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Whole Wheat, Fibre, Grains | Gluten Intolerance, and Nutrition

By Ina Woolcott

People often view fibre as a healthy option to be included in their diet, and eat lots of whole wheat breads and other whole wheat containing products. But this isn’t always the case, even if it is whole grain organic wheat. Grains should not be eaten by most people. If you suffer with

1) high cholesterol

2) high blood pressure

3) diabetes

4) are overweight

then you are better off avoiding ALL grains, no matter what metabolic type you are.

Most people trained in medical science conforming to established practice, don’t value that there are various, less than apparent reactions to gluten containing grains, which is a protein found in in wheat, oats barley, rye and spelt and can be detrimental to our health. The medical term for this is sub-clinical gluten intolerance. There are around 15% of US citizens who don’t fall into this category and can happily eat whole grains.

Some of us can’t get enough of wheat containing foods such as breads, bagels, pizza, cakes, biscuits, breakfast cereals and pasta. Eating grain containing products for some can result in insulin-related complications and even result in death! If you don’t want to give up your bread at least only eat high quality products if you fall into any of the above 4 categories. A decent whole grain loaf is heavy and dense, so don’t be fooled by loaves that are light in weight and claim to be whole grain and good for you.

There are also further reasons to avoid wheat, for instance the way it is processed from seed to storage. Wheat can actually be extremely nutritious, when harvested and processed in the correct way. Bad for us then that modern farming and milling techniques have powerfully diminished the quality of commercial wheat berry and the flour it produces, due to the depletion of
the soil because of the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals, high-heat milling, refining and improper preparation, such as extrusion. Modern farmers rely too much on chemicals, when really the focus should be on soil fertility and the mindful choice of seed to produce varieties suited to particular micro-climates. By treating this otherwise nutritious grain incorrectly, many people have become intolerant or allergic.

When produced in fertile, well-nourished soil, whole wheat is abundant in vitamin E and B complex, minerals such as iron and calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Correct growing and milling are needed to maintain these nutrients and to prevent decaying and spoiling.

Even before they are planted, fungicides and insecticides are used on wheat seeds. Listed here are some of the main chemicals (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) used on commercial wheat crops - disulfoton (Di-syston), methyl parathion, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, diamba and glyphosate. All of the chemicals used have been approved for use and deemed to be safe. In spite of this consumers exposure to these chemicals should be minimal, best of all no exposure at all. Some of the effects of over exposure include:

* As well as contributing to the expansive toxic load in our bodies, our vulnerability to neurotoxic diseases and also conditions like cancer are increased.
* A lot of the pesticides act as xenoestrogens - foreign oestrogen impairs the balance of our hormones and is a possible cause of a number of health conditions, researchers speculate that these oestrogen-mimicking chemicals may cause girls and boys to start puberty at ever earlier ages.
* Links have been made to abnormal and hormone-related cancers such as breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease and endometriosis.

Hormone like substances or plant growth regulators, either natural (plant derived) or synthetic, are also used on commercial wheat by farmers, that affect wheat characteristics, for instance the time of germination and strength of stalk. The synthetic hormone Cycocel is the most used on the market. There is also research taking place into how to control the hormones naturally present in wheat and other grains in order to bring about desirable changes such as a higher chance of getting through cold weather.

There are no studies that indicate the health risks of eating hormone manipulated wheat or grains that have been exposed to hormone use. There IS though vast proof regarding the dangers an increased intake of hormone-like substances.

As they are stored for a long time and are a target to a number of insects, the collection bins are sprayed with insecticide, inside and out. Whilst the bin is being filled more chemicals are added. Some of the chemicals used includ chlorpyrifos-methyl, diatomaceous earth, bacillus thuringiensis, cy-fluthrin, malathion and pyrethrins. Then, if one live insect per quart of sample is found, fumigation begins - ‘a method of pest control that completely fills an area with gaseous pesticides to suffocate or poison the pests within’. The whole storage facility as well as the grains being treated are permeated. Most fumigants are highly toxic to people, resulting in many deaths each year. Methyl bromide was the most widely used fumigant until its production and use were restricted by the Montreal Protocol due to its role in ozone depletion.

When the grain is dried, the heat damage is a serious problem, due to the artificial drying of damp grain at high temperatures. This alters the quality of the protein26 and may to a degree cook the protein, in turn ruining the flour’s baking properties and nutritional value.

A grain kernel is made up of three layers - the bran, the germ and the endosperm. Modern high speed mills which reach 400 degrees Fahrenheit, eject the germ and the bran. A lot of this waste product, which is actually the most nutritious part of the grain, is sold as by products for animals. What you are left with is white flour with just a fraction of the nourishing grain. The high heat causes the bran and germ to go off and the Vitamin E content is destroyed, a shame as whole wheat used to be the foremost source of vitamin E. A long list of dough conditioners and preservatives go into modern bread, as well as toxic ingredients like partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and soy flour, which is full of anti-nutrients, and is added to most brand name breads to aid rising and non sticking.

The extrusion process, which involves high pressure and temperature is used for making breakfast cereals and puffed grains creates additional toxic components. Nutrients are further depleted and synthetic vitamins are added to replace the ones destroyed by refinement and milling. Chemical preservatives are also used so that bread can be shipped long distances and to have a longer shelf life without being refrigerated.

Modern man is used to modern day bread and has forgotten how the real thing should taste. There is nothing nutritional to be had out of these whole grain products, they are full of chemicals! In reality we should not be eating these products, even if we do not fall in to the above four categories.

Wholesome Whole Wheat Products

* the best thing to do is bake your own bread and other such products containing wheat. By purchasing whole wheat berries and grinding them fresh to make your own flour. These wheat berries should be organic or biodynamic. Biodynamic is farming with even higher standards than organic farming. These methods of farming prohibit the use of synthetic, carcinogenic chemicals and
fertilisers, ensuring you are getting the cleanest, most nutritious food possible at the same time removing the possibility of irradiation and genetically engineered seed.
* Another route is to buy organic 100% stone-ground whole wheat flour at a natural food store. Instead of stones, slow speed, steel hammer-mills are generally used. Flours made in this way can have stone-ground on the label as this method is on par with the stone-ground process producing a product that is just as nutritious. Any process using the entire grain for flour without exposure to high heat is acceptable.
* There are organic sourdough or sprouted breads available freshly baked or frozen in superstores or health food store. If made with 100% stone ground flour, this will be on the label.
* Sprouting, soaking and genuine sourdough leavening pre-digests grains, allowing nutrients to be absorbed and metabolised easier.
* Research has proved that sprouting assists beneficial alterations of various nutritional elements, boosting the total nutrient density of a food. This is not only restricted to wheat, all grains undergo this transformation.
* As they contain no preservatives, both whole wheat flour and its products should be stored in a fridge or freezer.

Related reading:
The Gluten-Free Kitchen: Over 135 Delicious Recipes for People with Gluten Intolerance or Wheat Allergy
Living Well with Celiac Disease: Abundance Beyond Wheat and Gluten
Eat Well Live Well with Gluten Intolerance: Gluten-free Recipes and Tips (Eat Well Live Well With)
Gluten Intolerance (Good Health Guides)

Filed under: Health and Diet on December 16th, 2007