Dr. Davis,

   Excellent post!  It's quite apparent the auto-immune stimulating qualities of WGA are behind a plethora of chronic diseases.

Regarding both cardiovascular disease and obesity, though, is it a similar mechanism, strictly related to inflammation, or a combination of autoimmunity AND inflammation?  I'm often asked why wheat is "worse" than other forms of dense carbohydrates, but I'm at a loss for a simplistic explanation.

You don't have to convince me.

A number of years ago, I realized wheat was causing me problems, mostly at that time energy problems. If I ate a breakfast with toast, I would get tired almost immediately after. It was probably carbs in general, but I just stopped eating all wheat.

About 5-6 months after that, I came home, saw a box of saltines on the counter, and devoured them. Within an half-hour, I was going through an incredible depressive episode to the point of having suicidal thoughts. It was like someone had turned on a crazy switch in my brain.

Totally anecdotal of course, but I tried the same thing a couple of other times and really noticed immediate changes in my ideation and feelings, so got the message and stopped wheat altogether.

I use wheat grass tablets from Pines.  Is wheat grass harmful like wheat?  I assume the answer is no because there is no gluten in wheat grass.  Am I correct?

Very scary.

How interesting! Thank you for sharing this.

Dr. Davis,
I hope you take this as a compliment!  I follow your blog regularly.  Thanks for all of the great info and wisdom that you've shared over the last year with me since I've been an avid reader of your site.

I also follow Jimmy Moore's site, and saw your picture/name as a participant for an upcoming Low Carb/Fitness Cruise.  I was struck by how your face has really leaned out and is much more muscular/healthy looking.  The picture you currently have on your blog looks good!  I was just wondering whether since your blog picture was taken whether you've leaned out since really bearing down and following a gluten-free diet especially over the last 12+ months?

Wish I could join you on this cruise, maybe next time.  Thanks again for being at the front of the "normal carb" revolution.

Best Regards,
Zach (over at The Paleo Garden)

Here is another report for your list (from Eric Westman at Duke): "Schizophrenia, gluten, and low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diets: a case report and review of the literature" http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652467/?tool=pubmed

They report the resolution of long standing schizophrenia using a ketogenic diet.

My brain on wheat(gluten) was fogged and depressed. In fact, I did not know how depressed I was until I stopped eating gluten. I never knew I could feel so good.

It is well established that gluten can cause seizures and other neurological problems. You can read articles and abstracts about the neurological effects of gluten in The Gluten File http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/theneurologicalmanifestationsofgluten

What does this have to do with my heart? Well, my pitting edema and shortness of breath disappeared when I stopped eating wheat.

I take wheat grass tablets by Pines.  Is wheat grass harmful like wheat?

I've been on a no wheat diet for over a month now. Unfortunately, I can't say I've felt anything in the way of mental benefits. Or any benefits at all really.

But then, I'm pretty healthy overall. I exercise at least an hour a day, and I'm relatively young.

I must conclude that abstaining from wheat is either most beneficial to the unhealthy/elderly, or is a bunch of a hooey

Along the same lines, this is only a case study, but I found it fascinating: Schizophrenia, gluten, and low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diets: a case report and review of the literature

Do you have more information on wheat and Huntington's Disease? Has anyone been able to prevent this disease by eliminating wheat from the diet? What evidence is there?

Thanks

Wheat grass and breads like Ezekiel, to my knowledge, have no gluten. This makes them less harmful, though the bread still poses carbohydrate challenge issues.

Tim--

Dr. Loren Cordain of The Paleo Diet has talked about the relationship of wheat and Huntington's recently in his latest newsletter. He sums up the literature very nicely.

According to Cereal Grains:
Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword, gluten can cause C(o)eliac Disease, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, Sjogren's Syndrome and Cerebellar Ataxia.

My ex-G/F used to get intensely itchy spots on her skin and she also had dry eyes. When she went gluten-free on my suggestion, the itchy spots disappeared and her eyes got a little less dry, but she still has to use artificial tears. She also commented that her belly was less bloated since going gluten-free. Result!

A lady I know has a son with Xeroderma Pigmentosum and Cerebellar Ataxia. When she put her son on a gluten-free diet after reading the above article that I'd e-mailed her a link to, he improved dramatically and began doing things that his mum thought he would never be able to do, as he was previously deteriorating. Result!

I think this is a bit extremist. Whilst those effects do exist in some people, along with problems with other food groups such as Solanaceae they are not ubiquitous by any means.  There are lots of people out there who can eat anything including wheat, dairy and other food groups with gay abandon and suffer NO adverse effects. Opioid peptides are also acknowledged as occurring in other foods such as eggs and OATS and when you think about it the potential is there for them to come out of ANY protein since all proteins are broken down into peptides for digestion.

So, whilst people do need to be aware that they can have intolerances to a wide range of foods for various reasons I think making blanket statements such as this that may compel people to exclude large numbers of food products from their diet for perhaps no good reason, is dangerous and irresponsible.

Anyone suspecting problems with food groups should see an allergist and go through the process of a proper food elimination diet.

I do also appreciate that food intolerances can come and go for a range of reasons.

Food for Life makes Ezekiel bread and it is not the list of gluten free products. http://www.foodforlife.com/our-products.html

Other breads that people often ask about are Sami's and Delands. Although they contain no gluten grains, when tested they showed high amounts of gluten.

So if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you need to avoid these products.

Wheat grass would be gluten free as long as there are no seeds.

Hi, Zach--

Started thyroid replacement when my T3 went real low. I think that did it.

Thanks for noticing.

Sorry, Aileen. All proteins do not break down into the same polypeptides, since there are numerous and varying sequences of amino acids that differ, say, between oats, wheat, beef, nuts, etc.

So a polypeptide is not always the same polypeptide. Referring to a basic biochemistry text would show this quite clearly.

If you think you've escaped the ill-effects of this ubiquitous, more often than not you're wrong. You just haven't realized it yet.

Now you should write a post on the effects of wheat plus statins....

I do know my biochemistry thanks!  I didn't say all proteins break down into the same peptides. Also having been through a proper elimination diet in te past I can say with certainty that gluten/wheat/dairy give me no ill effects.

As with all things in life everyone is different, different populations of receptors in the brain hence different sensitivities and responses.  You can't blanket say gluten (or anything else) is bad for you.

And as with many other things in life - often you don't find stuff out till you look for it.  How many studies on red wine are quoted and its only now they are beginning to look at white wine and find many of the same effects!

Aileen, YOU GO GIRL!  Dr D., you were a bit quick on the put down.

I like that Dr Davis is passionate about CAD risk reduction but I frequently post here when I see generalizations based on limited or cherry picked studies. That is the sort of thing, oh I don't know, big pharma would do.

We don't all have to live like Inuit, there are plenty of vegetarians that are healthy and have no ill effects from eating wheat gluten every day. Or does someone have a study to say all vegetarians are lethargic and overweight?

Trevor

Hi there,

Just wondering if you are a member of THINCS (http://www.thincs.org/) run by Dr.Uffe Ravnskov,

Aileen,

Yes of course not all will get mental illnesses from gluten and a big proportion will not get immediate reaction to gluten. However, it has been shown that it can cause schizophrenia in a small part of the population. Around 30% of normal healthy people produce antibodies to gluten that can be measured in the stool. There are even reports of disappearance of schizophrenia, all sorts of unexplained fatigue and other mental illnesses. There is a strong correlation between gluten consumption and schizophrenia as well.

Now, cannabis has been shows to cause schizophrenia and other mental problems too. Not all will get it and a lot of people can live reasonable lives with it. Would you say cannabis is bad and causes mental illnesses, when similar to gluten it causes various mental problems in a significant proportion of the population? The difference between them is that cannabis has immediate psychoactive properties in almost everyone, so people have no problem believing it's problematic. Gluten does contain exorphins, which do have opioid-like activities. Also the immunogenic factor causing gut malfunction and nutrient malabsorption. How you will handle the opioids and what effects the antibodies and immune system activation will have on your body, no one knows.

Even if you don't get immediate reactions from wheat, I wouldn't bet my life on its harmfulness.

3 months ago i began to eliminate processed food and alchohol from my diet.It has been hard but i have lost 7 kilos and have been feeling great.
Yesterday i was excessively bad ,gave in (the story of my life) and had 3 weetbix,foccacia bread,2 jam donuts.2 beers and 2 pieces of white flat bread.
Well today i feel dreadful.This afternoon i yelled,slammed doors,verbally abused my husband went into depression and had suicidal thoughts.
I have suffered from depression in the past but never as severe as this!
I strongly believe it was due to the wheat consumption,so I went on to the web and typed in 'wheat and depression" and found your site.After reading a few of the blogs i thought i muat be right.Incredible.
Well i will be avoiding wheat now as i have another reason too not just for weight loss.
I'll introduce wheat say in another 2 months time and see if i get the same reaction.It may not be pleasant but will convince me.

Hi, just found your site.  A year ago after going thru horrible female issues and tons of unexplained medical problems I met a nurse who told me to cut out wheat.  I was in the process of having biopsies because no Dr. could figure out what was wrong with me.  

I have no cancer I won't list all the things wrong with me at the time but it was bad, and I was doubting my sanity.  I've always struggled with depression. Cutting out the wheat has helped so much. Most of my health problems went away.  

I may eat a little bit here and there, but not often. I find myself in tears soon after and the depression and body aches come back.

It is a shame that so many Dr.'s know nothing of this or tell me it's all hype. Thank God for the internet, at least now we know we aren't crazy and the wheat problem is finally getting some attention.

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Oddly, this never makes the popular press. But wheat underlies schizophrenia, bipolar illness, behavioral outbursts in autism, Huntington's disease, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Aileen,

If people limited all gluten grains to just 2 or 3% of their diet it would probably be fine.  BUT, the huge problem is that people think their cereal is healthy.  Then they think their whole wheat bread is healthy.  Then they think their pasta is healthy.  By now we are approaching 50 to 75% of their diet.  Then people serve breaded chicken nuggets to their kids.  It is literally killing people.

Dr. Davis is a hero!  Many Drs. do not even take the time to care.

Anonimous said: "Now, cannabis has been shows to cause schizophrenia and other mental problems too. Not all will get it and a lot of people can live reasonable lives with it".

Cannabis DOES NOT cause schizophrenia, that is outdated and probably politicized research. The marijuana smoking is a symptom rather then cause of schizophrenia. Brain CB1 receptors are endogenously used by Anandamide neurotransmitter which is very low in schizophrenic people. THC is more potent version of Anandamide and thats the reason schizophrenic people use it more then regular people who already have normal levels of endogenous version. Cannabis is used as a medicine for most of the history.

Seriously?
Crackers make you want to kill yourself?
Your problems stretch far beyond wheat, sir.

JT,

Just because you don't understand the entirety of the problem, try not to belittle Charles.  Charles may have been exaggerating a bit.  Yes, the problems extend far beyond wheat because wheat infects almost all junk food, processed food, fast food, and "premium" prepared foods.  

Maybe it is time you wise up JT.  Just go to a restaurant with a Gluten free menu.  Then compare all the offerings on that menu to the regular menu.  You guessed it JT,  EVERYTHING else has gluten.  Even the minestrone soup, coffee creamer, ice cream, etc.  Why?  Wheat is the quickest and cheapest way to "thicken" and to make products seem "rich".  

Wheat is just another method of control.  Keeping the rich wealthy and the poor dumb and sick.

I understand low carb diets in general, but the way you talk about postprandial blood sugar levels, what can you eat?  

You continuously point out that foods you didn't think would cause high blood sugars do (is it because of the actual food or hidden ingredients like sugar), so what's on your acceptable list?  (in general).  I realize everyone's body will react slightly differently...

Dr. davis,
I always follow your valuable blogs. please keep up the good work. here is the link to the type of meals to cut down on the carbs.checkk it out.
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/18856280.php

My suspicion is that the balsamic vinegar was the culprit. Some brands are extremely sweet because they have added sugar.

Dr. Davis,
What is an acceptable blood glucose level after a meal? What goal do you recommend for your patients?

I don't know about the Life Scan bg monitor but I do know that some monitors are totally inadequate!  Walmart Relion for one.  I have one and can easily do 2 tests within a few seconds of each other and get readings of 180 and 135!!!!  AcuCheck by Aviva which I also have has never given me a multiple reading spread of more that about 5 points, and that is a 3 year old meter.  You don't do yourself any favors by going cheap. It you have a sympathetic doc who will write a scrip you can get meter for free and have a big chunk of test strip cost covered.

You should add this one caveat. Fructose and its various aliases does not raise blood sugar immediately. It will do so eventually when it screws up your liver.

Mike

Regarding the dressing...I learned decades ago in high school biology that vinegar turns to sugar in the blood. Is this true?

Regulars will know I bought a meter after the first appearance of this post. I was regularly over 8.6 = 155 at one hour.
Went to doctor fasting blood glucose 4.9= 88.2 and HbA1c 5.6 = 100.8 which my doctor thought fine.
I pointed out the day before and day after my meter was reported much higher numbers, he suggested a fasting oral glucose tolerance test for which I had to prepare by consuming 175mg carbs daily for 3 days, which I did gaining several lbs.
However 2hr reading 5.8 = 105
My meter reported  11.3 =203.4 at 1 hr but I peaked at 17.3 = 311.4 the following meal.
Inflammation markers and metabolic characteristics of subjects with one-hour plasma glucose levels
this paper suggests that Elevated one hour plasma glucose (1hPG) in people with normal glucose tolerance and pre-DM subjects is associated to subclinical inflammation, high lipid ratios and insulin resistance. Therefore, 1hPG >155 ( = 8.6) could be considered a new 'marker' for cardiovascular risk.
Medscape article on same paper.
One-Hour Plasma Glucose Levels May Be a Marker for Cardiovascular Risk

So as far as my doctor is concerned I've no problems whatsoever. It seems to me absurd that if I followed his advice I'd be a diabetic basket case and the situation would be almost irretrievable before they will take any action.
I've been a bit stricter with the carbs and have followed some other suggestions so have managed to keep 1hr numbers below 6.7 = 120

So if the peak blood glucose is important, then things that lower it are generally good? Foods with a low glycemic index, which are slow release?  Polyphenols like green tea and red wine, which inhibit amylase and reduce the sugar spike?

You have a choice?

To die of heart disease or alzheimers?

http://www.naturalnews.com/028523_Alzheimers_juicing.html

"Those who drank juice three or more times per week experienced a 76 percent reduced risk for Alzheimer's. Those who drank juice once or twice a week experienced a 16 percent reduced risk."

But various polyphenols have been show to also modify glucose levels in some cases?

What you can eat is *based* on postprandial bg.  

My husband can eat 1/6th of a 2-layer chocolate cake.  

I can eat around 20g carb at breakfast, 40g at lunch and dinner, and that requires insulin injections.

We're all different, you have to test yourself: http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/new.php

After finding your blog, I purchased a blood glucose monitor and have been checking my post-prandial blood sugars 1 and 2 hours after eating a meal.  I am also checking some fasting a.m. blood sugars.

I am obese, though I have lost 49 pounds by reducing overall carb intake and eliminating all grains, sugars and processed foods.  I eat primarily a whole food diet other than a little (.25 oz.) of very dark chocolate a day (85%).

My post-prandial 1 hour are between 90-110 most meals, and 2 hours are almost always below 100.  However, I am noticing that my fasting blood sugars are rising, sometimes above 100.

Should I be concerned?  Is there anything I can be doing differently to reduce the insulin resistance that seems to be developing due to carb restriction?  Total carb intake daily is around 50 grams, including fiber.

Stephanie A.