In it he describes how the modern "wheat" has proteins (toxic gliadin epitomes not present in wheat from before 1960's) that are more toxic by far than the rarely commercially grown wheat like Red Fife. He is not arguing that gliadin is new, but that modern wheat has unprecedented amounts of gliadin in it and that is new. And the extra amount of gliadin does have never-seen-before gliadin variations, which have been shown to be very toxic. "The perfect, chronic poison" as Dr. Davis would say.
Researchers from the Netherlands have even proposed that wheat breeding in the 60's may have contributed to increased prevalence of celiac disease. Read from Theor Appl Genet. 2010 Jul 28:
Other researcher are look at ways to reduce the antigenic (reactive) properties of the offending proteins in the alpha gliadin portions. And to develop strategies "to modify gluten genes in wheat so that it becomes safe for celiac disease patients. It also provides the information to design and introduce safe gluten genes in other cereals, which would exhibit improved quality while remaining safe for consumption by celiac disease patients."
This follows from the question, how can commercial wheat be made so that it is safer?
It hasn't been done yet and it is not likely to be done any time soon. Watch the video below as part of the CBS segment and see how Dr. Davis answers that question.
Once you become sensitive to wheat and gliadin, you are sensitive even to the grains with less gliadin, even Red Fife or spelt, so they can't be ingested without consequences.
In September of this year, CBS interviewed Dr. Davis and here is an excerpt: Go to the link to see the video of the interview in its whole.
(CBS News) Modern wheat is a "perfect, chronic poison," according to Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist who has published a book all about the world's most popular grain.
Davis said that the wheat we eat these days isn't the wheat your grandma had: "It's an 18-inch tall plant created by genetic research in the '60s and '70s," he said on "CBS This Morning." "This thing has many new features nobody told you about, such as there's a new protein in this thing called gliadin. It's not gluten. I'm not addressing people with gluten sensitivities and celiac disease. I'm talking about everybody else because everybody else is susceptible to the gliadin protein that is an opiate. This thing binds into the opiate receptors in your brain and in most people stimulates appetite, such that we consume 440 more calories per day, 365 days per year."
Asked if the farming industry could change back to the grain it formerly produced, Davis said it could, but it would not be economically feasible because it yields less per acre. However, Davis said a movement has begun with people turning away from wheat - and dropping substantial weight.
