Grains Friend or Foe?

With the prevalence of celiac disease and the acknowledgement of gluten intolerance in many people one has to wonder about grains. The interest in the Paleo diet has also brought attention to grain consumption. Basically those of the Paleo ilk discourage grain consumption. Why is it that grains, which are considered important to the growth of human civilization get such a bad rap. Entire civilizations were built on wheat, rice and corn but now they are the enemy of of many diet gurus.

GMO's

Two big concerns with grain consumption are GMO's and allergies. Most wheat, soy, and corn grown in this country is genetically modified to read more about GMO's visit this link. While the mainstream debates GMO's their health and safety just about everyone I talk with is against the genetic modification of our food. Just this alone is enough to keep folks away from wheat, corn and soy. Add to the frankenfood mess a hefty dose of food allergies and we can see why food choices not involving grains has become popular.

Carbohydrates, Fat and Protein

Before we throw away the baby with the bath water consider some grains aren't so 'bad' when consumed wisely. Think of grains like rice, quinoa, amaranth, and teff. Even with relatively healthy not so allergenic grains there are few things to be aware of. The main concern with grains is they are primarily made up of carbohydrates and can cause blood sugar and insulin spikes known to be detrimental to everyone’s health. We certainly don’t want blood sugar imbalances, but does this mean that no one should eat grains?

Adding a protein and fat-containing food with grains is an antidote to carbohydrate filled grains. There’s quite a difference between eating a bowl of rice with vegetables, compared to a piece of fish, coconut oil and vegetables over rice. The latter has added protein and fat those added nutrients help prevent blood sugar and insulin spikes. Eating only carbohydrates at a meal, whether they’re from grains or not isn’t something that should be done regularly.

Lectins and Phytic Acid

Finally grains contain certain compounds which inhibit nutrient absorption. Primarily lectins which are proteins that bind to cell membranes in the digestive tract. This can lead to intestinal cell death and/or damage to the villi. If this happens often enough and in a large enough quantity, you may wind up with increased intestinal permeability or “leaky gut syndrome.” The result is unwanted food particles, microbes, and toxins leaking through the gut wall into the bloodstream.

Another component of grains (and nuts, seeds, and beans) is phytic acid. Phytic acid can cause mineral imbalances by binding to calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and possibly more minerals. A lack of these essential minerals can be responsible for a myriad of health conditions and symptoms. Phytic acid can bind to important enzymes that our body needs to digest protein and starch. So when cooking seed grains such as quinoa and amaranth it is best to soak them for an hour as this helps to remove physic acid.

As with any diet choices there are a number of factors. This information is shared to keep you informed not to add to the list of do's and don'ts of what you should and shouldn't eat.