A staple of the American diet, white bread is baked from processed wheat flour that is high in carbs. But wheat is being increasingly blamed for the onset of other health conditions, like obesity, heart disease, and a host of digestive problems — including the dramatic rise in celiac-like disorders. Phytic acid cannot be digested by humans. Grains were not part of the traditional human diet during the evolution of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, and some researchers, including Dr. Loren Cordain, professor at the Colorado State University, believe that grains contribute to the chronic diseases that are now so prevalent in Western societies, as explained in a paper published in 1999 in "World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics.". Images: Top Morgan Lane Photography/Shutterstock. The effects of gluten and gliadin clearly vary from person to person. Wheat and grain-based foods are all around us. Lectins, which are a class of molecules, can be found in beans, cereal grains, nuts, and potatoes. Fasano explains: Gliadin is a strange protein that our enzymes can't break down from the amino acids (glutamine and proline) into elements small enough for us to digest. Wheat raises blood sugar levels, causes immunoreactive problems, inhibits the absorption of important minerals, and aggravates our intestines. The pattern is now utterly clear and beyond dispute — the Chinese Government seems intent on using its… More, A resident at a unit complex where an Aboriginal baby girl died on Sunday says he heard the child's… More, Ochre pits, ceremonial grounds and rock shelters with evidence of human occupation going back at least… More, The coronavirus pandemic has seen an unprecedented effort to help Australians caught overseas return home. "World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics"; Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword; Loren Cordain; 1999, Celiac Sprue Association: Treatment of Celiac Disease, "BMC Endocrine Disorders"; Agrarian Diet and Diseases of Affluence – Do Evolutionary Novel Dietary Lectins Cause Leptin Resistance; Tommy Jönsson, et al. Australian dietary guidelines recommend, on average, we eat four to six serves of grain foods every day. The authors of this study believe that a diet rich in lectin-containing grains, which include wheat, could increase hunger by inducing leptin resistance, which would explain the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in Western societies. It supplies about 20% of the total food calories worldwide, and is a national staple in most countries. It should not be And when consumed in excess, or when not cooked properly, they can be harmful. "The bonus is that you are likely to explore new foods like quinoa and probably utilise less processed packaged foods. My eyelids were spontaneously blistering, so after much denial and tears, I had to … Terms of Use Most cereal grains, including wheat, contain a biochemical compound called lectin. The answer, it appears, has to do with a whole lot of nastiness that's present in grain-based foods. The best aspect about whole wheat is that it retains all the parts of the grain kernel (i.e. There was an error getting your weather data. Unlike for wheat intolerance and allergies, people who may benefit from a low FODMAP diet do not have to completely avoid wheat (and other foods containing FODMAPs). Unlike fruits, which are meant to be eaten, grains have a way of fighting back. But don't…, A resident at a unit complex where an Aboriginal baby girl died on Sunday says he heard the child's mother asking police…, We're at a point now where you cannot reasonably expect to earn anything more than a percentage point on your savings for…. It's also what gives certain foods that wonderful, chewy texture.