What's with Wheat?

Worth viewing:

A documentary titled "What's with Wheat?" Free on Netflix and this website gives a brief video clip preview of testimonials by many well-known, health-oriented professionals who understand the connection between modern wheat and related health issues in adults and especially children.

[whatswithwheat.com]

In the documentary, there are several segments with Board Certified Neurologist, David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, where he emphasizes the neurological impact of this type of contamination.

I've been funneling Dr. Perlmutter's info to a person with Parkinson's and after several months and eliminating various foods including wheat, he finds his symptoms are improving... and is disappointed that he's never been told about this by his doctors. While not at all surprising, just another example of how the trusting public is mislead and emphasizes the need for continual awareness.

The majority of people think they are not sensitive to most foods but this documentary points out the industrial farming practices that leave chemical residues in foods along with the engineering of food crops can have dire consequences and emphasizes the need to be aware, eat organic and grow as much of your own food as possible... with awareness that even seeds can be genetically modified unless certified by a reputable, organic producer.

Wheat residues are in virtually everything according to this documentary. And, wheat isn't the only culprit.

Be aware to stay healthy.

Jackie

I believe that the Mediterranean diet is a very healthy diet, the Mediterranean diet contains whole grains, including gluten, and lots of fruit. These are exactly the things Dr. Perlmutter wants us to skip to protect our brains. But still, he believes it’s very similar to his dietary protocol. Anyway, why should someone switch from a Mediterranean style diet which is supported by a lot of scientific evidence to a grain-free Perlmutter type diet that is based on limited evidence, a recipe for a best selling health book.

We don’t have to look further than the most recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition to find a paper contradicting Dr. Perlmutter’s claims. The study addresses the associations between The DASH diet and Mediterranean-style dietary patterns and age-related cognitive change in a prospective, population-based study. Higher levels of accordance with both the DASH and Mediterranean dietary patterns were associated with consistently higher levels of cognitive function in elderly men and women over an eleven year period. Whole grains and nuts and legumes were positively associated with higher cognitive functions.

Liz

Dr. Perlmutter does not disagree with the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet but rather, he recommends the carbohydrate intake from grains be gluten free and in low serving amounts so that the known benefits and focus of this diet from healthy fat and vegetables can be obtained. Many people think a Mediterranean Diet means it’s okay to eat loads of pasta and bread and that’s not the case.

In Dr. Perlmutter’s four books. he shares his observations and experiences as a Board Certified neurologist working with brain disorders. In several, he emphasizes the need to eliminate dietary factors that cause inflammation and gut permeability which break down the blood-brain barrier and as he says “paves the way for the production of yet more brain-crushing inflammatory chemicals”₍₁₎ and explains that many people with health issues are unaware of their sensitivity to either gluten and/or gliaden.

The film, “What’s with Wheat” points out the concerns about agricultural chemical residues such as Roundup/glyphosate and the impact of engineered wheat found to have various reactions in those consuming. So eating a Mediterranean style Diet without knowing about these pitfalls can be damaging as the general public is not typically aware of these factors or the effects on the brain and body.

He gives examples of people with a variety of neurological conditions and symptoms that have improved or actually normalized after going gluten free. Therefore, his recommendations make sense. Many people have treated for years with no improvement but the dietary changes (not addressed or tested by their physicians) gave them relief from many symptoms and improved quality of life. Dr. Perlmutter’s current focus on the microbiome takes center stage now since protecting this system for brain and overall health takes top priority.

Remember that gluten/gliaden is found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, triticale and while oats don’t grow containing gluten, the harvesting, trucking, milling, packaging processes allow for contamination so it’s important to eat certified, organic oats to avoid the risk or avoid completely. (For a complete listing of gluten-containing grains and other common products including cosmetics, shampoos and other surprising sources, spend time doing a Google search.)

From the cover flap of Brain Maker:
“Rates of neurological disorders are skyrocketing from ADHD and debilitating anxiety to depression and even dementia. But a medical revolution is underway that will forever change how we understand and treat not only behavioral and mood disorders but also chronic headaches, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, autism, Alzheimer’s and many more conditions. Astonishing new research is revealing that the health of your brain is, to an extraordinary degree, dictated by the state of your microbiome – the vast population of organisms that live in your body and outnumber your cells ten to one.”



(1) p. 151 Brain Maker (2015) Little Brown Publishers


Books by David Perlmutter, MD
Brain Maker
Grain Brain
Power Up Your Brain
BrainRecovery.com

All highly informative and worth reading.


Jackie

Perlmutter sure does like to sell books, make money and give popular advice, not necessarily in that order..

For balance, it's worth a few minutes to read the New York Magazine article on him, Dr. Oz and other celebrity health purveyors who profit big time from being controversial.

Every time a new flash in the pan hits the airwaves we think maybe he's found the answer to all of our health problems. It just isn't so. We should do more investigating ourselves before jumping on the latest bandwagon then publish both sides of the story when sharing information. Hard to make good decisions without, "the rest of the story".

[nymag.com]

Gordon

It looks like we need to avoid the yeast in all of store bought stuff.

A lot of stuff to go through about yeast, and it ill effects.

[calebwarnock.blogspot.com]
Few people realize that the yeast in grocery stores is not a naturally-occurring substance. Laboratory created in 1984.
This quick-rising yeast appears increasingly connected to the nutritional and digestive disorders that plague so many today, including Celiac’s disease, gluten-intolerance, acid-reflux disease, wheat allergies and even diabetes.

Beyond health benefits, natural yeast is simple to use, costs nothing, tastes wonderful, completely cuts out the need to buy commercial yeast, and drastically reduces the need for baking powder and baking soda.

[naturalwonderer.com]
Research Points to the Toxicity of Modern Wheat.

Gordon:

That was a good article you posted on Perlmutter, there are so many "so-called" experts that have come out today and claim they can heal everything with their diets and supplements. Of course we do need to eat good food which we cook ourselves, stay away from sugar, bad habits etc. But to say, all grains are bad, some include beans as well is ridiculous, taking a boatload of supplements is not going to cure us either. There are a couple of supplements that I do take like Magnesium, the B Vitamins, I can't take a lot of supplements because they will give me Aura Migraines. Inositol, Qco10 it appears that any vitamin that is supposed to help with the eyes or brain, also hormones will give me the Aura Migraines. If I stick to eating good food, I function better.

Liz

It looks as if the link Gordon provided on Dr. Perlmutter might best be taken with a grain of salt regarding the negative criticisms unless one truly understands the focus on the attempt to 'enlighten' the fixed medical establishment's resistance to the functional medicine approach to wellness. That is, finding the source of the problem rather than quickly prescribing one or more expensive prescription drugs that mask over the symptoms but doing little or nothing else. This type of criticism is nothing new but is, unfortunately, common among those who haven't investigated the topic.

Dr. Perlmutter who is a board-certified functional neurologist and has, indeed, written many books and has an informative website to help spread the word not often mentioned in corporate medicine. I have five of them and I have suggested to friends and acquaintances who are struggling with various ailments to read specific parts of his books and consider trying his suggestions which are based on his own clinical patient successes. Recently, one such person, struggling with Parkinson's followed some of the key directives, and was absolutely, totally amazed at the noticeable improvement and lessening of symptoms and discomfort. And of course, he had never heard those recommendations from his doctor which is not at all uncommon, unfortunately.

Dr. Perlmutter has retired from his clinic in Naples, Florida, where he was well-known for treatment of patients with Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments and patients traveled from all over to receive the benefits. His nutritional guidance is based on his clinical experience of what actually works. In fact, he has a piece on his website collaborating with the GeorgeN's physician Steven Gundry, MD,cardiothorasic surgeon and innovative health practitioner. Here's a video on Dr. Perlmutter's "Empowering Neurologist" weblink with Dr. Gundry. [www.drperlmutter.com]

Dr. Perlmutter's focus is on brain health. After all, if we have no brain power, what's left? Many health problems also contribute to eventual brain function decline so it's smart to understand what those links might be and take steps to avoid compounding health problems while while we are still able to make a difference. One such link is the influence of the microbiome. Another is not new to afibbers.... Silent Inflammation. When he talks about gluten causing inflammation, he's not referring solely to gut issues but the neurological impact on your brain as well.

The subtitle of Brain Maker The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain -- for Life.

Your brain ...

weighs three pounds and has one hundred thousand miles of blood vessels,

contains more connections than there are stars in the Milky Way,

is the fattest organ in your body,

could be suffering this very minute without your having a clue.

(Source: Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN)


Jackie