Wheat Belly

Preventive cardiologist William Davis argues that the wheat in everyday foods is behind a wide range of health problems, from minor rashes and high blood sugar to what he calls the wheat belly. In his view, that stomach fat has nothing to do with gluttony, laziness or too much butter. It comes from the whole grain products so many people eat at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Davis says he watched more than 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, and that this led him to conclude that wheat is the single largest contributor to the obesity epidemic. He believes that removing it is the key to dramatic weight loss and better health overall.

In Wheat Belly he contends that the wheat sold today is the product of genetic tinkering, and he sets out the harm he believes it does. He then lays out a step-by-step plan for living wheat-free. The benefits he points to include substantial weight loss, correction of cholesterol abnormalities, relief from arthritis, better mood and a lower risk of heart disease. The book draws on current science and nutrition research and on numerous case studies.