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Questions About The Diets

Wheat As A Staple In The Diet


QUESTION

I have been on your diet for 1 1/2 years now, and trying to convince others to try it. A lot of people ask me, "How can it be that wheat isn't good for anyone? Hasn't it been a staple in man's diet for thousands of years?"


ANSWER

Wheat as we know it in the millennia of this era is not the same as it was at the very beginning. The genetics of wheat show that its development is very complex. Today's grain has developed from three naturally occurring groups of wheat. Through natural crossings, mutations, and natural selection these have evolved into all the many varieties of wheat grown worldwide.

In essence, the 'hard wheat' that we eat nowadays has a protein content as high as 13%, versus the more ancient wheats which had a protein content of, at most, about 2%. Increasing the protein content has had the effect of making wheat a viable source of protein for many people around the world, but has also increased the allergenic (gliandin, gluten and lectin containing), pro-inflammatory and metabolic-blocking portions of the plant almost seven-fold.

Aside from the under-investigated metabolic effects of wheat lectin, classic hypersensitivity to wheat is found in many infants and adults. Reactions are often localised in the GI tract. In a study of asthmatic patients, 46% (children) and 34% (adults) were found to have IgE to wheat as tested by Pharmacia & Upjohn, Diagnostics CAP System. In another study, specificity for wheat allergen using the same system was 98%. Wheat allergy was found to cause a persistent food hypersensitivity in atopic dermatitis patients (75% remained intolerant). In 102 grass-pollen allergic children, 12% were found to be allergic to wheat.






The Ask Dr. D'Adamo internet advice column ran from 1996 to 2009, at which time Dr. D'Adamo's teaching and programming responsibilities no longer allowed him to devote time and resources to directly answering visitor questions. However we've recently reorganized this treasure-trove of material and made it again available to his readership. He occasionally posts new entries. These are marked with a NEW tag.



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INTRINSA


To promote a healthy digestive system, Dr. Peter D'Adamo blended two synergistic dietary nutrients, Butyric Acid and Caprylic Acid, with Larch Arabinogalactan to create Intrinsa.

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