Healthy Whole Grains Are ANYTHING But Healthy

EDIT: Apologies for the gratuitous use of italics, my mind is foggy today.

I recently went on a gluten free diet due to health issues, and I experienced something most unexpected - actual physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms: anxiety attacks, inability to sleep. Well I did some research into the matter and found out that most grains as they exist today, especially what we call "wheat" is actually quite unhealthy for us. Here's basic summary of the downsides.

• Firstly, what you think of as wheat now bears little resemblance to what we called wheat even 50 years ago. It has been crossbred and engineered so many times since the 1960s - 10 years of which there was zero oversight (and therefore no public record for science to apply accountability) - that it is practically a wholly different organism. In the aim of making crops that survive pests and unpredictable climate, and that can increase yields (and profits) by up to ten times, America's "amber waves of grain" are now most commonly two foot high stalks of what is commonly called "dwarf wheat". Due to the cumulative nature of the effect of cross-species plant breeding on the number of chromosomes in offspring, each generation becomes more complex, building up chromosomes like a Pokemon collection, and creating grains that contain a staggering amount of novel genes that are coded to produce unproven proteins whose safety in the human body has never been verified.


• Wheat is actually higher on the glycemic index than table sugar. This means it's more likely to trigger quicker and higher blood glucose numbers than common table sugar. This is bad, but not just for diabetics, I'll explain why.


• Even in non-diabetics this is a problem, because when exposed to pepsin and hydrochloric acid in the stomach, the gluten degrades into a mix of polypeptides. These polypeptides have been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to the brain's morphine receptors. These polypeptides have been named "exorphins", short for exogenous morphine like compounds. Similar to endorphins, they create a high in the brain. (it should be noted that millet and flax do not contain gluten, and are therefore safe). Due to the opiate effect these exorphins have on the brain, we tend to crave more and more, hence the common tendency for constant snacking.


• Each time your blood glucose elevates, your body releases insulin to help the glucose enter the body's tissues to be used as fuel. However when this process is going on constantly due to the habit for snacking (usually on wheat or other grain containing products, it's in almost everything these days) that is created by the opiate high, it creates a constant cycle of high glucose, then high insulin, then more high glucose, etc.


• The constant repeating cycle of glucose/insulin reactivity eventually leads to a particular kind of fat storage in the body. Around the mid-section, this is called "visceral fat", and is the most dangerous kind. It wreaks havoc on your liver for one thing - being a major cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - but it also greatly raises triglycerides, has negative effects on HDL/LDL cholesterol ratios, and is a major contributing factor (some would argue, THE major factor) in the most dangerous forms of heart disease. Visceral fat also increases one's risk of cancer, especially breast cancer - even in men - because estrogen-like compounds are produced in visceral fat tissues.

So , if you want to know why America is the fattest country in the world - why there seem to be so many people who can't seem to get in shape despite exercise and the "healthy diet" that the ludicrously simplistic food pyramid guidelines suggest - why there is such an epidemic of "wheat bellies" that sag over belts, "man boobs" (gynomastia) and lowering sperm counts in men, and increases of breast cancer in particular in women, but also across the board generally, you might want to take a second look at all those "healthy whole grains". And trust me, it's in pretty much every possible baked good (and almost every processed, non-baked "food"!) you can find, minus the gluten free kinds.

The kicker, and the #1 reason I decided to post this, is that up to 30% of those who cut these grains out of their diet will go through an opiate withdrawal syndrome - I did. Like I said, anxiety, depression, headaches, severe insomnia. Once I was off the grains for a few weeks I was feeling much better - more clear headed. Yesterday however, we were low on groceries, and out of practicality I chose to make myself a turkey burger, bun and all. It was great, but by the time my stomach was ready for its next meal, my brain was already panicking for its next fix, and I was having anxiety all evening, and got very little sleep last night due to insomnia that even my usual sleep medications could not resolve.

A panicked mind clouds one's judgement and focus, and now I feel I'll be spending the next few days just to normalize before I can properly resume my studies with any vigor. Do yourself a favor and don't make the same mistake I did; the gluten containing grains - and even their constituent parts such as wheat flour - are "bad juju" as they say. Most of us have been drug addicts our whole lives and have never even realized it. For further information, I suggest anyone interested read the "Wheat Belly" books by cardiologist Dr. William Davis.

Eat well, and may the Force be with you.

Would you mind sharing some of your sources please? I'd be interested to read them.

Edan wrote: Would you mind sharing some of your sources please? I'd be interested to read them.

Sure, aside from the books I mentioned, here are a couple of links. I'm a little slow and spacy today.

Info on visceral fat: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/body/visceral-fat.html

Information on gluten and casein (milk protein) exorphins (PDF): http://www.jbc.org/content/254/7/2446.full.pdf#page=1&view=FitH

EDIT: Here's some exorphin info and withdrawal info for the layperson: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/withdrawal-symptoms-of-going-wheatfree.html

Now Cryo, may I request you post some articles and sources about what IS good and healthy about whole wheat?

Proteus wrote: Now Cryo, may I request you post some articles and sources about what IS good and healthy about whole wheat?

Well perhaps I should have titled the thread "Healthy Whole Grains Hidden Dangers", because yes, there are known health benefits (though some of those touted seem to be contradictory). The only reason I didn't post a more balanced view is that there is already so much information available on the pro-wheat side that I honestly didn't think it needed to be amplified any more than it already is, but I'm fair game.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/10/whole-grains-health-benefits_n_5655022.html

http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/what-are-the-health-benefits

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains-why.html

Again, like I said, my mind is clouded today because of the withdrawal effect, if my message was imbalanced, that's probably a large part of why. My apologies.

EDIT: I might however note that much of the common assertions are based on outdated science that has come into question over the last half century.

It appears I have been unwittingly duped by fear mongers and charlatans.

I withdraw my case against whole grains.

https://blog.greatharvest.com/the-bread-business-blog/scientific-truths-about-modern-wheat-why-you-shouldnt-buy-the-hype

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/should-you-worry-about-wheat

I am humbled.

Actually this is a matter of some confusion to me, as the person who is anti-wheat is linking to scientific studies all through his articles, whereas most of the pro-wheat sources I see tend to come from trade industry groups or press sources with no links to resources and studie. I have often been a naive person in the face of pseudo-science claims, but it does seem to me that there are more studies being noted on the anti-wheat side of the debate.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2015/02/mean-wheat-healthy/

How does one tell what is objective truth in such matters? How does a Jedi make a sound judgement in the face of such conflicting information?

Your body isn't being lobbied, quit grains, go paleo, see the results for yourself. I don't regret switching wheat products for meat/veg/fruits at all.

ren wrote: Your body isn't being lobbied, quite grains, go paleo, see the results for yourself. I don't regret switching wheat products for meat/veg/fruits at all.

You are correct. Regardless of the causes, I have felt very noticeable quality of life improvements since I began avoiding such products. I suppose Proteus' challenge cast me into self doubt, and fear began ruling my judgement. If anything, I believe the real problem may not just be one of gluten, but rather of glyphosphate pesticides (AKA Roundup), which are used not just as pesticides, but in the case of wheat the non-GMO crops are drenched in stuff 3 to 7 days before harvest, because it kills the plants. This may seem contradictory, however as the plant is dying, it gives a last gasp so to speak, and releases more seeds that it naturally would have. Glyphosphate use on dessicated seeds causes the kernels to absorb the roundup as it would any moisture, with long term toxic effects.

With the budgetary constraints my family and I are under, buying organic isn't very practical. Regardless, I let fear of making the wrong choice affect my behavior. Thank you for helping me to see this.

I'm no expert at all the details of the effects of ingesting wheat (or most other types of foods), but it might be worth noting that most findings to do with nutrition and mal-health are time and time again seen to be subjective to the state and condition of any individual body. What is unhealthy for one is not always necessarily bad for another. Also, most "studies" of these kind tend to be aimed at the focus on "overweight epedimics" in a society, and so is very easy to assume that the focus assumes that whatever conclusions that are found are necessary for everyone. Sometimes, what is not healthy about it for one type of people can be quite equal to what is healthy for another type of people, making the whole situation a lot more dynamic than many studies would like to acknowledge.

Just something I wanted to put out there.