China fiction?

10. July 2010 William Davis (39)
Dr. Colin Campbell caused a stir with publication of his 2005 book, The China Study. Dr. Campbell, after extensive animal and epidemiologic research conducted in China over 20 years, concluded that a diet high in animal protein, especially casein, was associated with increased cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease risk.

Richard Nikoley of Free the Animal and Stephan Guyenet of Whole Health Source have been talking about an analysis of the China Study raw data performed by a young woman named Denise Minger.

Denise's analysis is nothing short of brilliant, absolutely "must" reading for anyone interested in nutrition.

Her comments on the relationship of wheat to heart disease:

Why does Campbell indict animal foods in cardiovascular disease (correlation of +1 for animal protein and -11 for fish protein), yet fail to mention that wheat flour has a correlation of +67 with heart attacks and coronary heart disease, and plant protein correlates at +25 with these conditions?

Speaking of wheat, why doesn’t Campbell also note the astronomical correlations wheat flour has with various diseases: +46 with cervix cancer, +54 with hypertensive heart disease, +47 with stroke, +41 with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs, and the aforementioned +67 with myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease?

Carbohydrate-LDL double whammy

9. July 2010 William Davis (14)
Carbohydrates in the diet trigger formation of small LDL particles. Because carbohydrates, such as products made from wheat, increase triglycerides and triglyceride-containing lipoproteins (chylomicrons, chylomicron remnants, VLDL, and IDL), LDL particles (NOT LDL cholesterol) become triglyceride-enriched. Triglyceride-enriched LDL particles are "remodeled" by the enzyme, hepatic lipase, into triglyceride-depleted, small LDL particles.

The list of reasons why small LDL particles are more atherogenic, i.e., plaque-causing, is long:

--Small LDL particles, being smaller, more readily penetrate the endothelial barrier of the arterial wall.
--Small LDL particles are more adherent to glycosaminoglycans in the artery wall.
--Small LDL particles are poorly taken up by the liver LDL receptor, but enthusiastically taken up by macrophage receptors of the sort in your artery walls.
--Because of their poor liver clearance, small LDL persists in the bloodstream far longer than large LDL.
--Small LDL particles are more oxidation-prone. Oxidized LDL are more likely to trigger inflammatory phenomena and be taken up by macrophages in the artery wall.

Let me add another reason why small LDL particles are more likely to cause plaque: They are more likely to undergo glycation. (More on glycation here.)

Glycation occurs when glucose (sugar) molecules in the blood or tissue modify proteins, usually irreversibly. Small LDL particles are uniquely glycation-prone. (This is likely due to a conformational change of the apoprotein B in the small LDL particle, exposing lysine residues along apo B that become glycated.)

Here's a great demonstration of this phenomenon by Younis et al:


"LDL3" is the small type. Note that small LDL particles are 4-5 times more glycated than large LDL. That's a big difference.

Once glycated, small LDL is especially resistant to being taken up by the liver. Like annoying in-laws, they hang around and hang around and . . . The longer they hang around, they more opportunity they have to contribute to plaque formation.

So, carbohydrates trigger formation of small LDL particles. Once formed, small LDL particles are glycated when blood sugar increases. While LDL can be glycated even when blood sugars are in the normal range (90 mg/dl or less), glycation goes berserk when blood sugars go higher, such as a blood sugar of 155 mg/dl after a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal.

To lose weight, prick your finger

8. July 2010 William Davis (45)
We know that foods that trigger insulin lead to fat storage. Putting a stop to this process allows you to mobilize fat and lose weight. If you're starting out from scratch, rapid and dramatic weight loss can be experienced, as much as one pound per day.

So how can you stop triggering insulin?

The easiest way is to eliminate, or at least minimize, carbohydrates. My favorite method to restrict carbohydrates is to eliminate wheat and minimize exposure to other carbohydrates, such as oats, cornstarch, and sugars. All these foods, wheat products worst of all, cause blood sugar and insulin to skyrocket.

Another way is to check your blood sugar one hour after completing a meal and keep your after-eating, or "postprandial," blood sugar 100 mg/dl or less. Let's say you are going to eat stone ground oatmeal, for example. Blood sugar prior to eating is, say, 90 mg/dl. One hour after oatmeal it's 168 mg/dl--you know that this is going to trigger insulin and make you fat. Oatmeal should therefore be eliminated.

Keeping blood sugar to 100 mg/dl or less after eating teaches you how to avoid provocation of insulin. A shrinking tummy will follow.

To do this, you will need:

1) A glucose meter--My favorite is the One Touch Ultra Mini ($13.42 at Walmart). It's exceptionally easy to use and requires just a dot of blood. Drawback: Test strips are about $1 each. Accuchek Aviva is another good device. (We've had a lot of problems with Walgreen's brand device.)
2) Test strips--This is the costly part of the proposition. Purchased 25 or 50 at a time, they can cost from $0.50 to $1.00 a piece.
3) Lancets--These are the pins for the fingerstick device that comes with the glucose meter. A box should be just a few dollars.

No prescription is necessary, nor will insurance pay for your costs unless you're diabetic. To conserve test strips, use them only when a new, untested food or food combination is going to be consumed. If you had two scrambled eggs with green peppers, sundried tomatoes, and olive oil yesterday and had a one hour postprandial glucose of 97 mg/dl, no need to check blood sugar again if you are having the same meal again today.

Iodine update

2. July 2010 William Davis (30)
As the iodine experience grows, I've made several unique observations.

Up to several times per day, I see people who are responding in some positive way to iodine supplementation. (See previous Heart Scan Blog posts about iodine: Iodine deficiency is REAL and The healthiest people are the most iodine deficient.)

Among the phenomena I've observed:

1) A free T4 thyroid hormone at the low end of normal, or even in the below normal range, along with a highish TSH (usually >1.5 mIU/L) are the most frequent patterns that signal iodine deficiency. Occasionally, a low free T3 value will also increase, though this is the least frequent development.

2) At a dose of 500 to 1000 mcg iodine per day, it requires anywhere from 3 to 6 months to obtain normalization of thyroid measures.

3) Reversal of small goiters also occurs over about 6 months.

4) Iodine intolerance is uncommon. If it occurs, using a low starting dose, e.g., 100-200 mcg per day, usually works. The dose can be increased gradually over the ensuing months.

5) Perceptible benefits of iodine occur only occasionally. The most common perceptible effects are increased energy and increased warmth, especially of the hands and feet.

6) Some people who have taken thyroid hormones for years will develop reduced need for their medication with iodine supplementation. In other words, their physician was inadvertently treating iodine deficiency with thyroid hormone replacement. Anyone already on any thyroid preparation(s), e.g., Synthroid, levothyroxine, Armour thyroid, Naturethroid, etc., should watch for signs of hyperthyroidism when iodine is added. But having your own thyroid gland make its own thyroid hormones is better and healthier than relying on the prescription agents. Just be sure to monitor your thyroid measures.

7) Iodine toxicity can occur--Two people in my clinic population developed iodine toxicity by taking 6000 mcg iodine per day for 6 or more months. (Both patients did it on their own based on something they read). Iodine toxicity is evidenced by shutting down your thyroid, i.e., marked increase in TSH, e.g., 15 mIU/L.


Most of the people in my clinic obtain their iodine from kelp tablets. Some use potassium iodine (KI) drops. A handful have used the high-potency Iodoral (12.5 mg or 12,500 mcg iodine per tablet); this was also the form that generated the toxic effects in the two females.

All in all, iodine deficiency is actually far more common than I ever suspected. Not everybody is iodine deficient. But a substantial minority of the Midwest population I see certainly are.

Why haven't you heard about lipoprotein(a)?

1. July 2010 William Davis (26)
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is the combined product of a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle joined with the liver-produced protein, apoprotein(a).

Apoprotein(a)'s characteristics are genetically-determined: If your Mom gave the gene to you, you will have the same type of apoprotein(a) as she did. You will also share her risk for heart disease and stroke.

When apoprotein(a) joins with LDL, the combined Lp(a) particle is among the most aggressive known causes for coronary and carotid plaque. If apoprotein(a) joins with a small LDL, the Lp(a) particle that results is especially aggressive. This is the pattern I see, for instance, in people who have heart attacks or have high heart scan scores in their 40s or 50s.

Lp(a) is not rare. Estimates of incidence vary from population to population. In the population I see, who often come to me because they have positive heart scan scores or existing coronary disease (in other words, a "skewed" or "selected" population), approximately 30% express substantial blood levels of Lp(a).

Then why haven't you heard about Lp(a)? If it is an aggressive, perhaps the MOST aggressive known cause for heart disease and stroke, why isn't Lp(a)featured in news reports, Oprah, or The Health Channel?

Easy: Because the treatments are nutritional and inexpensive.

The expression of Lp(a), despite being a genetically-programmed characteristic, can be modified; it can be reduced. In fact, of the five people who have reduced their coronary calcium (heart scan) score the most in the Track Your Plaque program, four have Lp(a). While sometimes difficult to gain control over, people with Lp(a) represent some of the biggest success stories in the Track Your Plaque program.

Treatments for Lp(a) include (in order of my current preference):

1) High-dose fish oil--We currently use 6000 mg EPA + DHA per day
2) Niacin
3) DHEA
4) Thyroid normalization--especially T3

Hormonal strategies beyond DHEA can exert a small Lp(a)-reducing effect: testosterone for men, estrogens (human, no horse!) for women.

In other words, there is no high-ticket pharmaceutical treatment for Lp(a). All the treatments are either nutritional, like high-dose fish oil, or low-cost generic drugs, like liothyronine (T3) or Armour thyroid.

That is the sad state of affairs in healthcare today: If there is no money to be made by the pharmaceutical industry, then there are no sexy sales representatives to promote a new drug to the gullible practicing physician. Because most education for physicians is provided by the drug industry today, no drug marketing means no awareness of this aggressive cause for heart disease and stroke called Lp(a). (When a drug manufacturer finally releases a prescription agent effective for reducing Lp(a), such as eprotirome, then you'll see TV ads, magazine stories, and TV talk show discussions about the importance of Lp(a). That's how the world works.)

Now you know better.

How to have a heart attack in 10 easy steps

29. June 2010 William Davis (48)
If you would like to plan a heart attack in your future, here are some easy-to-follow steps to get you there in just a few short months or years:


1) Follow a low-fat diet.

2) Replace fat calories with "healthy whole grains" like whole wheat bread.

3) Eat "heart healthy" foods like heart healthy yogurt and breakfast cereals from the grocery store.

4) Use cholesterol-reducing plant sterols.

5) Take a multivitamin to obtain all the "necessary" nutrients.

6) Take the advice of your doctor who declares your heart "in great shape" based on your cholesterol values.

7) Take the advice of your cardiologist who declares your heart "like that of a 30-year old" based on a stress test.

8) Take a statin drug to reduce LDL and c-reactive protein while maintaining your low-fat diet.

9) Neglect sun exposure and vitamin D restoration.

10) Limit your salt intake while not supplementing iodine.



There you have it: An easy, 10-step process to do your part to help your local hospital add on its next $40 million heart care center.

If you would instead like to prevent a heart attack in your future, then you should consider not doing any of the above.

Kick inflammation in the butt

25. June 2010 William Davis (0)
C-reactive protein, or CRP, is a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammatory signals its receives. Thus, CRP has emerged as a popular measure to gauge the underlying inflammatory status of your body. Higher CRP levels (e.g., 3.0 mg/L or greater) are associated with increased risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular events.

The drug cartel have jumped on this with the assistance of Harvard cardiologist, Dr. Paul Ridker. Most physicians now regard increased CRP as a mandate to institute statin therapy, preferably at high doses based on such studies as The JUPITER Trial, in which rosuvastatin (Crestor), 20 mg per day, reduced CRP 37%.

I see this differently. Two strategies drop CRP dramatically, nearly to zero with rare exception: Vitamin D restoration and wheat elimination. Not 37%, but something close to 100%.

Yes, I know it sounds wacky. But it works almost without fail, provided the rest of your life is conducted in reasonably healthy fashion, i.e., you don't live on Coca Cola, weigh 80 lbs over ideal weight, and smoke.

How can something so easily reduced like CRP mean you "need" medication? Easy: Increased CRP means there are fundamental deficiencies and/or inflammation provoking foods in your diet. Correct neither and there is an apparent benefit to taking a statin drug.

Why not just correct the underlying causes?

Life without Lipitor

25. June 2010 William Davis (17)
One of the most common reasons people come to my office is to correct high cholesterol values without Lipitor. (Substitute "Lipitor" with Crestor, simvastatin, Vytorin, or any of the other cholesterol drugs; it's much the same.)

In the world of conventional healthcare, in which you are instructed to follow a diet that increases risk for heart disease and not advised to correct nutrient deficiencies like vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, then a drug like Lipitor may indeed provide benefit.

But when you are provided genuinely effective information on diet, along with correction of nutrient deficiencies, then the "need" and apparent benefits of Lipitor largely dissolve. While there are occasional genetic anomalies that can improve with use of Lipitor and other statins, many, perhaps most, people taking these drugs really would not have to if they were just provided the right information.

Anyone following the discussions on these pages knows that wheat elimination is probably one of the most powerful overall health strategies available. Wheat elimination reduces real measured LDL quite dramatically. Provided you limit other carbohydrates, such as those from fruits, as well, LDL can drop like a stone. That's not what your doctor tells you. This approach works because elimination of wheat and limiting other carbohydrates reduces small LDL. Small LDL particles are triggered by carbohydrates, especially wheat; reducing carbohydrates reduces small LDL. Conventional LDL of the sort obtained in your doctor's office will not show this, since it is a calculated value that appears to increase with reduced carbohydrates, a misleading result.

Throw vitamin D normalization and iodine + thyroid normalization into the mix (both are exceptionally common), and you have two additional potent means to reduce (measured) LDL. Not restricting fat but increasing healthy fat intake, such as the fats in lots of raw nuts, olive oil, and flaxseed oil reduce LDL.

While I still prescribe statins now and then, a growing number of people are succeeding without them.

(Note that by "measured" LDL I am referring to the "gold standard," LDL particle number by NMR provided by Liposcience. A second best is measured Apoprotein B available through most conventional labs.)

In search of wheat: Emmer

23. June 2010 William Davis (13)
While einkorn is a 14-chromosome ancient wheat (containing the so-called "A" genome), emmer is a 28-chromosome wheat (containing the "A" and "B" genomes, the "B" likely contributed by goat grass 9000 years ago).

Both einkorn and emmer originally grew wild in the Fertile Crescent, allowing Neolithic Natufians to harvest the wild grasses with stone sickles and grind the seeds into porridge.

Having tested einkorn with only a modest rise in blood sugar but without the gastrointestinal or neurological effects I experienced with conventional whole wheat bread, I next tested bread made with emmer grain.

The emmer grain was ground just like the other two grains, cardiac dietitian Margaret Pfeiffer doing all the work of grinding and baking. Margaret added nothing but water, yeast, and a little salt. The emmer rose a little more than einkorn, but not to the degree of conventional whole wheat.

I tested my blood sugar beforehand: 89 mg/dl. I then ate 4 oz of the emmer bread. It tasted very similar to conventional whole wheat, but not as nutty as einkorn. Also not as heavy as einkorn, only slightly heavier than conventional whole wheat.

One hour later, blood sugar: 147 mg/dl. I felt slightly queasy for about 2-3 hours, but that was the end of it. No abdominal cramps, no sleep disturbance or crazy dreams, no nausea, no change in ability to concentrate.

I asked four other wheat-sensitive people to try the emmer bread. Likewise, nobody reacted negatively (though nobody tested blood sugar).

So it seems to me, based on this small, unscientific experience, that ancient einkorn (A) and emmer (AB) wheat seem to act like carbohydrates, similar to, say, rice or quinoa, but lack many of the other adverse effects induced by conventional wheat.

Modern wheat , Triticum aestivum, contains variations on the "A," "B," and "D" genomes, the "D" contributed by hybridization with Triticum tauschii at about the same time that emmer wheat hybridization occurred. It is likely that proteins coded by the "D" genome are the source of most of the problems with wheat products: immune, neurologic, gastrointestinal destruction, airway inflammation (asthma), increase in appetite, etc. This is consistent with observations made in studies that attempt to pinpoint the gliadin proteins that trigger celiac, the area in which much of this research originates.

If I ever would like an indulgence of cookies or cupcakes, I think that I will order some more einkorn grain from Eli Rogosa.

In search of wheat: Another einkorn experience

23. June 2010 William Davis (6)
Lisa is a trained dietitian. Unlike many of her colleagues, she has "seen the light" and realized that the conventional advice that most dietitians are forced to dispense through hospitals, clinics, and other facilities is just plain wrong. 

I know Lisa personally and we've had some great conversations on diet and nutritional supplements. I told Lisa about my einkorn experience and how I witnessed a dramatic difference between bread made from einkorn wheat and that made from conventional whole wheat. So she decided to give it a try herself. 

Here's Lisa's experience:


This past Friday, June 18th, I conducted my "Einkorn Wheat Experiment".

7 am 
FBG [fasting blood glucose] 97 mg/dl

8 am-9 am 
1 hour high-intensity aerobic workout

10:05 am 
BG 99

10:05 am 
I embarked upon the journey of choking down, I mean enjoying, the hefty piece of Einkorn bread. Wow, was that bread dense!  It was a lot of work chewing. 

10:50 am 
(45 minutes after consumption, wanted to see what BG did a bit before the 1 hr mark)  BG 153

11:05 am 
1hr PP 120

11:35 am 
90 mins PP [postprandial] 113

12:05 pm 
2 hours PP  114 ... at this time I ate an egg & veggie omelet for lunch.

12:50 pm 
BG 100

Before dinner 5:10 pm 
BG 88

I was surprised with the BG of 153. However, it was good to see my insulin response is reactive and decreased BG 33 points in 15 minutes to end up with a BG of 120 1 hr after the bread.  

So, it appears my response is similar. A slight elevation of BG at the 1 hour mark, but not to the degree of conventional whole grain wheat bread.  

Of note, also, was the fact that I cannot remember the last time I ate a piece of wheat bread of this magnitude that did not make me bloated... not at all: No cramps, no brain fog, no headache and, did I mention not bloated?  

I believe you are on to something with tolerance of Einkorn wheat for those of us with wheat sensitivities, in addition to its apparent lower glycemic response.

Along with Lisa, I asked four other people with various acute intolerances (all gastrointestinal) to conventional wheat, i.e., people who experience undesirable effects from wheat within minutes to several hours, to eat the einkorn bread. None experienced their usual reactions.

Obviously, this does not constitute a clinical trial. Nonetheless, I find this a compelling observation: People like myself who generally experience distinct undesirable reactions to wheat did not experience these reactions with einkorn.

Note, however, that einkorn behaves like a carbohydrate. No different, say, from brown rice or quinoa. However, unlike modern whole wheat flour from Triticum aestivum,  in this little experience there were no immune reactions, no neurologic phenomena, no gastrointestinal distress--just the blood sugar consequences.

While this may not be true for all people consuming einkorn, it suggests that primordial einkorn wheat is quite different from modern conventional wheat for most people.
Calling all losers!

Calling all losers!

29. August 2009 William Davis (14)
I'd like to invite anyone who has followed the Track Your Plaque Break the Weight Barrier program to consider posting their stories and photos on the Heart Scan Blog.

Because our focus is prevention and reversal of coronary heart disease, we have not made an effort to catalog the weight loss experience that people have while on the program. For many, weight loss has been substantial. (Several people this week alone have reported weight loss of 9 to 46 lbs in the past 6 months.)

It would be helpful to hear and see these results.

For those of you who don't mind having a story and photo on this Blog, please come back in future to post your results. You will find this post by entering "weight loss" into the site-specific search bar at the top of the page.
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Comments (14) -

  • Barkeater

    8/29/2009 3:34:41 PM |

    I cut back on bread somewhat before coming to TYP, without a specific intent to lose weight.  I was happy to drop 9 lbs over four months just the same, but thought I was done when I reached 165lbs, my weight as a high school senior (I am 54 years old now, and no one thought I was overweight at 174 lbs. - I am 5'10", so BMI was at the top of the normal range at 174 lbs)

    In Jan. 2009 I joined TYP, further cut my wheat intake to one modest helping a day and reduced sugar and fructose to maybe 10g or 15g a day (that is not the most rigorous TYP diet, to be sure; this is really only moderate compliance).  More weight dropped off (again, I had no real intention or desire to lose weight).  

    Now I am 156 lbs, which probably was where I was as a high school sophomore.  I feel great, and have been playing better lacrosse and soccer than I have in years.

    One clue -- my triglycerides never were too high, 70 or 80 over the years (LDL, well that is another matter).  Even on my good but not great TYP diet, trigs dropped like a stone, 29 the last time tested.  I think trigs are a great measure of wheat and sugar sensitivity.  If they are above 100, by all means restrict wheat and sugar and see if they don't get to a much healthier 60.  Even if not over 100, watch the trigs number go down and watch the lbs go down too.

    My son lost six pounds over the summer cutting down vastly on wheat and sugar but eating everything else like a horse.  Neither of us has any interest in denying ourselves whatever quantity of food we want.  He was not trying to lose weight either.

    Family members are not used to seeing me on the thin side, so I have gotten some comments asking if I am anorexic etc.  No, but I do get full with less food nowadays.

  • Dr. William Davis

    8/29/2009 6:09:47 PM |

    Thanks, Bark.

    I agree on the triglyceride issue: It is a very sensitive gauge of carbohydrate, specificaly wheat, exposure.

  • karl

    8/29/2009 9:52:10 PM |

    I had a high weight of 245 - now I'm at an ideal weight of 185 and maintaining it with out cravings.

    I used the AHA recommended low fat diet earlier with limited success and many health problems (back problems - gastic problems). Felt miserable all the time and failed to lose and keep the weight off. I thought I would never run again. I now sprint uphill for a block twice a day.

    What a difference..

  • Dr. William Davis

    8/29/2009 11:09:48 PM |

    Thanks, Karl.

    Pictures of your experience?

  • kris

    8/30/2009 12:01:03 AM |

    Although I started studying about my thyroid issue much earlier and did lose some weight, but ever since I started following Dr. Davis’s blog, it has given me confidence that I was on the right track. I did have my thyroid and iodine figured it out from other sources but Dr. Davis helped me to understand the issues with not only the thyroid but vitamin D3, fructose, fish oil, niacin, wheat etc. I have lost 43lb in last 14 months. It seems to me that there are certain percentages of weight connected with different issues. For example, after I gave up alcohol and sugar, I lost about 14lbs from total weight of 243lbs, weight came down to about 229lb. then it stopped at 229lb, even though I was in the gym almost 5 to 6 days a week with full workout. After I changed my thyroid medication to natural thyroid hormones (took synthetic t4 for over 10 years) the weight dropped down further 13lbs or so in matter of few days, shape of the face changed from moon shape/double chin to ordinary long face. Then it kind of stopped at around 213-216lbs. after giving up wheat, reducing carbs, increasing protein intake (whey protein, chicken etc. no soya, no fructose) the weight came down another 14lbs. now it is around 200-202lbs and I am over 6.2 tall with heavy set of bones. I feel better than I have ever in my life. More stamina, more clarity/no fog, more confidence and 99% of the time relaxed and being able to see the situation from multiple angels. I use to be able to drink a liter or more jack denial without a problem in one evening but now can’t stand half a can of beer (I miss JD). Drinking alcohol makes me sick. I sleep well and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I have no problem going back to sleep. No more out of breath stair climbing at all. One other thing, I was use to be the most attractive meal to the mosquitoes but not anymore, this year I haven’t been bitten once. I take my dog to the park everyday and I do not use any mosquito repellent, what a relief. I don’t know if it is because of thyroid, iodine, wheat or something else. Skin texture has changed dramatically; I do not use full soap or shampoo, 20% borax, 10 percent of my soap or shampoo for scent and rest water, mixed in a 500ml bottle, no more dandruff, dry skin, pimples for me. Dr. Davis I am thank full to people like you who have the ability to see beyond what you have been taught and have the guts to say the way it is. Most of us work to make living on daily basis but some make their living while spreading their knowledge to save lives. Dr Davis you are one of those few people. Please keeps it going.

  • Dr. William Davis

    8/30/2009 4:16:18 PM |

    Kris--

    Wow! Great story.

    I'd like to feature your story as a Heart Scan Blog post to help others understand the various steps involved in losing weight effectively.

  • Tonya M

    8/30/2009 6:16:52 PM |

    OK, I'm sold.  I have been reading your Blog, Dr. Davis, for about 6 months.  My mother had a heart attack at age 59 last year.  She is concerned about me, and for good reason.  I am 39 years old, 5'2' and 215 pounds. I have tried EVERYTHING, and 6 months ago was sold on the lap band.  Then I found your blog.  My cholesterol was 258, and my "new" doctor put me on 10 mg of simvastatin.  My former doctor gave me a lecture.  After 3 months of very little change with the cholesterol, she wanted to up the dosage.  I asked for a chance to try Niacin and fish oil.  3 months later, my overall number was down to 217.  The nurse told me it was a "slight" change...darn, I think 41 points on my cholesterol in 3 months was GREAT!  I go back in October.  My thyroid was "borderline" for years, but I was never given anything to help--only lectures.  "LOSE WEIGHT"..."You're obese"...One doctor told me I was a "prime candidate" for gastric bypass.  I nearly fell off my chair.  If I don't learn how to change my diet, I will be in the same situation post lap band or gastric bypass.  I won't do that to myself.
    So, YES, I am sold.  I am going to go wheat (and sugar) free.  I have been doing some food research and some creative shopping.  I will keep you posted!!  Wish me luck!
    Thank you for a wonderful, compelling blog, Dr. Davis.

  • Dr. William Davis

    8/30/2009 10:51:53 PM |

    Hi, Tonya--

    Please be sure to let us know how it goes in a few weeks.

  • Bonnie

    8/31/2009 6:54:36 PM |

    A question about weight loss and niacin, which has been recommended to me for my high LDL. I notice, Dr Davis, in one of your posts you said that niacin works by blocking release of fatty acids from the fat cells. I've also read that it can somewhat elevate blood sugar--all of which sounds like an insulin response.  Could niacin hinder weight loss?  I've never heard this but the mode of action suggests that it could.

    Thanks so much for your excellent blog; I never fill a prescription without checking here first.

  • Dr. William Davis

    8/31/2009 8:30:42 PM |

    Hi, Bonnie--

    Theoretically it could. However, this doesn't seem to play out in real life, for reasons I don't understand.

    I've witnessed substantial weight while on niacin, so if there's an effect, it must be quite trivial.

  • Maurice

    9/1/2009 4:00:30 AM |

    I am still quite fat, but have given up on bread and sugars and white flour and the "usual suspects", and the weight is starting to come off, even without being too disciplined to do all the rest of the steps.  I'll get there too, but just had to take those first steps, WHICH ARE WORKING.  

    Clothes are looser, energy levels starting to increase dramatically, but more important to me, and something I am not sure if anyone mentioned...my sore legs and knees are starting to feel better.  I'm in my 50's, and know I need to lose for all kinds of reasons, but there is real chronic pain in obesity.  

    I know why my joints hurt.  It's not a medical mystery.  But even with my initial slow and steady loss, there is dramatic improvement in my joint symptoms.

  • Hans Schrauwen

    9/1/2009 8:38:14 AM |

    I had similar results as Kris with much the same side effects. Dropped processed carbs and fructose 2 years ago, lost 15kg then stalled. Dropped all grains and processed omega6 fats 1 year ago and added saturated fats + D3 + niacin back in and lost another 9kg.
    A few other side effects :
    - dry lips: I used to use a lot of chap stick for dry and even occasional blisters  on the lips, not any more.
    - cold sores: I used to get them every few months, it has been more then a year now since I had them
    - body odour: I used to had to wash every few days, not any more, I just rinse (finish with cold water) and brush myself dry.
    - Tanning: I used to burn easily and would therefore avoid the sun, now I tan like when I was a kid.
    - bleeding gums : gone
    - plaque on the back of the tongue : nice and pink now.


    And yes, I cannot "handle" my alcohol any more, a few beers and I'll have a terrible hangover.

  • Anne

    9/1/2009 2:56:42 PM |

    I have posted my story before, but I will post it again. I went gluten free 6 years ago and went from 145 to 135. I am 5'4". Last year I gave up all grains and greatly reduced my all carbohydrates and another 15 lbs disappeared. I have remained at 120 by staying low carb. Before I went grain free my blood sugar was spiking over 200. Now I can keep my blood sugar under 120 after eating by sticking with the grain free low carb life. My lipid profile has improved greatly without medication since getting off the AHA sanctioned high sugar diet. My hsCRP has dropped from over 13 to 2.19.  

    Ten years ago I had cardiac bypass after multiple failed stents. I was only 54 when all this started. As I look back I believe some of the contributing causes to my heart disease were low vitamin D, hypothyroidism, gluten intolerance, insulin resistance. I am still trying to get my thyroid issues optimized. There are often many layers to figure out on our journeys to better health.

  • Anonymous

    1/15/2011 11:16:46 AM |

    Hi Dr., I have been a quiet reader of your blog for a while......I have been experiencing a lots of health problems for what the GPs don't respond seriously at all. SO i am also convinced I am just making up all these....but the probs don't stop like this......now I am experiencing weight issues, over eating, loss of energy, closed ears or I would say it's heavy ears, pain in the nape as if I am stressed.......but i do agree I am a huge wheat eater.......I don't see any route to go to.....though I have got my hearing test in Feb first week....but it seems they will not find any probs as I am convinced it's all in my head.....but the weighing machine is not lying, I get stressed and have no energy but all of a sudden usually i get energetic after sunset, say after about 7 or 8 pm.........need ur advice on this plzz

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