William R. Davis (born 1957) is a
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
-based American
cardiologist
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...
,
low-carbohydrate diet
Low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrate consumption relative to the average diet. Foods high in carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, bread, pasta) are limited, and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fat and protein (e.g., meat, p ...
advocate and author of health books known for his stance against "modern
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
", which he labels a "perfect, chronic poison."
Medical experts have criticized Davis for making false assertions about wheat, unsupported by
evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients". The aim of EBM is to integrate the experience of the clinician, the values of t ...
.
His low-carbohydrate Wheat Belly diet has been cited by dietitians as an example of a
fad diet
A fad diet is a diet that becomes popular for a short time, similar to fads in fashion, without being a standard dietary recommendation, and often making unreasonable claims for fast weight loss or health improvements. There is no single defini ...
and because of its restrictive nature is likely to be low in
B-vitamins
B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. Though these vitamins share similar names (B1, B2, B3, etc.), they are chemically distinct compounds that often coexist ...
,
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...
and
vitamin D
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (c ...
. He is the father of tennis player
Lauren Davis
Lauren Davis (born October 9, 1993) is an American professional tennis player. Known for her aggressive backhand, speed, and clay-court strength, she won her first title on the WTA Tour at the Auckland Open and reached a career-high singles ra ...
.
''Wheat Belly'' in the public forum
Davis' book ''Wheat Belly'' became a
''New York Times'' bestseller within a month of publication in 2011. Davis says that all modern wheat, which he refers to as "Frankenwheat", is as toxic and as addictive as many drugs and makes people want to eat more food, especially junk foods. In an appearance on ''
The Dr. Oz Show'' he said, "The wheat of today is nothing like the wheat of 1960, 1950—that is, the wheat that our moms or grandmothers had—so it has been changed. This new crop has implications for human health that have never been anticipated. So this is appropriate for nobody, no human, nobody in this audience, should be eating this modern creation of genetics research."
The book inspired analyses which compare Davis' conclusions with the current evidence-base published in the established scientific literature. One analysis found that Davis used some data that was associated, but did not prove causality (
false analogy
Argument from analogy or false analogy is a special type of inductive argument, whereby perceived similarities are used as a basis to infer some further similarity that has yet to be observed. Analogical reasoning is one of the most common metho ...
), compared food data that is not naturally comparable (that is,
incommensurable), made false assertions, ignored studies that disproved some of his claims, made assertions that were not backed up by any case studies, made self-contradictory statements and, while he made some statements that were true, they were not catastrophic as he claimed.
A 2013 review in the ''Journal of Cereal Science'', concluded "we consider that statements made in the book of Davis, as well as in related interviews, cannot be substantiated based on published scientific studies".
A review by the
American Association of Cereal Chemists
Cereals & Grains Association (formerly AACC International, formerly the American Association of Cereal Chemists) is a non-profit professional organization of members who are specialists in the use of cereal grains in foods. Founded in 1916, they ...
which cited a recent review of studies on refined grains, noted that "the great majority
f studiesfound no associations between the intake of refined-grain foods and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight gain, or overall mortality."
Harriet Hall
Harriet A. Hall (born July 2, 1945) is a U.S. retired family physician, former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon and skeptic who writes about alternative medicine and quackery for ''Skeptic'' and ''Skeptical Inquirer''. She writes under the name The ...
has described Davis' wheat belly diet as "another low-carb diet that ignores the bulk of the scientific evidence, makes false associations, and exaggerates grains (pun intended) of truth into delusional mountains."
On veganism
While Davis does not advocate
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
diets, he says that it is possible to stay wheat and grain free on a healthy
plant-based diet
A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of plant products such as vegetables, fru ...
. He says vegans should eat non-genetically modified fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and other seeds.
[Dr. William Davis: Wheat Is Cause of Obesity and "Most Perverted Food on Store Shelves.", By Camille Lamb Thu., Dec. 13 2012 at 12:47 PM, "Miami New Times". Original quote: "Davis is not an advocate of vegan diets, but he says that it is possible to stay wheat- and grain-free on a healthy plant-based diet. For vegans, he recommends replacing grains with non-GMO vegetables, fruits, soy and other legumes, seeds (like chia and hemp), and nuts".]
Selected publications
*''Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight'' Hachette Books (February 2022)
*''Undoctored: Why Health Care Has Failed You and How You Can Become Smarter Than Your Doctor'' Rodale Books (May 9, 2017)
*''Wheat Belly: 10-Day Grain Detox: Reprogram Your Body for Rapid Weight Loss and Amazing Health'' Rodale Books (2015)
*''Wheat Belly Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Help You Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health'' Rodale Books (December 24, 2012)
*''Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health'' Rodale Books (Aug 30, 2011)
*''What Does My Heart Scan Show?: Everything You Need To Know About Your Heart Scan!'' American Security Network Incorporated (July 14, 2006)
*''Track Your Plaque: The only heart disease prevention program that shows how to use the new heart scans to detect, track and control coronary plaque'' iUniverse, Inc. (July 27, 2004)
See also
*
Gliadin
Gliadin (a type of prolamin) is a class of proteins present in wheat and several other cereals within the grass genus ''Triticum''. Gliadins, which are a component of gluten, are essential for giving bread the ability to rise properly during baki ...
*
Gluten
Gluten is a structural protein naturally found in certain cereal grains. Although "gluten" often only refers to wheat proteins, in medical literature it refers to the combination of prolamin and glutelin proteins naturally occurring in all grain ...
*
Paleolithic diet
The Paleolithic diet, Paleo diet, caveman diet, or stone-age diet is a modern fad diet consisting of foods thought by its proponents to mirror those eaten by humans during the Paleolithic era.
The diet avoids processed food and typically incl ...
*
Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate fad diet devised by Robert Atkins in the 1970s, marketed with claims that carbohydrate restriction is crucial to weight loss and that the diet offered "a high calorie way to stay thin forever".
The diet bec ...
*
Gluten-free diet
A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats. The inclus ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, William
1957 births
American cardiologists
American health and wellness writers
Gluten-free cookbook writers
Living people
Low-carbohydrate cookbook writers
Low-carbohydrate diet advocates
Place of birth missing (living people)
Pseudoscientific diet advocates
Writers from Milwaukee