getting rid of (sorry….this is kinda gross) toenail fungus that I have had off and on for several years. (Have you heard of any reports on this???)
Anyway, I feel awesome, and damn Dr. Davis….I’m starting to look pretty awesome too. Been thinking about sending you some before and after pics like you asked. I was just going thru some pictures of this summer when my son graduated from High School , and the difference in my face now….Unbelievable
I”m a changed woman Dr. Davis and I cant thank you enough. (I’m even working on getting my diabetic mother, and ill sister (with just about everything wrong with her) on the bandwagon. Heading down to Madison for Badger game Saturday and hubby is taking me to Graze restaurant that you reccommended. Cant wait.
Wow, MaryBeth: I’m blushing just reading your comments!
If you are game, I’d love to post your pictures. While the guys have been very forthcoming with their pictures, the ladies have been shy. Break the pattern!
I just love the “wheatless ass”! I’m writing it down in my book of memorable wheat-isms.
Well, at least I know I made you genuinely blush and that it’s not from some wheat related rash. :)
I WILL break the pattern and go thru some pictures and send them. I told you, I’m a changed woman. Besides, I am many, many things, but shy is unfortunately not one of them.! Then hopefully, in a couple of months, I can send another picture that will look even better.
Please let me know how I have to go about sending them.
Hi, MaryBeth–
Excellent!
You can just post them here and I will cut and paste onto appropriate area, e.g., Success Stories.
I’m looking forward to it! Any more ladies willing to show off their results?
I’ll send some in once I can find my camera for some “after” shots. It’s only been 15 lbs though. I’m hoping to see another 10 or so gone by Christmas.
Hi, LXV–
“Only” . . . many people pay good money to achieve something similar!
Keep up the momentum. I’m looking forward to the pictures. I take it you are a Ms. LXV and not a Mr. by your avatar. We need more pictures of the wheat-free ladies!
I’m just starting but I’ll take some before pictures and maybe in a month or two – if and when there’s a big difference – I’ll post the afters :)
I’m assuming my camera or computer is still on wheat withdrawl cause I cant figure out how to upload the pictures to this site. Is there a trick to this?
Its sad, biased and seems to be uneducated on the subject. I haven’t read the book yet but will begin it next week. I have been waiting to start it because I am having ankle surgery tomorrow and wanted a good read. I am gluten intolerant and cant even begin to say how much better I feel off of it. Somedays when on gluten I could barley hold my head up, it made me feel drunk, ears rang etc. I have been off gluten for about a year and am far more alert, mental clarity is better, no acne, no digestion issues, have a ton more energy and a desire to do more. I saw you on Fox News last week and instantly knew I had to read your book especially when you mentioned gluten free breads are just as bad. I cant wait to read it.
Thanks, Mary.
I, too, shudder when I recall how I used to feel. Thankfully, it’s now just a distant and painful memory.
Brandon, I’m sorry if I came across rude. That was not my intention, but I have seen your replies in previous posts and several of us asked you to read Wheat Belly so that the issues you seem to have would be clarified. I think if you actually read the book, the issues you seem to have with what Dr. Davis says would be explained. At that point healthy debate would be a fun and interesting thing and I would look forward to it. See you here soon!
I’m thrilled with this book, Dr. Davis, and so grateful to you for writing it. A few thoughts about the Amazon reviews: Most experienced Amazon shoppers easily spot trolls and ignore them. Thoughtful reviews that agree with the author’s main premises are, of course, good, but I can assure you that the reviews that stimulate sales are the ones that are most personal and specific. (I’m a writer and have many friends in the publishing business who are convinced that great Amazon reviews can sell more books than major newspaper reviews.)
So, I would ask every single person who has posted a positive comment here–particularly one that states pounds lost/health, energy and mood issues resolved — to go post an Amazon review. If you consider this book a gift from Dr Davis, as I do, then give him an appropriate Amazon review as a thank-you.
And, remember: Be specific.
Good point. Done and thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks for your insights, Casey!
I agree: Most people who seek out books are a pretty smart bunch and can separate the wheat from the chaff. (Sorry; couldn’t resist.) Evidence that real thought went into a review counts for a lot. Vitriol that smacks of personal attack for some ulterior motive does indeed smell bad.
There are some awesome reviews on Amazon. A very recent one that I just read moved me to tears. It was written by Alijazz and titled “Read this and save your own life”. An amazing story and one that I’m sure lots of others will relate to as I do.
Hi, Iris–
Yes, I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring of positive comments on Amazon. People are not just reviewing the book; they are also telling their stories, the most powerful feedback I could hope for.
Thanks, Dr. D. for holding your stand, and for keeping us informed of what’s afoot. Amazing what happens when you put “Wheat” in the title, isn’t it? I would laugh at their backlash if it weren’t so important for people to know the truth. I think we should all just buy more books for Christmas presents. . .imagine a world where we could put more money into preventive care because we weren’t, as a nation, sick and tired all the time? Paradise!
Hear, hear, Kathy!
Speaking of Christmas, it reminds me that we are going to need some nice recipes when the holidays roll around. Stuffing, nice side dishes, tasty desserts.
Funny I was just tinking that too about the stuffing for up comming holidays!
Bought the book; read it in 2 days; bought copies for relatives for Christmas. Unbelievable what the big food and pharmaceutical companies want us to believe. I wish my doctor would recognize all of this “wheat” problem. Maybe after my next blood test and weigh-in he will ask how I did it. If it weren’t for Dr Oz I would not have known about my wheat belly. My cookbook will arrive Monday from Amazon. Can’t wait for the recipes. Thank you Dr Davis for the wonderful Christmas and New Year your information has given me (and my husband who also has a beer, oops, wheat belly).
You are now among the wheat enlightened, Areta!
Have a happy and healthy flat-bellied Christmas!
Thank you for everything. Can’t wait to read and use my cookbook Monday.
Let us know how it goes, Areta!
Ah yes to the doubters. Wheat is so wonderful. So wonderful that it’s now Thursday and my digestion is still acting up from my weekend wheat binge. I indulged in wheat based foods in a social setting and have regretted it for days. I used to live with this every day and thought it was normal. Now I see how bad it was.
First THANK YOU for being so brave!!
Before giving up wheat, I knew every single source of bathrooms on my daily journey – need I say more or would that be considered tmi? I had reflux, insomnia, ibs, headaches, candida, bad skin and more. Other less informed doctors wished me to take medication, no mention of changing my diet, I had to find the knowledge to do that and it’s from the good doctors out there like Davis, Kruse, Eades, Atkins (plus Wolff and Sisson) etc etc, that I got this knowledge and cured myself – with no money going to anywhere except whole food providers. Again – THANK YOU, I can’t shout this loud enough.
btw – if there are any doubters out there, just go to any of the low-carb forums and read first hand about similar stories and how normal people have cured themselves, just by changing the way they eat. If asked, these people are only too happy to share their blood-work results with you.
Hi, Judith–
I’m glad you found your answer. Stay strong!
Can’t wait to pick up your book, Dr. Davis. It’s next on my list.
Wheat has been out of my diet for awhile, maybe 2 years now (with the occasional special occasion exception, I literally can’t remember the last time I bought a loaf of bread or a sandwich).
Regardless of my agreement with you on the subject of gluten, frankenwheat, the host of ills that come with constant consumption (and I completely agree with you, 200%), I know that the change in my mindset now includes the fact that I specifically aim NEVER to purchase food from giant corporations. It sickens me that they employ underhanded tactics with a complete disregard to the health of their consumers. We’re not people to them, we’re individual profit units. Food safety is a bigger problem than ever before. Food prices are going up and it’s going right into the pockets of CEOs.
So, from now on it’s small producers for me, as local as possible, even if I occasionally purchase a small bag of flour for my annual Christmas cookies. And I really thank you for simply putting what they’re doing out there for everyone to see.
I forgot to say that i’ve lost 57 pounds so far, eliminating wheat, dairy and sugar. :)
Well I just went to Amazon and wrote my own review. It is fascinating (and predictable) to see the affected industries have their knee-jerk reactions. There is no way to dispute what is in this book. Dr. Davis, you have a lot of guts to even publish it. Because if people catch on to this and actually eliminate wheat from their diets, and there really is a decrease in sales of wheat products, well, i hope you live in a secluded place. The truth is always a frightening thing especially to people who stand to lose millions of dollars. I’m not worried about the wheat industry’s money, just like they weren’t interested in my health when they sold me a loaf of bread that was genetically tampered with and horrible for my health. Thank you Dr. Davis!!
I think it safe to assume that if grassroots movements like Wheat Belly are using social media to drive change professional lobbyists are about 10 steps ahead of us and their agents are ubiquitous. They use search engines to locate potential attacks on the interests they serve then engage in what amounts to sophistry using an arsenal of tactics to discredit those such as Dr. Davis. The initial strategy is to attempt to contain the initial movement by labeling it’s proponents as a minority
group of whacko, uninformed conspirists – ergo, anyone who disagrees with an official position such as ‘grains are good for you’ is labelled as a conspirists implying that the grain industry’s sole interest is our health. After all, the real experts such as nutritions and registered dietitians who possess the real scientific knowledge of human nutritional requirements would never endorse anything that was harmful……..would they?
Dr. Aktins was not the originator of the low carb diet. It was Atkins’ abrasive nature that enabled the food industry to portray low carb eating as bizarre and unnatural by labeling it as the ‘Atkins Diet’.
Everyone has a RIGHT to eat and Avoid whatever they please! I dont understand why someone trys to discredit information if people are finding and getting results. No matter what they choose to eat, they have a choice, and if its working for them, who has the right to discredit anything? This blog is for people whom Dr. Davis’s discovery is making a difference in their lives, no matter how, these people have the choice and this is what they choose! Keep all your great receipes and information coming Ya’all! Thank you Dr. Davis! Stand Tall!
There has been research on carbs and the bad effects on the human body. Gary Taubes (Why We Get Fat) researched this extensively and he shows a direct correlation between when the government started recommending the food pyramid (and what was it 8-11 servings of grains?) and the increase in obesity and typeII diabetes. On both my side and my husband’s side of the family many family members are diabetic or pre-diabetic. My family has embraced the paleo way of eating for our health.
I’ve only recently looked into LCHF because I’m an early 50s female with thyroid issues and I’ve been gaining and losing the same 2 pounds since June, along with possessing a round belly. Monday I started backing off carbs, added more vegetables, more protein….Wednesday stepped on the scale for my weekly weigh-in and lost 2 pounds in a week. I have more energy, i’m not ready to gnaw my arm off 2 hours after a meal….
I’m sold.
Hi, Nancy–
Yes, it is indeed liberating to be freed from the 2-hour cycle of hunger characteristic of any food that triggers insulin and sugar, wheat being king.
We’re in our third week off wheat, and we’ll never go back. We believed the book intuitively, instantly, not because we understood all the deeper science Dr. Davis presented, but because we identified with the conditions and recoveries he discovered and passed along to us. This is the danger to the Wheat Lobby. People like me who TOTALLY BELIEVED in wheat have dropped it like a hot rock, and will never eat it again.
My brother asked me how I was doing with the new “diet.” Diet implies a short-term effort to lose weight, followed by a resumption of whatever got me fat, but with more willpower. I should know, I’ve tried many diets, and resumed what got me fat. But I never once thought about wheat, so it was always on the table. The book cost me roughly twenty pounds of wheat flour. But it will satisfy us for the rest of our lives.
Hi, James–
I like the idea of the book price expressed in “flour equivalents”!
Yes, precisely: This is not so much a diet, but an articulation of a deep, pervasive problem that, ironically, has been encouraged by (dis-) information campaigns like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the so called “gold standard” of nutrition advice.
I convinced my husband to try no wheat just this week — three pounds off already, inflammation is down and he’s sleeping better. Soon, no CPAP?
Hi, Donna–
Irritability, anxiety, even rage are indeed common effects of wheat re-exposure. It is truly weird.
Weight loss, particularly from the oropharynx (throat) can lead to less need, even no need, for CPAP. Let us know how it goes!
My decision to stop consuming wheat has changed my life more than I could have ever imagined. The only pills I take now are multi-vitamins. I no longer take Ambien to help me fall asleep or Protonix for acid reflux or St. Johns Wort for depression. For those who are in disbelief, stop consuming wheat and see how you feel. I view wheat as a poison no different than tobacco. I hope one day that wheat containing products will have a warning label stating the dangers of consuming it. Vive la Revolution!
I couldn’t make it through the day without a nap when I was eating wheat.. My stomach hurt all the time and I was just used to it. Now my twins can focus better and I am finally losing weight. I am soooooooo glad I quit eating wheat. The grain industry can say all they want but nothing is going to get me and my kids to eat wheat again. The results speak for themselves and I haven’t felt better in years! Thank you so much Dr. Davis! I feel like you gave me my life back.
That’s great, Sarah!
My experience was very similar, with cycles of overwhelming sleepiness. Sans wheat, I never get this, even on days when I’m running on just a couple hours of sleep.
Hmmm… Your comment made me realize I haven’t needed a nap for awhile, either. I never noticed that until now! :)
I too hav’nt needed a nap, even if I have the time too, I sit quietly for a bit but then Im up and moving again, able to clean more and sleep thru the night being woke up by my alarm clock thinking omg its morning already (because the last time I was awake was before I fell asleep,…lol) I cant remember the last time before going glutin free that I slept the whole night not awaking up to see what time it is,…
AWESOME!!!!
re: The grain industry can say all they want but …
Apart from sickservings.org, who are now at least no longer ignorant of incipient insight,
I can tell you that the grain industry at large has no idea what’s about to hit them.
I work in this industry (planting equipment), and I lately asked our seed test expert if anything had popped up on his radar regarding wheat, and if his frequent customer requests for oddball seeding rate charts happened to include heirloom grains like einkorn.
The answers were “no” and “what’s einkorn”.
My company will likely see little impact if the wheat market collapses (farmers will just plant something else), but many in the industry are at serious risk.
During BWB (Before Wheat Belly) they could be blissfully ignorant.
During AWB (After Wheat Belly), they face challenging choices, including managing liability.
Eloquently said, Boundless!
And I love the sickservings.org. Priceless!
My comment on that post
Your post: Sep 28, 2011 9:41:07 PM PDT
Sara L. Stein says:
Obvious lobbyist. Nice try. Big Fail. Try some subtlety next time.
Thanks, Dr. Sara!
Yes, I thought they’d be a little smarter and less obvious. Maybe he just had a sandwich and couldn’t think straight!
LOL! Good one, Doc!
Yours is one of the comments I “voted up” at Amazon, Dr. Sara. I also “voted down” the reviewer’s “review.” Soooo transparently biased…
I went in and checked out this guy’s review of other products on Amazon.com. He seems to be an audiophile but reviewed the book “Sugarettes” (in addition to yours). He calls the book quackery and says
“With this type of quackery on the market it is no wonder we have an obesity epidemic in this country. Low glycemic index diets are for severe diabetics. For real information on healthy and balanced lifestyles including moderate physical activity go to http://www.mypyramid.gov.”
I’m now rolling on the floor laughing (that’s ROFL for the youngsters).
Hey, maybe he can do a review of Good Calories, Bad Calories for us, too!
Pretty transparent stuff, eh?
Dr. D, have you noticed the comments in reply to this David Koresh of Medicine’s comment? Doesn’t appear that his comment is very popular.
Hi, PJ–
Yes, I did. I found the “review” quite entertaining! I found the counter-comments very encouraging.
If Suzanne Somers can take the heat, so can you. Intelligent people know how to “follow the money”. Without you and Suzanne, many people would be better off dead.
Pointing at a putative (but completely unevidenced) big pharma conspiracy is farther down the rabbit hole than I’d expect from a nutrition blog.
I disagree. No one here and certainly not Dr. Davis, is claiming that big pharma is engaged in some kind of conspiracy. It really is about following the money and there are always people who want to maintain the status quo and keep the money flowing in their direction! It’s just a fact of life.
From above –
“There are people and organizations (read: pharmaceutical industry) who have a big stake on the “payoff” of your continued consumption of “healthy whole grains.”
I don’t know how anyone could more clearly allege conspiracy. The idea that pharmaceutical companies have a stake in people consuming grains is sheer paranoia, completely unsupported by facts.
If large numbers of people quit eating wheat and their health improves, they will no longer need many of their former medications. Just imagine what would happen to the pharmaceutical industry if meds for cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, IBS, GERD, etc., took a nose dive. To think that they aren’t worried is illogical. That’s not a conspiracy, it’s just common sense.
So, no need for evidence, just tell a just-so story and you’re good to go.
Oh, geez, Brandon! Who are you and what are you doing on this blog if you are going to keep nitpicking and being contrary to everything said here?! I don’t know if you picked up on the tone of this blog, or not, but this is generally a place where people come to share their experiences, not create conflict.
Go to your room, young man!
I am going to play devils advocate here, but Brandon has as much right to question statements as anyone else. The fact he may not agree is immaterial. Chastising him for disputing a statement (rather than refuting it with factual statements) just makes his conspiracy theory claims that much stronger, at least to him. If you cannot (or will not) dispute in this way, then feel free to refrain from commenting.
This blog has so far been more than just “a place where people come to share their experiences.” It is one of the places Dr. Davis has chosen to wage a public battle over this issue. Statements such as “Go to your room, young man!” Do not help that issue. On the contrary, it makes it sound as if there are no factual arguments, just true believers. To a point supporters should invite debate, to get the facts out there. Let the folks at Six Servings and other portals use censorship, blanket statements, and unsupported comments. Stick to the facts and logic, and those arrayed against you have nothing but sophistry to respond with.
Before anyone breaks out their poison e-pen, keep in mind I said I was doing this as the devils advocate. My wife and I have have been wheat (in truth all grain) free for the better part of a years, and our health has fantastic. I am not arguing for Brandon here. Simply pointing out a way of discussing the issues, while maintaining the high ground.
I must be a lobbyist if I have anything critical to say, right? I can’t imagine how you’d justify the statement that people aren’t here to create conflict, in light of the content of the actual blog post that we’re both replying to here.
I came upon the blog through a link sent by a friend that wanted me to check it out; I’m generally pretty interested in various diets, particularly if they have some decent science to back their claims. After reading a bit, I’ve made a couple comments. I personally don’t think anything I’ve said should merit your OMG GOOO AWAY response. It’s not like I’m jumping into threads and insisting that you’ll die without wheat or something.
Brandon, I don’t know how long you’ve been reading this blog and how much you’ve read, and I do understand your concern. But the wording in the Amazon review was so similar to the wording on the Six Servings website review of the book, that it’s not really a stretch to believe that someone from there posted the review on Amazon.
It is enlightening to realize that SixServings.com is the blog for the Grain Foods Foundation. And to quote a previous blogpost:
“The Grain Foods Foundation is a trade and lobbying group for the wheat industry. These are the people who lobby Congress, the Senate, USDA, FDA, and influence public health policy, school lunch programs, and the like. This is the same organization whose board members, curiously, have deep and longstanding ties to the drug industry, particularly diabetes drug manufacturers.”
Also, I was pretty sure I’d read a listing of the members of the board and told what their ties were to the Rx industry…but I can’t seem to find it. Maybe someone else can. But does that help explain his “accusation” a little better?
Hey Brandon,
you never answered my question: what’s your belly size?
Yes, it would seem as like this is what Dr. Davis is saying, but what he referred to is much more complex than a “conspiracy”. However, since you haven’t read the book and you obviously haven’t read any one of several books I could list here that have documented, with historical facts, how corrupted and broken our public health system has become. Part of the problem is that government agencies have become revolving doors for the industries those agencies are supposed to be regulating. There are now at least 30,000 lobbyists in D.C. (compared to 300, just 30 yrs ago) – they out number those people who are supposed to be our representatives many times over. There are plenty of “facts” about the pharmaceutical industry you might want to educate yourself about – it’s not pretty! Dr. Davis was referring some specific things at least one company is doing and perhaps he would like to explain that in another post and that might answer your concerns. If not, I’ll find it and post it later.
This is what I should have posted in response to Brandon. Check out chapter 4 about the addictive properties of wheat. Specifically, pages 48 – 51 which details how the NIH found how gluten breaks down in the digestive process to polypeptides that cross the blood brain barrier and bind to the brain’s morphine receptor. You will also read how the pharmaceutical industry is going to commercialize a weight loss drug that contains naltrexone – an oral equivalent to naloxone, combined with an anti-depressant because they found that wheat consuming people getting this drug will eat 33 percent few calories at lunch and 23 percent fewer calories at dinner. I believe this is one example of what Dr. Davis was referring to concerning the “payoff” big pharma stands to gain by maintaining the status quo. This is just capitalism at work – it’s what corporations do. Rather than inform and warn the public about the addictive properties and mechanisms of wheat, let’s create a drug and rake in millions or even billions of dollars. It’s the world we live in. There’s no “paranoia” involved here and the evidence for how they operate is everywhere around you. This is just one example.
There’s a difference between saying “a lot of people stand to gain from the current inertia” and “they intentionally went out of their way to promulgate misinformation”. They’re biased, not evil, and there’s a lot of stuff out there that confirms their bias for them.
Generally, it’s best to be patient with people–in the end, the evidence will become overwhelming. Personally, I wouldn’t have tried doing this LCHF thing if I didn’t have personal friends who have tried it with good results. (That and numerous other diet failures.) I just figured I was a loser with no willpower. After all, if you’re fat, it must be because you’re a lazy bum, right?
I’ve been blogging intermittently about my diet and gotten all kinds of responses, some of them incredibly rude. Even after I started losing weight without suffering hunger, my mother is sending me emails like “this all sounds fishy to me, you know when I lost weight (20 lbs–I have over 200 to lose) I started to feel less hungry after I got down a few sizes, I bet the real answer is that you’re hungry because you’re fat, not that you’re fat because you’re hungry”. Thanks, Mom. Any advice for how the heck I’m supposed to lose weight then? If I have to lose 200 lbs in order to control my hunger so I CAN lose 200 lbs, I’m screwed. I need something that will help BEFORE I lose the weight, not AFTERWARD.
I’ve spent the past 24 years of my life barely able to muster the energy to get out of bed in the morning. Barely able to do basic tasks like laundry and taking a shower. Barely able to hold down a job. Left to my own devices, I sleep 10, 12, 14 hours a day. Forget about doing anything fun or interesting or productive. Every year, I put on more weight.
I’m done. Soda and cookies aren’t worth this.
Hi, Jennifer–
Yes, it is very easy to criticize in an online exchange when there’s no face-to-face confrontation. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted or bothered by the lack of social graces in some people.
This makes me all the more grateful and impressed at the outpouring of incredible support and experiences here, Facebook, and elsewhere. This is our wheat “spring,” a force similar to the Arab Spring that is leading to the overthrow of Middle Eastern despots!
Actually, your Mom sort of has it right.
According to Gary Taubes, you don’t get fat because you overeat, you overeat because you are fat. I know I know. It takes a minute to get that into your head, doesn’t it!? Fat has a life of its own. Your HORMONES are making you fat and the FAT needs more calories to support it so … you overeat.
AND to further twist your mind this morning. You don’t get lazy because you are fat. Your fat MAKES YOU “lazy” by slowing down your metabolism so the fat can further support itself by hoarding all those calories.
That’s a pretty simplistic explanation so I’d recommend his book “why we get fat and what to do about it” to get the full explanation.
Could I ask where they got the “no credentials” from? Do they think that you got your medical degree from the back of a cereal box (wheat cereal of course)?
It’s called an ad hominem attack. People frequently turn to this kind of attack when they cannot refute the message presented. So instead, they attack the person bringing the message in the hopes that it will discredit the message.
If this were a campaign…..and if you were running for president….I’d be asking, “Sir, WHAT can I do to help propel you into office?” As it stands, I’m just one woman who believes what your book shows as evidence hard and fast, that genetically engineered wheat has lead our society to dietery ruination. When I talk to my pre-diabetes friends about your book and people loudly interject, “That’s ONE person’s opion.” I just want to clobber them……because I know they have not read your book. Tell us…..the lowly individual book readers….what is the best way we can perpetuate and sustain your message because YOU are right. And….WHY does this issue carry such a nasty tone!? It is…..it’s like tobacco just like you say! Tell me what to say to the person who says, “I don’t want those pretzels. They’re too salty. They taste good but they’re bad for my blood pressure.” Or….”Don’t make me those brownies, you know I can’t have things like that because of my blood sugar!”……but…..he will stuff down two Sandwiches made with “Oatnut Bread” and very little meat…..because it’s the bread he really likes and he should be eating more whole grains for the fiber. Can I tell you….my eyes are rolling non-stop and I just want to scream…..READ THE BOOK!!!!
Thank you, Amy.
Broadcast the message of health simply by telling neighbors and friends that a massive campaign of disinformation has been going on–and is going to intensify–all aimed to increase your consumption of “healthy whole grains.”
In the end, the truth–that is, the truth that makes you slender and healthy–will prevail!
I’m sure you were expecting the backlash to start sometime! I get so angry when I think of all the lives that have been ruined just so these giant corporations can make a few billion. I have friends who have celiac or gluten intolerance and I always thought “oh I could never give it up unless I HAD to” but I feel soooo much energy now!! I love it! We had a very hectic day today and I didn’t get stressed our or annoyed with my kids. We had the same schedule a couple of weeks ago right at the very beginning of going wheat free and I felt the same stressed out feeling I normally do when things are über-busy.
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Dr Davis, for bringing the truth out in the light.
Thank you, Peyton-Leigh.
Yes, I knew that this would come. But how could I even consider biting my tongue when I see person after person losing 30, 40, 70 pounds, regain control over appetite, achieve relief from years of suffering from arthritis, bowel symptoms, diabetes?
Have no doubt: This will be the armageddon of dietary battles. The anti-Christ will fall!
Most people wouldn’t take on the big $$ like you have. Keep it up for all of us. You are doing a world of good.
Thanks, Tori!
Bravo Dr. Davis
You have opened the proverbial can of worms with Wheat Belly. I totally agree with the elimination of wheat (other grains too); along with grains went my acid reflux and osteoarthritis which at times had throbbed. I have bone on bone arthritis in my lower back with NO pain.
I am so pleased that you are so brave.
Thank you, Elaine!
It’s nice–and brave–people like you who have taught me why this is such an important lesson to pass onto others.
Dr. Davis, I live in Saskatchewan and yesterday my hubby told me that you were on the noon edition of CBC radio. I had a good listen and after you left the call-in show, Susan Whiting (nutritionist at U of S) was on to comment and field questions. She was not prepared adequately and it seemed that she had not read Wheat Belly. A number of farmers called in and said that wheat here and in the US is different, etc. as a way to down play the message. Whiting suggested that what you suggest is like Atkins and cutting wheat will really reduce choices and variety available to us. I wrote into the show afterwards and mentioned the incredible variety of nourishing and tasty foods that are still available, along with the elimination of chronic issues such as acid reflux, arthritis pain, etc.
I have read the posts of people trying to discredit or down-play the message of wheat…..Keep up the fantastic work. I recommend your work to anyone who expresses an interest.
Another comment…..I mentioned in my letter to CBC radio that being grain-free (wheat-free) does NOT mean low carb as in Atkins…I was quite distressed that listeners here in SK got the wrong message from an ‘expert’. I work with public health folks from time to time and know that they are bound by Health Canada in what they say, BUT still, it certainly does not encourage critical thought.