“I think totally eliminating wheat is too hard! What if I cut back, say, 80 or 90%? Can I still get most of the benefits?”
The short answer: No.
Let me explain. If you cut back on sugar by 90%, you obtain 90% of the benefits, right? 90% less weight gain, 90% less insulin provocation, 90% less dental cavities, etc. Simple arithemetic.
But, as with many things in this wheat- and grain- distorted world, that simple arithmetic does not hold with cutting back. Instead, a bizarre calculus of metabolic distortions apply because of several long-lasting effects of modern semi-dwarf wheat and other closely related grains.
There are several reasons why just cutting back does not work:
1) Disruption of bowel flora
Wheat-eaters experience undesirable distortions of the microorganisms in their intestinal tract: different species, different numbers, and shifts in location (migration higher up into the small intestine, and even duodenum and stomach). Wheat-eaters have fewer desirable lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and more undesirable species of E. coli, bacterioidetes, and even Salmonella and Clostridia. Occasional wheat consumption, likely via wheat’s amylopectin A, wheat germ agglutinin, and gliadin, maintain undesirable bacterial and fungal populations and prevent a shift back to healthier species. Similar effects apply to other close-related seeds of grasses, such as rye, barley, and corn.
2) Small LDL particles that cause heart disease are triggered for 10 or more days at a time
Large, relatively benign LDL particles persist for 24-48 hours after formation, cleared by the liver promptly. Small LDL particles, triggered to extravagant degrees by the amylopectin A of wheat, persist for an unusually long period, much longer than the larger LDL particles. Once triggered, the human liver does not recognize unnatural small LDL particles, causing them to persist for an abnormally long time and allowing prolonged and repetitive interactions with the wall of arteries to create atherosclerosis (leading to coronary heart disease, heart attacks, stents, bypass surgery, as well as your hospital to boast about its record number of heart attacks treated). This likewise applies to all other grains that share the amylopectin A carbohydrate.
3) The gliadin protein stimulates appetite
Even occasional exposure to the opiate-like exorphin polypeptides that result from digestion of the gliadin protein of wheat, rye, and barley are enough to stimulate appetite. Appetite is stimulated, but not for more salmon or steak, but for carbohydrates–more wheat, more cornstarch, more candy, more soft drinks, more junk. Occasional wheat consumption therefore makes adhering to a healthy diet more difficulty, as your impulse control is under the influence of the gliadin opiate, an effect that lasts several days after every indulgence, occasionally longer.
4) Glycation is forever
Recall from the discussion in Wheat Belly that, whenever blood glucose ranges above 90 mg/dl (5 mmol/L), glucose-modification of long-lived proteins in the body, or glycation, proceeds at an accelerated rate: the higher the blood glucose, the greater the quantity of glycation. ALL grains are guilty of this effect.
It means, for instance, that you have, say, a Snickers bar and experience a blood glucose of 134 mg/dl and glycation occurs in the proteins of the lenses of your eyes (cataracts), the proteins in the cartilage of knees and hips (brittle cartilage, arthritis), the proteins in the cells lining arteries (stiff arteries, hypertension, atherosclerosis), and structural tissue of the skin (wrinkles, “liver” spots of aging). Have two slices of whole wheat bread as a ham sandwich and blood sugar peaks at 170 mg/dl (a very typical blood sugar after wheat consumption) and glycation develops at a greater rate. Glycation in long-lived proteins is irreversible–the effect cannot be undone: cataracts do not reverse, bone-on-bone arthritis does not regenerate, wrinkles do not unwrinkle. For all practical purposes, once you glycate, you glycate for good.
All in all, it means that cutting back on wheat and grains by 80 or 90% does not yield 80 or 90% improvement in destructive health effects. Maybe it yields a fraction of those benefits, say, 20-30%. Cutting back on wheat, like cutting back on unsafe sex and practicing safe sex on weekends only, can still get you into a heap of trouble.
Disruption of gut flora is something which should be taken seriously seriously since it can cause the leaky gut syndrome which can result in the development of autoimmune conditions and deficiency of nutrients like biotin.
Hi..I have Achalasia and have tried cutting out grains but have not had luck. It has only been two weeks though. Has anyone healed their Achalasia through removing grains (as well as dairy and sugar)? It feels like there is a fireball in my esophagus 24/7. Please please tell me some good news.
Thank you..
Ash wrote: «Has anyone healed their Achalasia through removing grains…»
Not that has been reported, but there’s been so little traffic on that ailment that I don’t know that we can read anything into that.
We have one anecdote of a relapse on wheat exposure:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2013/11/weird-wheat-re-exposure-reactions/
There are also some users on the Cureality site who are convinced that this is a vagus nerve disorder. It may respond to specific exercises, including vagus nerve stimulation.
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Thank you for your response! I did some searching and found an interview where Dr. Davis said some of his patients have been cured of Achalasia through grain removal. I don’t know if that means one or two or ten to twenty though. Ten to twenty would certainly give me hope and motivation to keep going grain free. Thank you again!
Ash wrote: «…found an interview where Dr. Davis said some of his patients have been cured of Achalasia through grain removal.»
And isn’t that interesting. If there is vagus nerve involvement, and we can discover what is going on here, I suspect that it will open a door for treatment, or at least prevention, of a number of other mysterious neurological ailments as well.
«…would certainly give me hope and motivation to keep going grain free.»
There’s nothing lost in doing so (except a bit of convenience, due only to our current ruinous food supply).
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Hi, I eliminated all sugar, grains and processed foods since January. I am feelling great. However, there is one thing bothering me – constipation. I have been constipated since I changed my eating habits, which means I have been constipated for nearly two and a half months now. Sometimes, I don’t have bowel movement for 7 days. And when I have the need to go, it’s a very unpleasant experience for me.
I have tried taking Psyllium Husks, yoghurt and Magnesium Citrate. Apart from taking a high dose (500mg) of Magnesium Citrate works for me, nothing else worked. I have no choice but taking senna tablets every night to keep me regular.
One thing I notice is, whenever I consume large amount of carbs, my bowel movement will become normal (once a day). If I cut back on carbs, I will guarantee have constipation. I really don’t want to give up on my WB lifestyle, but my constipation is putting me off.
Could anyone help me or give me advice please? Thanks a lot.
Sisi wrote: «…there is one thing bothering me – constipation»
Start with: https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2015/06/quit-your-pushing-a-cutting-edge-guide-to-constipation/
If that doesn’t address it, get back to us here on the blog.
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Hi Bob, thank you very much for your reply. I have had a look the link you posted.
I drink at least 2.2 litres of water every day since last November. I started taking probiotics 2 days ago. I have bought some kefir grains in a bid to make my own probiotics. I am trying everything and hoping something will work for me.
May I ask, how much prebiotic we have to consume a day? I thinly slice a clove of garlic and swallow it with water. Would this be enough?
Thank you very much, Bob.
Sisi wrote: «…how much prebiotic we have to consume a day?»
The WB suggested target is 20 grams of prebiotic fiber per day, worked up to gradually. To calculate this, you’ll need to know the
[ prebiotic_fiber | resistant_starch | soluble_fiber ]
content of candidate food items. I posted a list of those that Dr. Davis has suggested a couple of days ago at:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2016/03/alana-freed-from-her-big-fat-bulimic-life-by-wheat-belly/comment-page-1/#comment-64341
Some are entirely prebiotic fiber. Mixing and alternating is encouraged.
«I thinly slice a clove of garlic and swallow it with water. Would this be enough?»
Nope. This may only be a ballpark figure, but garlic is reportedly only 17.5% prebiotic fiber by weight, and one clove weighs only 3 grams – so about ½ gram fiber per clove – you’d need to eat 40 cloves. Now I like garlic too, but…
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Hi Bob, thank you again for your reply and the link. I will definitely look it up. You have been very helpful. Many thanks for all your input. I really appreciate it.
coffee could make u poop
wrotek wrote: «coffee could make u poop»
Coffee, particularly caffeinated coffee, has a well-known, if not completely understood peristaltic effect in most people. It may also be responsible for the bulk of any dehydration attributed to coffee (pun intended).
Anyone who is not a coffee drinker, and might contemplate it for regularity, needs to investigate the subject a bit before brewing a pot. This beverage has other considerations (one of which is how to pick one).
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Hi Sisi,
I too feared this and had an adjustment period of a couple of days. The biggest thing I found that helped was to drink copious amounts of water. I snack on nuts during the day, take a probiotic in the morning and try to get prebiotics from my food. I have actually found my movements have improved since eating this way. If I feel like I am constipated I seem to be able to get relief by increasing my water intake.
I hope this helps.
Hi JM, thank you so much for your reply.
I drink plenty water, at least 2.2 litres a day. Sometimes I sprinkle a small amout of sea salt into my water when I have cramps in my legs, and it helped.
As for nuts, I love nuts so much. The only problem is, once I start munching on them, I can’t stop. That’s why I don’t store nuts in my food cupboard anymore. It takes a lot of willpower to not overeat them. When I used to munch on nuts, I didn’t find them ease my constipation. I was still on senna tablets back then.
I have taken all Dr. Davis’s advice on board (Bob has sent me a link). I am hoping the probiotics will help my problem. Thanks again, JM.
HI Sisi,
One other thought the Wheat Free market has granola and cereal with a very high fiber content. They taste wonderful and are in line with the wheat belly guidelines.
I just found this https://youtu.be/Su8CCUUbJIw?list=WL
apparently caffeine breakdown products stimulate insulin…Is this true ?
wrotek wrote: «I just found this…»
3 minute video by Dr. Barry Sears (Zone Diet), apparently on either coffee and/or caffeine. It hung up shortly after starting, took forever to restart, but then without the audio; in other words, a typical time-wasting internet video. So I have no idea what point he was making.
«apparently caffeine breakdown products stimulate insulin…Is this true?»
You can search on “coffee chlorogenic acid insulin” and find a lot of information.
Coffee has a number of metabolic effects (at least 3 are mentioned in Wheat Belly Total Health). For most people, it’s a weight loss aid. Others need to avoid it for one or more reasons.
You can buy green coffee bean extract to get more or less isolated chlorogenic acid as an alternative (but product potency and credibility vary considerably). The effect is minor (and at least one paper on it has been retracted).
So drink it if you like it. Mind the dehydration. Be alert for CCK over-stimulation of the gallbladder when just starting Wheat Belly.
When linking to videos (anywhere, not just here), be a hero, and post a synopsis.
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the video works fine with me
You might be right Bob, i posted link to chlorogenic acid here, was it deleted ?
there is other compound in coffee cafestol http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26465380
Hot girl, who is she ?
wrotek wrote: «…who is she?»
Stock photo (123rf dot com #2455266). You could ask the photographer, but I suspect she routinely ignores such requests.
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Bob, You are always so nice to reply – thank you. I actually have switched to low carb beer (2.6 G/serving) for the one I have at night after my HOT Yoga class. It is so refreshing. I save the IPA’s for a treat. The low carb of choice is brewed with rice. When I do have beer I make sure I eat that meal corresponding meal with no or very low carbs. Where I get in trouble is when I go to a social function and over the course of the evening have 4 full bodied IPA’s! I still keep the eating in check but know I have blown it for carbs for that meal/time period. I do not have a weight issue, low body fat and a vigorous exerciser, but I do wonder how long my system will be out of whack so to speak. I am also wondering if doing this negates the benefits of the wheat belly lifestyle and turns it into just another low carb (sort of) way of eating. Thoughts?
JM wrote: «… social function and over the course of the evening have 4 full bodied IPA’s!»
Well, then, we might explore how one might discover if these occasional excursions are having longer-term adverse effects, i.e. things we can measure well before a diagnosis of what might have been an avoidable serious chronic illness. If you had celiac disease (which you probably don’t), one party every 60 days might suffice to prevent gut healing.
«…wondering if doing this negates the benefits of the wheat belly lifestyle…»
One of the things Dr. Davis didn’t mention above is intestinal permeability (leaky gut) caused by gluten-bearing grains. I’ll refer to that as issue #1.5. Let’s look at various things to watch for or measure:
0. Blood sugar
A US$20 meter can be very informative. You can check FBG (Fasting Blood Glucose) pre-event, and see if it’s below WB target (90mg/dL). Then check postprandials every 30 minutes after the event starts, out a couple of hour post-event. This will provide data to construct a curve. Both the peak and the area under the curve drive glycation (#4). WB target for PPBG is ideally no rise, but under 100 in any case. My bet is that your IPAs are going to blow the lid off that.
1. Bowel flora.
You could run a couple of uBiome samples (day before, day after), but that’s expensive. I would look for more detectable signs of dysbiosis, such as regularity, soundness of sleep, dream quality. Suboptimal microbiome also can affect blood pressure, blood sugar and lipids, but it can be hard to distinguish the biome contribution from the metabolic contribution. Taking a double dose of a quality probiotic for a week afterward might mitigate some of these effects.
1.5 Leaky gut
Gliadin triggers zonulin which opens the gut wall. Once open, as that pawn show tag line goes, you never know what’s going to come through that door. The junk that gets into the bloodstream, and should not be there, might just contribute to a hangover, might cause random inflammation, or might trigger/maintain an auto-immune condition. If you get a check-up opportunity, inflammation markers would be worth a look, like hsCRP (over 1.0mg/L needs investigation).
2. Small LDL
If you get a check-up opportunity, the TG (triglyceride) number on the standard lipid panel is revealing. We shoot for 60mg/dL max. If higher, suspect the ale.
See if you can get an advanced lipoprotein panel in addition to the standard lipid panel. The LDL-P numbers should be informative (whereas the normal LDL-C is generally useless). I have no simple targets for these, as the metrics vary based on test technology (NMR, VAP, electrophoresis). If the small LDL particles are exaggerated, it could indicate a brew bump, a genetic/epigenetic/metabolic adverse response to carbs, or both.
3. Appetite
Any response along that line would likely be obvious.
4. Glycation
Have your HbA1c checked (and home meters for that are available, but talk to us before buying one). This is a direct measure of hemoglobin glycation. We shoot for 5.0% or less. It’s a weighted moving average, so a party 30 days ago is apt to read much lower than one last weekend.
Now you might do all of this and discover that you have a rare hero metabolism that can handle this kind of exposure with zero measurable effect, but odds are it’s taking its toll.
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Bob, as far as you know, does #4 (assuming reliable measurement) supersede #0? I have been assuming so, i.e. that good tested HbA1c implies blood glucose levels are not a concern . (It has been repeatedly mentioned by Dr Davis that the converse is not true, esp. if one doesn’t measure the correct post-prandial peak.)
K wrote: «…does #4 [HbA1c] supersede #0? [FBG/PPBG]…»
Not really. HbA1c can’t tell us much about what we just ate. If we want to know the effect of a specific food, an FBG and one or more PPBGs are the tools.
A1c is more of a statement on average diet. Note that in specific individuals, A1c can also be consistently under- or over-stated, depending on how long their red blood cells live. With, for example, a genetic predisposition to short-lived RBCs, A1c is going read low, but other adverse glycation going on in the body won’t be low.
I haven’t yet dug into what metrics people could use to settle this, other than some history of FBG/PPBG/A1c correlations. At first glance, characterizing RBC traits doesn’t appear to be a simple matter of interpreting a few 23andme SNPs.
In the future, inexpensive discreet CGMs (Continuous Glucose Monitors) will solve this, but they are a couple of years away.
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That’s interesting, Bob. Determining the effects of a specific food from it doesn’t seem a big deal, but the possibility of low HbA1c and high glycation elsewhere is a big deal.
Coupled to this, Dr. Davis’s rule of thumb re. net carbs per meal seems to be inapplicable any time one is using intermittent fasting (without explicit caloric restriction), e.g. if one decides to fast 18 hours and eat a day’s worth of food in the remaining 6 hours. There are claims, which may or may not be related to this, that intermittent fasting may elevate FBG somewhat and is inappropriate for those with bad BG control. Any thoughts?
K wrote: «Determining the effects of a specific food from it doesn’t seem a big deal, but the possibility of low HbA1c and high glycation elsewhere is a big deal.»
Discordant A1c (either direction) seems to be relatively rare. I personally would focus on BG, check A1c periodically, and only do a deep dive on A1c if the readings were consistently off expectations, based on consistently low FBGs, and little or no rise is PPBGs.
If BG is always 90, but A1c is always way off 5.0%, then the discordance probably needs a look . All that someone might take from it is how to interpret their own A1c, although having atypical RBC lifespan might have other implications I’ve not looked into.
«…net carbs per meal seems to be inapplicable any time one is using intermittent fasting (without explicit caloric restriction), e.g. if one decides to fast 18 hours and eat a day’s worth of food in the remaining 6 hours.»
That’s why there’s both a whole day rule and a 6-hour rule. Cramming 50 grams net into 6 hours exceeds the 6-hour rule and may well defeat most of the benefit of fasting.
«There are claims, which may or may not be related to this, that intermittent fasting may elevate FBG somewhat and is inappropriate for those with bad BG control. Any thoughts?»
Wheat Belly Total Health has several pages on IF (p300, 301 mainly), with cautions for diabetics (any kind), certain meds, and other situations – and be sure to hydrate.
There are no words on what the average person might expect in the way of FBG response, and in particular no advisories about it rising above WB target (90 mg/dL). I suspect it varies significantly, based on individual metabolic status, beta cell status, excess weight still present, whether or not one is already fat-adapted to any degree, and perhaps other factors.
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K wrote: «…net carbs per meal seems to be inapplicable any time one is using intermittent fasting (without explicit caloric restriction), e.g. if one decides to fast 18 hours and eat a day’s worth of food in the remaining 6 hours.»
Bob wrote: “That’s why there’s both a whole day rule and a 6-hour rule. Cramming 50 grams net into 6 hours exceeds the 6-hour rule
and may well defeat most of the benefit of fasting.”
To clarify, I was referring precisely to that 6-hr rule-of-thumb, so the rule-of-thumb and that form of intermittent fasting (IF) are not compatible. I was then implicitly (by writing “inapplicable”) voting to ignore the rule when enacting the IF, whereas you vote the other way.
One of the confusions in the literature is that IF is used to refer to several different things and the distinctions are often buried. Looking again at what Dr. Davis writes, it seems he is advocating IF with caloric restriction, rather than IF without caloric restriction, i.e. it sounds like he’s advocating exactly the same size meals after breaking the fast as when there’s no fast. I’d say that the main factor in that scenario is the caloric restriction, not the IF.
K wrote: «Looking again at what Dr. Davis writes, it seems he is advocating IF with caloric restriction, rather than IF without caloric restriction …»
Carbohydrate restriction – doing IF doesn’t mean blowing off the net carb interval budget.
Caloric restriction would only be occurring during the IF period. You can consume as much healthy fat, protein and slow carb as you like outside the IF period, with fast carbs subject to the 50g/day 15g/6hr rule.
From a WB perspective, when doing IF, you can consume your normal daily calories, or less, or more, as desired. What IF theory might have to say about that, I couldn’t say.
Or am I still not getting the point you are making?
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The WB generic 50g/day, 15g/6hr net carb rule has always been very explicit. But I hadn’t previously thought much about Dr. Davis’s less explicit (in my opinion) IF advice.
From our discussion, it seems clear that he (and you) advocate a form of IF that does not allow any alteration of the WB net carb rules.
Bob wrote: “Caloric restriction would only be occurring during the IF period.”
Bob wrote: “From a WB perspective, when doing IF, you can consume your normal daily calories, or less, or more, as desired.”
I agree that this is what IF combined with the WB rules means. But I’ll comment that:
i) You’d only be able to consume normal daily calories when doing IF if you change the dietary composition (at that time) from ~10% carbs to ~3% carbs.
ii) So in practice I’d suggest that probably you would not consume normal daily calories when doing IF. (You might need to be a real diehard to go 97% fat/protein). Then, it does become caloric restriction.
iii) In that case, I’d think of it more as “occasional caloric restriction” than “IF”, i.e. the main effects, good or bad, are caloric-restriction effects. This might make it less suitable for those who are not overweight.
As I said, the term “IF” has been used to refer to very different things.
I personally think that the form of IF that does not involve overall caloric restriction has merit, i.e. I would not dismiss its potential benefits simply because it violates the WB net carb rules. (I realize that Dr. Davis and you might strongly disagree.)
K wrote: «The WB generic 50g/day, 15g/6hr net carb rule has always been very explicit.»
Actually, it wasn’t as prominent in the original 2011 book as it is now.
«But I hadn’t previously thought much about Dr. Davis’s less explicit (in my opinion) IF advice.»
I looked at various sources yesterday, and there really isn’t any specific advice on how to eat outside the IF period, which I take to mean no change from WB targets:
• net carbs remain with 50/15 budget
• calories are otherwise irrelevant
«From our discussion, it seems clear that he (and you) advocate a form of IF that does not allow any alteration of the WB net carb rules.»
I personally don’t have any opinions on IF. In any case, my job here is to convey the published posture, which on the specific topic of how to eat outside the window, seems to need some reading between the lines.
«i) You’d only be able to consume normal daily calories when doing IF if you change the dietary composition (at that time) from ~10% carbs to ~3% carbs.»
It might be no change at all if your meal plan for the day was already VLC. Consuming 50 grams/day of available carbs isn’t a goal; it’s an upper limit. For example, someone who had adjusted their routine macronutrient intake to be deeply ketogenic wouldn’t need to count carbs or calories outside the fast.
«I personally think that the form of IF that does not involve overall caloric restriction has merit,…»
It could. It would basically be an extension of the ordinary fast that sleeping represents, during which time (on a suitably low carb diet), we switch to fat burning mode.
«I would not dismiss its potential benefits simply because it violates the WB net carb rules.»
As I say, it doesn’t have to. All hi-gly carbs are calories, but not all calories are hi-gly carbs.
I cannot, however, endorse busting the 6-hour budget for net carbs. It’s going to provoke an adverse blood elevation, if not an outright spike. Such excursions have long-term consequences.
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I have often wondered about this very question. My biggest downfall is I like a good IPA. Sometimes 2 and sometimes 3. I often wonder how much I am defeating my Wheat Belly plan by drinking IPA’s! Certainly on the carbohydrate front I am ruining my efforts, but I am not sure on the wheat side!
JM wrote: «My biggest downfall is I like a good IPA.»
That’s India Pale Ale, for those not brew fans.
«…how much I am defeating my Wheat Belly plan by drinking IPA’s!»
What brand and product, and how often?
Before Wheat Belly® there was beer belly, and it’s not just a metaphor.
Standard beers are relatively high in net carbs, based on this site’s perspective. A single typical beer can easily gobble up the full 15 gram budget for the entire meal. Gluten-Free beers do not inherently reduce the carbs. That 15 grams might actually be OK, if the rest of the meal is strictly ketogenic, but that’s usually not the case (and the beer will ensure that the net result is not keto, of course).
Light beers typically are lower in net carbs, but you need to seek a carb declaration on the product. They can go as low as 3 grams net carb.
Beer is also usually based on gluten-bearing grains, principally barley and wheat. This may be expected to present the same hazards as consuming these grains in any other form. Beer is not infrequently called “liquid bread” for a reason. A Gluten-Free beer may either use something else (like rice, which has its own WGA and arsenic concerns), or use a process that purports to remove the gluten. It’s not clear to me that a GF beer made from a gluten-bearing grain removes all the adverse elements, like WGA (Wheat Germ Agglutinin).
Beer, of course, is no meal replacement (no fat or protein to speak of), and consumed alone, is apt to provoke appetite. Two beers a day can easily derail any effort to lose weight and/or reign in other carb-provoked ailments. A beer a month, unless truly GF, might suffice to prolong an auto-immune condition.
The first step in dealing with any adverse impact from beer is to understand and acknowledge what the current consumption is doing.
Wine tends to avoid most of the trouble with beer, and even has some benefits, but many people don’t want to switch.
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good stuff about alcohol and cancer, also about wine and breast cancer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8PzC-1T_Vo