Does Dr. Davis have any experimental data about wheat or is it anecdotal from his own practice?
Wheat, on the face of it, is a high glycemic food. Davis originally took his patients off it to lower their blood sugar. He found that not only did it lower their blood sugar, but they lost their pot-bellies and their Lipids improved. Made a convert out of him. Here is his comment on it:
Diet Principle #1: Correct metabolic responses with elimination of wheat and cornstarch
The Basics
Eliminate
* All wheat products
* All cornstarch products
* Fruit drinks and fruit juices
* Candies and other sugary snacks
Over the last several years, there has been an explosion in the prevalence of the collection of abnormalities labeled "metabolic syndrome." You recognize the metabolic syndrome by its characteristic features: protuberant abdomen, higher blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, higher triglycerides, high blood pressure, and higher measures of hidden inflammatory patterns (e.g. c-reactive protein).
The Adult Treatment Panel-III, the national guidelines for cholesterol management, arbitrarily define metabolic syndrome as having any three of the following: HDL 40 mg/dl or less in men, 50 mg/dl or less in women; triglycerides 150 mg/dl or more; BP 130/85 or greater; waist size 35 inches or more in women, 40 inches or greater in males; blood glucose 110 mg/dl or greater. However, this definition tends to identify only the most advanced cases.
Excessive insulin release, followed by resistance to insulin's action, underlie the response that trigger these phenomena. The most sensitive measure of these phenomena are small LDL particles. More than any other measure, small LDL fluctuates with the ebb and flow of insulin sensitivity.
Small LDL has proven to be the number one most reliable index of insulin responses, often more useful than blood sugars, since extravagant degrees of excessive insulin and insulin resistance can remain concealed when judged by blood sugar. Small LDL, however, serves as a more sensitive marker.
Small LDL has therefore leapt to number one spot on the list of most common abnormalities identified through lipoprotein testing. It also occupies number one spot as most frequent cause of coronary plaque. Over 90% of participants in the Track Your Plaque program begin with a substantial quantity of small LDL.
The features of the metabolic syndrome, small LDL, and excessive weight are all powerfully corrected by eliminating the foods that create them.
Wheat, wheat everywhere
Any food that triggers rapid release of blood sugar also triggers formation of small LDL particles. The list of most flagrant culprits include:
* Wheat products: Breads (whole grain, whole wheat, white, multigrain, etc.), bagels, muffins, pastas, cakes, cookies, pancakes, waffles, pretzels, crackers, breakfast cereals. In fact, foods made with wheat or cornstarch increase blood sugar faster and to a higher level than even table sugar (i.e., they have higher glycemic indexes than table sugar). Wheat, in particular, now dominates the diet of most Americans; it's not uncommon for people to eat wheat products four, five, or more times every day.
* Cornstarch: Tacos, tortillas, corn chips, cornbreads, gravies, breakfast cereals.
* Snack foods: Potato chips, rice cakes, popcorn, candies, pies.
* Rice: white and brown
* Potatoes: especially white and red
* Fruit juices, soft drinks: No, fruit juices are not that good for you. (While they contain healthy components, the sugar load is simply too great for the majority of people.)
* Anecdotally, beer seems to share some of the same characteristics as other wheat-based products. When indulging in alcoholic beverages, dry wines are preferred.
Lesser culprits on the list of small LDL triggers are rice (white and brown) and potatoes (white and red). Rice and potatoes are less offensive, mostly because they do not occupy the same dominant role in diet that wheat and cornstarch-based foods play, though both still trigger blood sugar and small LDL.
If wheat, cornstarch, snacks, and fruit drinks are the most potent triggers of insulin, small LDL, and the entire constellation of abnormalities of the metabolic syndrome, then we can reverse this entire situation by . . . eliminating them. Because wheat products, in particular, are so dominant, just eliminating wheat fixes about 90% of the problem for most people. This includes elimination of wheat and cornstarch products cleverly disguised as healthy, as are many whole grain breads and breakfast cereals.
Eliminating the causes of the problem leads to an extraordinary panel of benefits:
* Weight loss : Rapid, often profound, weight loss ensues (The magnitude and rapidity of weight loss response depends on genetic factors, as well as the starting condition of diet). 20-30 lbs lost effortlessly within the first 3 months is a typical result.
* Reduction in small LDL. Because small LDL particles are such a sensitive index, they respond promptly and dramatically.
* Increase in HDL cholesterol
* Reduction in triglycerides
* Enhanced sensitivity to insulin
* Reduction in blood sugar
* Reduction in blood pressure
* Reduction in inflammatory measures, such as c-reactive protein
Subjective improvements also occur: increased mental clarity, increased energy, improved sleep, more stable moods.
Curiously, a common criticism of this approach is the statement: "But we need wheat (or grains) in our diet!"
Entirely untrue. There are several lines of evidence that persuasively demonstrate that wheat and grains are not necessary components of the diet for long, healthy life. Beyond the fact that a host of abnormal metabolic patterns shift towards normal with elimination, wheat and grains provide no beneficial component of diet that cannot be obtained through other foods. Insoluble fibers (wheat bran) can be readily replaced with the fibers from raw nuts, vegetables, fruits, and non-wheat fibers (below). (In fact, if the calories of wheat are replaced by calories from raw nuts, vegetables, etc., fiber intake actually increases.) B vitamins from wheat are easily replaced by B vitamins from meats, non-wheat fibers, vegetables, legumes, etc. There is no deficiency associated with eliminating wheat from the diet, as people with celiac disease (who need to remove wheat from their diet completely because of allergy to wheat gluten) demonstrate. (But do not confuse our approach of wheat elimination with a gluten-free diet; they are different.)
Wheat addiction, wheat withdrawal
There is an important group of people, perhaps no more than 30% of the population, who experience something that can only be described as "wheat addiction."
These people crave wheat products, eating extraordinary quantities of pretzels, crackers, bread, etc. every day. Cravings occur in approximately two-hour cycles, consistent with sugar and insulin fluctuations that result from wheat products. Missing a snack or meal causes distress: shakiness, nervousness, headache, fatigue, and intense cravings.
They also experience "wheat withdrawal" (or, as the Atkins dieters call it, "induction flu") consisting of fatigue, mental fogginess, and diminished exercise capacity that usually lasts two to five days, sometimes longer. The effect is most prominent when going "cold turkey."
This can be especially hazardous. We've seen people with this tendency successfully go through withdrawal and remove wheat from their diet. But a single cracker, pretzel, or cookie indulgence opens a floodgate of sugar and wheat cravings. The initial 30 lbs lost is rapidly regained. There is no realistic way to keep this from happening except to be aware of the phenomenon. People with this characteristic simply need to be vigilant and not let a single indulgence trigger uncontrollable impulses.
Why does wheat withdrawal occur? It is likely that years of high-carbohydrate eating allow metabolism to become reliant on a constant supply of readily-released sugars. Removing sugar sources forces the body to mobilize and burn fatty acids instead, a process which may not be immediate but requires several days to kick in.
There are two ways to deal with this effect.
One: Taper wheat gradually over a week. However, be warned, some people are so addicted to wheat in particular that they find even this tapered process to be overwhelming, and sometimes going cold turkey is a necessity to break the addiction, just as the alcoholic has to suffer through his/her withdrawal.
Two: Select a time to begin the process when you don't need to be at your top performance, e.g., a week off from work. Perhaps it won't be the most action-packed vacation, but it will allow you to return to work/life in far better shape. |
