Thanks for that link Maurizio.  I have read the book and have now also read this article in its entirety.  The article is very well written and extremely interesting.  It supports some of Dr. Davis' assertions, debunks others, offers alternative explanations for some and agrees with some for slightly different reasons than Dr. Davis.

mpescatori wrote on 04/18/12 at 06:55:42:



Exactly.  I would have about as much knowledge of what it is like living in Europe as you do about improved health from getting off of wheat.

Boule’tard wrote on 04/18/12 at 13:10:30:


Whether or not it blows holes is up for debate.

Gyrobob wrote on 04/18/12 at 20:07:35:


Just what we need, the HAIRY WOMAN ...



On the other hand, as I assume that in the Middle Ages people ate what was available at hand (no Wal-Mart in those days) so according to your theory, if someone was bald...
...he must have been eating wheat...???

What about places where it was too cold to grow wheat ?

Like in Northern Europe ?

These are 9th Century images of King Charles the Bald, who, being King, had ample access to what little meat was available.



He wasn't just King, he was Holy Roman Emperor...

He most certainly had access to what little meat was available in those days, it being game rather than slaughtered cattle (precious for milk)

Has anyone considered baldness is simply a genetic feature of the hair, no more,. no less than being dark haired or blond, or having a big nose or flop ears?

Are we confusing genetics with diets ?

Gyrobob wrote on 04/18/12 at 20:01:14:

It blows holes. You gotta admit that the WB book is fluffed out in places, in order to make wheat seem worse than it is. Had you dug into the references further, you'd have seen that while they're good peer-reviewed papers, some don't support the claims made in the book.

For example, pages 50-51. Davis is trying to make the case that wheat is an addictive drug. He cites a couple of studies where Naloxone was used to block the opiate receptors, the "pleasure center" or whatever in the brain.  One study concluded that indeed, Naloxone reduces food consumption in general.  The other one concluded that the type of foods Naloxone most consistently deters one from eating are the ones loaded with fats and sugar. Here is a chart from that study:



Those are the percentages of foods consumed while the subjects were on Naloxone.

Non-wheat foods loaded with fats, sugar, or both... consistently down
Wheat foods loaded with sugar (cookies, shortbread)... down 30-70%
Wheat foods loaded with salt (pretzels, crackers)... down 20-40%
Wheat pretty much by itself (bread sticks)..... UP 40%

Davis quite misleadingly tries to use this to impugn wheat.  He takes the consumption of all the wheat products in aggregate, even the salty and sugary ones, and says that overall, Naloxone reduces wheat consumption 20-odd percent, and that the effect of naloxone "seems particularly specific to wheat." That's BS.  The only conclusions you can take from those studies is that taking Naloxone reduces food consumption in general, and the ingredients most avoided are sugar and grease.

The blog dude points out other errors in the WB book. You should read his post and tell us what you think.

You guys argue against this as if I were selling books or trying to get you to sign up for a WW program.  It's hard to understand the resistance.  
-- Even if the Doc emphasized his strong points, and de-emphasized his not-as-strong points, so what?  
-- What does it matter if someone has a different interpretation of a finding in a study?

Why all the effort to find problems with the book, when it benefits people when they stop eating wheats/grains/sugars?  
-- Granted, some folks have nearly miraculous things happen to them (no more arthritis, diabetes cured completely, arterial plaque gone, etc.), and others just lose a little weight and have their skin clear up.
-- The times that people report no good coming from wheat-free-ness are the result of not getting completely off of wheat and grains for at least several weeks.  
  --- It does little good to try it for a few days or a couple weeks. I'm reminded of a buddy of mine I think I have mentioned before in college who tried weightlifting for a week and said it was stupid because nothing at all happened except for getting sore.
  --- Decades of abusing wheat don't get turned around very quickly.

Anyway,.. the results from getting off of wheat are getting more and more publicity.  The benefits to most people are remarkable.  Most heavy folks who do it the right way, lose a lot of weight, and feel way better day to day than they did before.

The things that happened to me are undeniable, and have just been building since last October when I started this.  I can fully understand now what he means when he says that while a few benefits will become obvious within the first few weeks, many many more will show up over the next several months.  Here are some of the things that have happened to me in the last six months:
-- Joint pain and stiffness greatly reduced. The trip to Daytona last month was a lot more comfortable than the several years before. Also, working on the two RYCA bikes is a lot easier,.. I can now squat down to work on something for a while, putting a load on my knees, ankles, and lower back, and pop right back up again.  No popping, creaky joints.  No walking stooped over for the first few steps until my back loosens up enough to stand up straight.
-- Lost 12 lbs.  Now 204 lbs on a 6'3" bod.  
-- After 40 years of misery, no more pounding violent recurring headaches.  This is probably the most important benefit to me, personally.
-- Appetite noticeably diminished. Hunger pangs gone
-- No more fecal combat. Now it's a serene, gentle, and tidy regularity.
-- No more allergies.  Sinuses are much more open now.  Pollen has no effect anymore.  
-- I used to get a rash if metal was on my skin for more than a day or so.  Now, after three decades on not being able to, I am wearing a wedding band again. A few weeks ago I bought my first ever watch with a metal band.  No rash. 
-- More stamina/energy.
-- No more melatonin, sominex, etc. Sleeping is much easier. Insomnia is no longer a problem.
-- No more heartburn. Good-by tums and tagamet.
-- Blood pressure decreased from pre-hypertension to around 120/75.

I haven't had anything quantifiable happen to my hair yet.  It seems thicker, but there is no way to quantify that.  It might just be hope.

I present all this info here so any of you who want to take advantage of the benefits can do so, and to ask me about ways to make it work better. (there are lots of ways to screw it up)  Anyone wanting to just shoot holes in the book can do so, but for what purpose?  
-- I'm not here to defend the book,.. just the concept of getting off of all wheat/grains/sugar.
-- Saying the Doc's findings from a certain study don't agree with some other interpretation of a certain study has little to do with the way diabetics are transitioned to ex-diabetics after a few weeks of wheat-free-ness, or the way just about everyone that gets off of wheat has something to say about joint stiffness and pain getting better.
-- Claiming all he wants to do is to sell books has nothing to do with the fact that my headaches,.. my debilitating and frequent headaches,.. are GONE!!
-- The folks that use the system in the book, properly, will reap all kinds of benefits.  
  --- Why resist that?  
  --- What is gained by trying to shoot holes in something that works so well for so many folks?
  --- If you think all these folks are lying, and you firmly believe it can not work, what good does it do to keep trying to degrade something you don't understand?

To sum up, getting off of wheat and grains and sugars is a healthy thing to do.  It works (if you get off of ALL wheat and grains and sugars).  If you don't like the idea, fine.  Just leave it alone.

Here's the deal in the Cafe' section...  You can post what you want, as long as it's not too offensive,...
... and we can reply how we want...

If all you want is agreement and enthusiasm....why not post wherever you keep getting these testimonials...  
They all agree with you over there...
Anyone here that's interested can go there and read for themselves...
Your thread here is becoming a mirror site for WB...

Boule’tard wrote on 04/19/12 at 12:50:39:

Mine too, I guess...  ...