Grains are a major staple of most people’s diet in America, and with the low-fat craze of the 80s and 90s and the Food Pyramid recommendation of 6-11 servings of grains a day, it is no wonder that most people consume so many grains. While processed grains and white flours have gotten a bad rap in the last few years, most people still believe that whole grains are a healthy and necessary part of their diet. It comes as a shock to many people that the human body is not designed to function optimally on grains and flours.
Until recently (the last 10,000 years or so), humans existed primarily on meat and vegetation, as things like grains and potatoes were too difficult to grow and cook until the dawn of the agricultural and industrial revolutions. Most of the animals eaten at this time ate grass and vegetation, and as such had a high nutrient content.
It is generally agreed that agricultural farming was only started in the last 10,000 to 20,000 years: a short time in the span of human evolution. Before this time, grains were fermented or partially sprouted as they were left in the fields and exposed to rain and sun before being eaten. This allowed the grains to germinate and produce enzymes, which also produces Vitamin C. This process also broke down the phytic acid in the grains. Phytic acid is a mineral blocker which prevents the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals.
According to one source:
These inhibitors can neutralize our own digestive enzymes, resulting in the digestive disorders experienced by many people who eat unsprouted grains. There are many scientific indicators linking grain consumption to rheumatic and arthritic conditions as well.4 Complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down during sprouting and a portion of the starch in grain is transformed into sugar. Sprouting also inactivates aflatoxins, which are toxins produced by fungus and are potent carcinogens found in grains.
In recent times we have deviated sharply from the natural whole food diet that our bodies require.
The contemporary human diet results in the body’s net production of noncarbonic acid, which ranges from 10 to 150 mEq/d among diets today. Although the body has mechanisms to compensate for deviations in systemic acid-base equilibrium, blood acidity tends to be increased and plasma bicarbonate concentrations tend to be decreased due to the present day net acid load. This condition, known as low-grade acidosis, may result in the dissolution of bone, muscle wasting, kidney stone formation, and damage to the kidney.
This acid connection is important to understand. If you look at the pH of 
blood, it should be around 7.4 which is slightly basic. In people who eat a lot of grains, blood pH is found to be slightly acidic, which can cause various problems in the body. When the body is acidic, it will attempt to compensate and return the body to an alkaline state, and problems like osteoporosis can result as the body pulls Calcium and Magnesium from the bones to alkalize the blood.
As a Nutritional Consultant, I often refer to the “white death,” in the common American diet: the combination of white flour, white rice, white sugar, potatoes, processed salt and processed white foods. While it is logical that these processed foods are less nutritious than the whole grain version, there are some distinct nutritional reasons why:
- In processing, zinc is stropped out of the grain, which disrupts the cadmium to zinc ratio in the body. This can be dangerous as even a small zinc deficiency can cause major problems in the body since zinc is necessary in hormonal functions, enzyme reactions, cell division, protein synthesis and reproduction. This is partially the reason that many of my clients seem rapid improvement in fertility, energy, joint pain and other problems after removing grains from the diet.
- American grains have been shown to be low in protein, and one report showed that even in the last few decades, other countries with starving populations would refuse to accept American grains if any other country offered grains because the nutritionally devoid American grains did very little to help the starving people.
- Processed grains are devoid of B vitamins and Vitamin E, causing further imbalances in the bodies of people who consume high amounts of grains.
It is telling that after only a couple hundred years of eating processed grains, chronic disease, infertility and obesity are rampant. In the last 30 years, studies show that birth rates are declining and infertility is rising among men and women. A recent study from the University of Missouri found that sperm counts in men have decreased by as much as 50% since the 1930s.
Another problem was the boom in running and triathlons, which resulted in the production of numerous popular books on how to eat for success in these sports. The diet plans in these books commonly resemble the USDA Food Pyramid (Figure 1), which is commonly referred to as the USDA Feedlot Pyramid by nutritional experts such as Dr. Barry Sears (author of “The Zone Diet”) because such dietary proportions are far better suited to fattening animals than they are to health and vitality! (source)
Logically, this high grain and processed food diet has also led to an increase in insulin sensitivity or resistance, diabetes, and obesity. Many of the processed foods and grain based products on the market are absorbed almost identically to straight table sugar, causing a myriad of problems:
- fatigue
- depression
- weight gain
- joint pain
- bloating
- diabetes
- vision problems
- hair loss
- and many others
The human body’s storage space for carbohydrates is limited, so when too many carbohydrates are consumed (especially in the form of grains and sugars), they are converted through an insulin reaction, into fats and stored in the body. This increased need for insulin is the reason for the link between high carbohydrate intake and diabetes. High insulin levels also suppress glucagon and growth hormone, which are needed for muscle development and fat burning in the body. (An excellent article about the effects of excess insulin in the body)
With my nutrition clients, I recommend a 30-day fast from all grains and gluten containing foods and from foods containing processed sugars. During this 30 day period, I also recommend keeping a food journal and writing how the client feels after each meal and between meals. Clients who notice a drastic change in health challenges, energy levels, or chronic problems are almost certainly intolerant to grains and many choose to remove grain products temporarily or permanently from the diet. I have also seen the most drastic weight loss and improvement of problems like infertility, chronic miscarriage, joint pain, arthritis, skin problems, etc, in clients who make this choice.
Read more about how removing grains can help treat illnesses like cold and flu.
PDF 
About Wellness Mama
