Is Eating Wheat the Same Thing as Eating Poison?

In Dr. Davis’ recent interview with CBS, he called wheat the “perfect, chronic poison.”

About a month ago, I was lucky enough to interview Dr. William (Bill) Davis, author of Wheat Belly, for an upcoming issue of Paleo Lifestyle Magazine.  The conversation lasted for about 45 minutes, mostly because Dr. Davis really knows his stuff and is a very engaging speaker.

Throughout the interview, Dr. Davis kept coming back to his theory that because wheat today is not the same wheat from a hundred thousand years ago, it is toxic to our bodies, leading to a myriad of health issues including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, cancer, and heart disease. 

So, when I saw his interview with CBS news where he called wheat the “perfect, chronic poison,” I have to say I wasn’t nearly as shocked as many people where when he associated the words “wheat” and “poision.”

This idea is certainly incendiary, especially because it flies in the face of conventional medicine and nutrition, but for anyone who has read Dr. Davis’ work or has tried the Paleo diet, this story was hardly “breaking news.”

(Although, it certainly was a hit.  Check out the article and see how many likes, Tweets, and comments it got!)

Additionally when Dr. Davis and I spoke, he advocated a Paleo-type diet, full of natural foods – you know, the stuff you and I try to eat every day.  Good to see he didn’t stray when he spoke to CBS:

“To avoid these wheat-oriented products, Davis suggests eating ‘real food,’ such as avocados, olives, olive oil, meats, and vegetables. “(It’s) the stuff that is least likely to have been changed by agribusiness,” he said.

Obviously, I am no scientist or doctor, so all I can go on is my anecdotal evidence and, while I think poison is a strong word, I do feel better and — get ready for some TMI — feel much less gassy when I stick to veggies, fruit, and meat and avoid wheat-based products.

Finally, not to be lost in the shuffle, Dr. Davis also has a Wheat Belly Cookbook coming out this December, so I’d have to think the recent maintreaming of his ideas will be very good for business!

So, what do you think?  Is he off his rocker?  Is he spot on?  Leave a comment below!

Disclosure: The opinions expressed above are 100% my own. This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”