This is another round on the wheat
problem which is clearly serious as it can be handed most of the
blame for the outbreak of obesity.
More work is needed on alternatives as
well as we might expect. We also need to know if any form of wheat
is viable in some way.
Regardless the solution itself is
simple enough and that is to limit yourself to a rare serving. That
is certainly less than every day. At least then it is a treat only.
Why Wheat is One of the Worst Carbs for Your Health
September
3, 201
Natasha
Longo,
Technically
speaking, wheat is a grain containing carbohydrates. It makes up most
of our noodles and breads that are the source of most carbohydrates
in our diet. Modern wheat really isn’t wheat at all and far from
the health food the wheat industry wants you to believe it is.
High-yielding and now genetically modified varieties of wheat are
making this one cereal grain you’ll probably want to axe from your
food list.
So
how–and when–did this ancient grain become such a serious health
threat? Author and preventive cardiologist William Davis, MD, says
it’s when big agriculture stepped in decades ago to develop a
higher-yielding crop. Today’s “wheat,” he says, isn’t even
wheat, thanks to some of the most intense crossbreeding efforts ever
seen. “The wheat products sold to you today are nothing like the
wheat products of our grandmother’s age, very different from the
wheat of the early 20th Century, and completely transformed from the
wheat of the Bible and earlier,” he says.
Plant
breeders changed wheat in dramatic ways. Once more than four feet
tall, modern wheat–the type grown in 99 percent of wheat fields
around the world–is
now a stocky two-foot-tall plant with an unusually large seed head.
Dr. Davis says accomplishing this involved crossing wheat with
non-wheat grasses to introduce altogether new genes, using techniques
like irradiation of wheat seeds and embryos with chemicals, gamma
rays, and high-dose X-rays to induce mutations.
Australian
researchers have now revealed serious issues over a new kind of
genetically engineered wheat that could induce major health threats
for people that consume it. University of Canterbury Professor Jack
Heinemann announced the outcomes of his genetic study into the wheat,
a kind engineered
by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO).
Additional
claims came from researchers in Australia to have
developed a form of salt-tolerant wheat that
would allow farmers to grow crops in soil with high salinity.
“In 2004, a coalition of Japanese consumer and food industry groups delivered a petition to the Governments of Canada and the U.S. urging them not to introduce GM wheat. Today, consumer rejection of GM wheat in Japan is just as strong as ever. 80 organizations in Japan have already signed the rejection statement,” said Keisuke Amagasa of the Tokyo-based No! GMO Campaign. “A large majority of consumers here in Japan are voicing their strong opposition to the cultivation of GM wheat. We see strong opposition from all sectors of society.”
Japan’s
flour companies are also rejecting GM wheat, echoing consumer
opposition. In a statement released today, the Flour Miller’s
Association of Japan wrote to the No! GMO Campaign indicating its
opposition.
“Under
the present circumstances, with all the doubts about safety and the
environment that the consumers in Japan have, including the effect on
the human body from GM foods, GM wheat is included among the items
that are not acceptable for the Japanese market,” Kadota Masaaki,
senior managing director of the Flour Miller’s Association wrote to
the No! GMO Campaign.
The Nutrional Value of Wheat is Practically Non-Existent In Its Current Form
So-called
health experts in nutrition who continue to promote the health
benefits of wheat are extremely uninformed about the nature of modern
wheat and its evolution from growth to consumption. It is shocking
how many professionals in public health still recommend wheat
products without an assessment of their individual requirements,
especially considering the amount of evidence regarding its lack of
nutrition and health risks for proportionally large segments of the
population.
The
majority of wheat is processed into 60% extraction, bleached white
flour. 60% extraction–the standard for most wheat products means
that 40% of the original wheat grain is removed. So not only do we
have an unhealthier, modified, and hybridized strain of wheat, we
also remove and further degrade its nutritional value by processing
it. Unfortunately, the 40% that gets removed includes the bran and
the germ of the wheat grain–its most nutrient-rich parts. In the
process of making 60% extraction flour, over half of the vitamin B1,
B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and
fiber are lost. Any processed foods with wheat are akin to poison for
the body since they cause more health risks than benefits. The body
does not recognize processed wheat as food. Nutrient absorption from
processed wheat products is thus consequential with almost no
nutritional value.
Some
experts claim if you select 100% whole wheat products, the bran and
the germ of the wheat will remain in your meals, and the health
benefits will be impressive. This is again a falsity promoted by the
wheat industry since even 100% whole wheat products are based on
modern wheat strains created by irradiation of wheat seeds and
embryos with chemicals, gamma rays, and high-dose X-rays to induce
mutations. Whether you consume 10% or 100% of wheat is irrelevant
since you’re still consuming a health damaging grain that will not
benefit, advance or even maintain your health in any way.
Dr.
Marcia Alvarez who specializes in nutritional programs for obese
patients says that when it comes to nutrition, wheat may be
considered as an evil grain. “Modern wheat grains could certainly
be considered as the root of all evil in the world of nutrition since
they cause so many documented health problems across so many
populations in the world.” Dr. Alvarez asserted that wheat is now
responsible for more intolerances than almost any other food in the
world. “In
my practice of over two decades, we have documented that for every
ten people with digestive problems, obesity, irritable bowel
syndrome, diabetes, arthritis and even heart disease, eight out of
ten have a problem with wheat. Once
we remove wheat from their diets, most of their symptoms disappear
within three to six months,” she added. Dr. Alvarez estimates that
between the coming influx of genetically modified (GM) strains of
wheat and the current tendency of wheat elimination in societies,
that a trend is emerging in the next 20 years that will likely see
80% of people cease their consumption of wheat from any form.
Health Effects
A
powerful little chemical in wheat known as ‘wheat germ agglutinin’
(WGA)
which is largely responsible for many of wheat’s pervasive, and
difficult to diagnose, ill effects. Researchers are now discovering
that WGA in modern wheat is very different from ancient strains. Not
only does WGA throw a monkey wrench into our assumptions about the
primary causes of wheat intolerance, but due to the fact that WGA is
found in highest concentrations in “whole wheat,” including its
supposedly superior sprouted form, it also pulls the rug out from
under one of the health food industry’s favorite poster children.
When
we eat bread that contains gluten (wheat, spelt, rye and barley),
the immune
system in our digestive tract “attacks” the gluten proteins.
Gluten
sensitivity is also associated with some cases
of schizophrenia and cerebellar
ataxia -
both serious disorders of the brain.
Gluten
is probably harmful for
most people, not just those with diagnosed celiac disease or gluten
sensitivity.
The
only way to really know
if you’re gluten sensitive is to remove gluten from your diet for
30 days and then reintroduce it and see whether it affects you.
Each
grain of wheat contains about one microgram of Wheat Germ Agglutinin
(WGA). Even in small quantities, WGA can have profoundly adverse
effects. It may be pro-inflammatory, immunotoxic, cardiotoxic … and
neurotoxic.
Below
the radar of conventional serological testing for antibodies against
the various gluten proteins and genetic testing for disease
susceptibility, the WGA “lectin problem” remains almost entirely
obscured. Lectins, though found in all grains, seeds, legumes, dairy
and our beloved nightshades: the tomato and potato, are rarely
discussed in connection with health or illness, even when their
presence in our diet may greatly reduce both the quality and length
of our lives. Yet health experts dismiss the links between disease
and wheat despite all the evidence.
Dr
William Davis has documented several hundred clinical studies on the
adverse effects of wheat. These are studies that document the
neurologic impairments unique to wheat, including cerebellar ataxia
and dementia; heart disease; visceral fat accumulation and all its
attendant health consequences; the process of glycation via
amylopectin A of wheat that leads to cataracts, diabetes, and
arthritis; among others. There are, in fact, a wealth of studies
documenting the adverse, often crippling, effects of wheat
consumption in humans.
The
other claim is that wheat elimination ‘means missing out on a
wealth of essential nutrients. Another falsity. Dr. Davis states that
if you replace wheat with healthy foods like vegetables, nuts,
healthy oils, meats, eggs, cheese, avocados, and olives, then there
is no nutrient deficiency that develops with elimination of wheat. Dr
Davis also states that people with celiac disease may require
long-term supplementation due to extensive gastrointenstinal damage
caused by wheat.
People
with celiac disease do indeed experience deficiencies of multiple
vitamins and minerals after they eliminate all wheat and gluten from
the diet. But this is not due
to a diet lacking valuable nutrients, but from the incomplete healing
of the gastrointestinal tract (such as the lining of the duodenum and
proximal jejunum). In these people, the destructive effects of wheat
are so overpowering that, unfortunately, some people never heal
completely. These people do indeed require vitamin and mineral
supplementation, as well as probiotics and pancreatic enzyme
supplementation.
Due
to the unique properties of amylopectin A, two slices of whole wheat
bread increase blood sugar higher than many candy bars. High blood
glucose leads to the process of glycation that, in turn, causes
arthritis (cartilage glycation), cataracts (lens protein glycation),
diabetes (glycotoxicity of pancreatic beta cells), hepatic de novo
lipogenesis that increases triglycerides and, thereby, increases
expression of atherogenic (heart disease-causing) small LDL
particles, leading to heart attacks. Repetitive
high blood sugars that develop from a grain-rich diet are, in my
view, very destructive and lead to weight gain (specifically visceral
fat), insulin resistance, leptin resistance (leading to obesity),
and many of the health struggles that many now experience.
Andrew
L. Rubman, ND, is medical director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional
Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut, said wheat consumption
(specifically gluten found in wheat, rye and barley) could play a
role in turning the genetic
diabetes switch
to
“on” for those who carry the risk gene. Dr. Rubman says that
gluten avoidance might prove useful for people who already have
diabetes because it may reduce the impact of the disease. He suggests
to try a gluten-free diet for four to six months to see if symptom
severity and blood sugar control improve. If the answer is yes, Dr.
Rubman advises staying gluten-free for life.
Wheat
gliadin has been associated with cerebellar ataxia, peripheral
neuropathy, gluten encephalopathy (dementia), behavioral outbursts in
children with ADHD and autism, and paranoid delusions and auditory
hallucinations in people with schizophrenia, severe and
incapacitating effects for people suffering from these conditions.
According
to statistics
from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center,
an average of one out of every 133 otherwise healthy people in the
United States suffers from CD. However, an estimated 20-30
percent of the world’s population may
carry the genetic susceptibility to celiac disease–and the way to
avoid turning these genes ‘on’ is by avoiding gluten.
When
you consider that undiagnosed CD is associated with a nearly
four-fold increased risk of premature death, the seriousness of this
food sensitivity becomes quite evident. The primary disease mechanism
at play is chronic
inflammation,
and chronic inflammatory and degenerative conditions are endemic to
grain-consuming populations.
Changes
in genetic code and, thereby, antigenic profile, of the high-yield
semi-dwarf wheat cultivars now on the market account for the marked
increase in celiac potential nationwide. “Hybridization”
techniques, including chemical mutagenesis to induce selective
mutations, leads to development of unique strains that are not
subject to animal or human safety testing–they are just brought to
market and sold.
Author
and preventive cardiologist William Davis, MD, wheat’s new
biochemical code causes hormone disruption that is linked to diabetes
and obesity. “It is not my contention that it is in everyone’s
best interest to cut
back on
wheat; it is my belief that complete
elimination is
in everyone’s best health interests,” says Dr. Davis, “In my
view, that’s how bad this thing called ‘wheat’ has become.”
Chemical
mutagenesis using the toxic mutagen, sodium azide, of course, is the
method used to generate BASF’s Clearfield herbicide-resistant wheat
strain. These methods are being used on a wide scale to generate
unique genetic strains that are, without question from the FDA or
USDA, assumed to be safe for human consumption.
Wheat-Free Options
*
Note that many of the wheat-free options still contain gluten.
1.
Cereal Grains: Barley,
millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, tef and wild rice are all in the
same cereal grain family as is wheat. All flours ground from cereal
grains may be used as a wheat substitute. Commonly available are
barley, buckwheat, rice and rye flour. The less utilized flours may
be purchased online or from natural food stores. Note: people with a
gluten allergy must also avoid barley, oats and rye.
2.
Non-Cereal Grains: Amaranth,
quinoa and buckwheat are three grain-like seeds unrelated to cereal
grains. (Despite its name, buckwheat is not a wheat-relative.) It is
rare for anyone to develop a sensitivity to these non-cereal grains.
Amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat are gluten-free and therefore not
suitable for making leavened bread; however, they make excellent
quick breads and cookies.
3.
Nut Meal: Ground
nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts make the richest flour
substitute for cookies and cakes. Because their fragile fatty acid
content gives them a brief shelf life, it’s preferable to grind
your own nuts in a food processor just prior to use. Nut meal
requires a binding agent such as eggs. Because chestnuts are lower in
fat than other nuts, chestnut flour has a longer shelf life. It is
available online.
4.
Bean Flour: Dried
beans, such as navy, pinto and chickpeas may be milled and used, in
combination with other flours, as a wheat alternative. Bean flour is,
however, not always recommended. It tastes like beans and makes baked
goods dense and hard to digest.
5.
Other Flour Substitutes: Potato
starch, arrowroot powder, and tapioca are thickening agents that
substitute for wheat in sauces and gravy. In baked goods these
starchy ingredients serve as a binding agent.
Due
to the irresponsible high frequency hybridization, processing and
inevitable genetic modification of modern wheat, there is only one
solution for the health and wellness of future generations. Stop
eating wheat and educate as many people as you can on the coming
strains of this grain which will be much more deadly than they
already are today.
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