A Conclusive Argument On Grains

If you’re on the fence about paleo and/or grain consumption, this article sums the pros and cons up brilliantly and is fully backed by scientific studies. Thank you Robb Wolf. You can do days of research online to find out all of this information, or you can read this one article which will take you about 10 minutes. If you’re struggling to burn fat, removing grains from your diet is one of the most effective ways to shed fat with ease. [Remember the more belly fat you have, the lower your testosterone will be as your belly fat contains the enzyme aromatase which converts testosterone into two forms of oestrogen.] If you suffer from inflammation and high blood pressure, removing grains from your diet is one of the most effective ways to reverse this. [Inflammation is the serious health condition that underlies pretty much every chronic disease.] If you suffer from join pain, afternoon fatigue, can’t think clearly, or you feel de-energised, removing grains from your diet is the simplest way to reverse these symptoms. If you’re a type 2 diabetes sufferer or pre-diabetic, removing grains from your diet is a massive step in the right direction to lowering blood sugar spikes and thus the insulin response. If you suffer from IBS or other digestive problems or bad breath, removing grains from your diet can cure this. Get the idea? Grains are a staple food in the Standard American Diet and typical Western diet, yet when you remove them, you risk the side effect of getting seriously healthy.

You can have super deliciously tasty, wholesome food from a plethora of other food sources. For example, replace breakfast cereal with a super tasty 3 organic egg omelette cooked in coconut oil with spinach, broccoli, peppers, onions, mushrooms in spices you love. Have a sweet potato or quinoa for lunch with meat/fish and veggies and maybe butternut squash for dinner with meat/fish.

Back go grains. Here are the pros and cons…

Grains – The Consistent Cons

When foods are immunogenic it means they activate the immune system and induce inflammation. Although most make an effort to refrain from foods they’re allergic to (i.e. activates immunoglobulin E), many are unknowingly consuming foods that are immunogenic.  The most common example is wheat, with some research showing that it promotes inflammation in more than 80% of the population.[xxvi]

Renowned gluten intolerance researcher, Dr. Kenneth Fine, believes 1 in 3 Americans are gluten intolerant and 8 in 10 has the genetic wiring to develop it.

Even if we forget about gluten, many of the gliadin proteins in wheat and other grains are responsible for inducing a pro-inflammatory immune response,[xxvii] whether the individual has a known intolerance or not.[xxviii] A paper from Ian Spreadbury in 2012 suggests that this is partly the result of an unfriendly bacteria left behind after the breakdown of acellular carbohydrates (grains, flour, sugar).[xxix]

Basically, that loufa you just swallowed was a used one.

Similar findings have determined that an endotoxin called LPS (lipo-polysaccharides) is elevated in the GI tract when the typical High-Carbohydrate Grain-Dominant diet is consumed,[xxx] and this is strongly correlated with obesity and diabetes[xxxi] – something not seen in our grain-free paleolithic ancestors.[xxxii]

Chronic gut inflammation also promotes an increase in intestinal permeability (leaky gut), which is associated with various autoimmune[xxxiii] and inflammatory bowel disorders,[xxxiv] and negatively affects our absorption of essential vitamins and minerals.[xxxv] Essentially, grains are a double-whammy, as they damage the intestinal lining where nutrients are absorbed, and most of them come equipped with ‘anti-nutrients’ (phytic acid and lectins) that prevent nutrient availability.

Continue reading the whole article on grains on RobbWolf.com