Live Long And Prosper: The Green Revolution Was A Mixed Blessing Share Share Trending This is part four of an ongoing series about health and longevity based on the work of cardiologist Dr. William Davis, especially the new edition of his book, Wheat Belly. After this we will look at the work of other physicians and research scientists who are bucking the "settled science" nutrition dogma and following the data wherever it leads. How did we get our modern wheat—the central nutrient in our modern western diet—including its unintended negative health consequences? Answer: extreme genetic manipulation. "Modern Triticum wheat is the product of breeding to generate greater yield and characteristics such as disease, drought, and heat resistance. In fact, wheat has been modified by humans to such a degree that modern strains are unable to survive in the wild without human support such as nitrate fertilization and pest control. (Imagine this bizarre situation in the world of domesticated animals: an animal able to exist only with human assistance, such as special feed or antibiotics, else it would die.)"