When a wheat- and grain-free lifestyle is put to work in real life, the benefits documented in clinical studies can be seen in action with unexpected and dramatic reversal of numerous health conditions.
Clinical studies have shown:
- Weight loss
- Reduction in overall calorie intake
- Drops in blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c (a long-term measure of blood sugar)— many people with diabetes are cured
- Reduction of blood pressure
- Increased likelihood of remission of rheumatoid arthritis
- Reversal of neurological conditions such as cerebellar ataxia, some forms of seizures, and peripheral neuropathy
- Reversal of multiple forms of skin rash
- Reductions in paranoia and hallucinations in people with schizophrenia
- Improved attention span and behavior in children with attention deficit disorder and autistic spectrum disorder
- Relief from the bowel urgency and disruption of irritable bowel syndrome
That is just a sample of the evidence that already exists in the scientific and clinical literature.
This is not conjecture or claims based on a few anecdotes. It is based on a rational, scientific examination of the evidence, coupled with the experiences of millions of people who have come to understand the power of this lifestyle change.
Yours in grainless health,
Dr. William Davis
“I guess the bad news there is that I seem to be handling the questions and issues that arise”
It wasn’t meant as a slight against you. I just remember when he was commenting a while back under posts and there were two people (you and him) imparting the Wheat Belly message. Maybe he let the Wheat Belly fame go to his head (joking). I enjoy reading your posts though and it seems like you definitely have the passion for nutrition and research. I think we all owe you one for your dedication to the blog.
DM wrote: «I just remember when he was commenting a while back under posts and there were two people…»
I suspect it’s a case of calendar crush: there are only 36 hours in a day and he’s probably using 48 of them.
«I think we all owe you one for your dedication to the blog.»
Well, thanks. Glad my input is useful.
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I guess Jimmy’s not the best example of the benefits of LCHF in Mcdougall’s defense which is probably why he’s picked on so much specifically by the online vegan community. There must be something else stalling his weight loss. Cheating on his diet? Microbiome imbalance? I wonder. I remember reading your WB vegan article. You seemed to cover a lot. It’d be great if Dr. Davis could post responses from time to time on this blog like he used to.
DM wrote: «There must be something else stalling his weight loss.»
I have no information on Jimmy’s current status or situation, and don’t follow his blog closely. There are a couple of bloggers, currently doing keto, who do seem to have unique situations, but plug away at solving them anyway. I doubt that someone who was merely non-compliant with their own declared diet would keep at it so publicly.
Human adenovirus (AD-36) just showed up on the radar lately, and I suspect it’s not the only cause of what otherwise appear to be idiosyncratic metabolic challenges. Be careful around roosters.
re: «It’d be great if Dr. Davis could post responses from time to time on this blog like he used to.»
I guess the bad news there is that I seem to be handling the questions and issues that arise (and that can be answered within the context of the program and the objectives of the blog). Sometimes questions amount to a request to practice medicine via blog, and with woefully insufficient case detail. Even if the latter were addressed we can’t do the former.
The good news is that many of the base articles here appear to be at least in part motivated by issues that blog readers raise. Others are answers to questions that readers haven’t asked yet. Articles like the recent Are there raccoons in your garden? may raise issues not in any of the WB books so far. The points made are not casual remarks.
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Re: the AD-36 article ….. now isn’t *that* an interesting development!
Dr. McDougall is completely against fats and oils saying something to the effect of “the human body has no receptors for fat” and repeats “the fat you eat is the fat you wear”. From what I’ve heard him say he actually personally slanders any non-vegan diet authorities about their weight if they don’t look as extremely thin as he or a lot of vegans do. If you want to hear quite the podcast you should listen to Jimmy Moore’s Podcast with Dr. Mcdougall. He can’t accept the fact that low carb diets work for people, and it shows during that interview. I can’t take a doctor like that seriously who doesn’t read the research in the first place and thinks low carb has to be high protein (or animal based). Dr. Greger seems to be a bit more open minded and reasonable though.
DM wrote: «If you want to hear quite the podcast you should listen to Jimmy Moore’s Podcast with Dr. Mcdougall.»
Yep, it’s a legendary interview. Jimmy has a transcript of it on his blog, as well as the original audio stream.
There are an unlimited number of mainstream and dissident diets. Many of them entirely contradict others. Some, perhaps most of them, are clearly incorrect – but which ones?
Citizens who have become (quite reasonably) skeptical of dietary advice have to pick their way through this minefield. They are betting their lives on their choices. The official diets are officially a disaster, as health trends record. So how to pick an alternative?
I would go with something that is:
• outcome focused (longevity, vitality, performance),
• relies on meaningful metrics and markers to track status,
• is consistent with human experience (enlightened ancestral),
• follows such unconfounded science as can be found,
• pays attention to actual results (esp. black swans),
• grows/changes its recommendations based on the above,
• doesn’t have arbitrary dogma, and
• is willing to re-examine anything, upon new evidence
Wheat Belly meets those requirements and is why I’m aligned with it.
Is is not possible or worthwhile to attempt to debunk all the diets that need debunking. This blog can address specific issues, and many related to plant-based advocacies have been addressed over the years. I’ve evolved an FAQ article specifically on whether one can do Wheat Belly as a vegetarian or vegan (yes). It’s linked from my username on this response.
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>Dr. McDougall is completely against fats and oils saying something to the effect of “the human body has no receptors for fat” and repeats “the fat you eat is the fat you wear”.<
No receptors for fat is fat's strength, not its weakness. For cells to metabolize glucose, first they must use insulin receptors to transport it into the cells. Fats undergo a quick simple conversion in the liver to ketones. Cells absorb ketones directly either through osmosis or by cholesterol absorption.
Natural carbohydrates are attached to lectins. Lectins stick to cellular insulin receptors preventing them from transporting glucose into cells. The blood fills with glucose while cells starve. The resulting glucose gradient across cell walls causes pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) tetramers to re-aggregate into dimers. Cells stop forming pyruvate. The shortage of pyruvate stops the creation of ATP from oxidative substrates. This means the mechanism which recharges the cellular energy engine gets broken.
Cells' only recourse for using spent oxidative substrates is to create tissue in the form of adipose fat. Conversely, cells burn fat ketones virtually directly. One tiny step in the final mitochondrial complex spins fat into pyruvate and ATP.
Fat makes energy. Carbohydrates make fat.
Dear Dr. Davis,
What about Dr. McDougall, Dr. Michael Greger, who are pro-grain? Why are they so certain, based also on published studies, that grains are not the problem?
Thank you.
J. Jay wrote: «What about Dr. McDougall…»
Last came up here.
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J. Jay wrote: «…Dr. Michael Greger…»
Last came up here.
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Dr. McDougall claims whole grains reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity. He goes on to say cereal grains are currently the most important nutritional component of the human diet.
His reason is that grains are low in calories, low in fat, and high in appetite-satisfying carbohydrates.
As you can see, he subscribes to outdated science.