A Book Review: Wheat Belly – Lose Weight and Find Your Way Back to Health by William Davis, MD
In the first part, Dr. Davis gives us the shocking news (if we didn’t already know it), that whole wheat is unhealthy. In fact, the wheat we have today is nothing like the wheat of yesteryear, as recent as that of our grandparents. He gives a complete history of the grain of wheat. Gluten is the key ingredient, according to Davis, that holds wheat together and creates problems for many. Other grains also have gluten, but since Americans don’t eat as large amounts of these other grains as we do wheat, Davis simplifies by saying “wheat.”
Then, in part two, Davis lays out all the ways wheat destroys health. What we have today has been genetically modified into something that is really addictive. Dr. Christine Zioudrou and her colleagues at the National Institutes of Health studied the effect of gluten on the brain. Penetrates the blood-brain barrier. Based on effects in the brain, they named the polypeptides “exorphins,” short for exogenous morphine-like compounds. In addition, wheat works as an appetite stimulant. Wheat produces belly fat that looks like a pregnant belly. Additionally, wheat triggers the production of an insulin-driven cycle of satiety and hunger with emotional ups and downs. This visceral fat is very dangerous for our health. One result is diabetes.
Some suffer from celiac disease: the intestines react violently when wheat is consumed, even a little bit. While animal products, including cheese, upset the body’s pH by producing too much acid, wheat also upsets the balance. Excess acid in the body causes joint pain and demineralizes the bones. Other problems caused by wheat include cataracts, wrinkles, osteoporosis and hunchback (stooped posture), skin problems (acne, rash) and heart disease. As for the brain, wheat masses with cerebellar health. “Cerebellar ataxia is progressive and worsens with each passing year until the patient is unable to comb their hair, brush their teeth or go to the bathroom on their own. Even the most basic self-care activities are performed by someone else.” (p.167) Peripheral neuropathy has also been linked to gluten. MRIs have also shown brain damage to the cerebral cortex, the center for memory and higher thought. Dementia and temporal lobe seizures have also been linked to wheat.
Finally, in Part Three, Davis guides his readers on how to “create a healthy, delicious, wheat-free life.” He lists foods that contain wheat and gives recipes in the appendix. What’s left in a wheat-free life? Vegetables, raw nuts, good oils (butter, olive oil, coconut, and others), meat and eggs, some dairy, and some fruit. By doing so, you will enjoy a healthy and slim life. Davis makes an excellent case.