Grains are the hard, edible seeds of grass-like plants (called cereals).  They come in many varieties (wheat, corn, rice, oats) and are one of the most consumed foods worldwide (if not the most).  As a staple food in most countries, they provide more food energy worldwide than any other food group by far

Grains Are Not Healthy

This idea goes against everything you may have been taught. If you follow the food guides of most Western countries, you would think that grains are an integral part of a healthy diet and that grain consumption is necessary. Unfortunately, those food guides are based on poor science, and put together by folks that represent the grain board, the dairy board, and other such industries that ultimately profit from you consuming their food. This is not only about gluten containing grains, but rather all grains, at least in the amount that is currently recommended. 

Reasons To Ditch Grains

Low In Nutrients.

The big heroes of most grains’ nutrient profile are dietary fiber and B vitamins.  Every grain is different and different grains offer different nutrient profiles.   Yet, one thing remains constant: if you can find the nutrient in grain, you can find the nutrient in better, more available quantities in other foods. For example, 100 grams of whole wheat flour contains 44 mcg of folate; however, a 100-gram portion of lamb liver will give you 400 mcg of folate and a 100-gram portion of long beans will give you a whopping 658 mcg per 100-gram portion.   Similarly, with the B Vitamins niacin and thiamin, while a 100-gram whole wheat flour contains 30% of the RDA for niacin and 32% of the RDA for thiamin, you can find these nutrients in higher quantities in other foods.   Whole grains are often touted as health foods for their fiber content, but you can find dietary fiber in better quantities in other, more nutrient-dense foods.   For example: 100 grams of cooked brown rice offers up 1.8 grams of dietary fiber; by contrast, a 100-gram serving of cooked collard greens offers 2.8 grams; 100 grams of raw fireweed contains a whopping 11 grams of dietary fiber and even green peas contain about 5 grams of fiber per serving.

Contribute To Poor Gut Health

Intestinal health is critical to your overall health.   If your gut isn’t healthy, you are unable to absorb nutrients from the foods you eat.   If you can’t absorb nutrients from the foods you eat, your body is malnourished and is more prone to disease.   Grains are associated with a condition called leaky gut syndrome.   Tiny particles of grains, when ingested, can slip through the intestinal walls causing an immune response.   With your immune system excessively taxed by constantly attacking these out-of-place particles of grain, it cannot effectively fight against true threats like pathogens.

Gluten.

If you are Caucasian, there is a good chance that you are gluten-intolerant to some degree.   Current research estimates that about 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease, an auto-immune condition related to the ingestion of gluten-containing grains like wheat and barley; however, some researchers on celiac disease and gluten intolerance estimate that 30% to 40% of people of European descent are gluten-intolerant to some degree.   That’s a lot of people who are regularly consuming a food that makes them sick.

Inflammation.

Due to a high starch content, grains are inflammatory foods.   The more refined the grain, the more inflammatory it is.   For example, unbleached white flour is more inflammatory than whole grain flour; however, whole grains are still moderately inflammatory foods and certainly more inflammatory than other foods like well-raised meats and naturally occurring fats.   Chronic inflammation is linked to a myriad of degenerative, modern diseases including arthritis, allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, emotional imbalance and even cancer.   Unbleached white flour earns an inflammation factor of -421 or strongly inflammatory, while whole wheat flour earns an inflammation factor of -247 or moderately inflammatory.   Similarly, whole cooked millet earns an inflammation factor of -150 and cooked brown rice earns an inflammation factor of -143 – also moderately inflammatory.

Contribute To Joint Pain

Due to their inflammatory nature, grains – even   whole grains – are linked to joint pain and arthritis.     Grain’s amino acid composition mirrors that of the soft tissue in your joints.   Because both synovial tissue and grains are chemically similar, your body has difficulty differentiating between the two.  When your immune cells are triggered and stimulated by inflammation caused by grain consumption and begin to attack it as a foreign invader, they also begin to attack the soft tissue in your joint – leading to pain, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and, of course, more inflammation.

Prevent Mineral Absorption.

When improperly prepared as they most often are, grains can inhibit vitamin and mineral absorption.   Grains contain substances including phytic acid which binds up minerals and prevents proper absorption.   Essentially, though your diet might be rich in iron, calcium and other vital nutrients if you eat improperly prepared grain, you are unable to fully absorb nutrients from the foods you eat.   However, please note that souring, sprouting and soaking grains neutralizes some of the phytates and renders the nutrients in grain more absorbable. This is not a reason to consume grains though!

Bad For Your Teeth.

Due to those high levels of phytates in grain, grain is linked to dental decay.   With high levels of mineral-blocking phytic acid coupled with low mineral absorption rates and plenty of starches for bacteria to feed on, grain contributes to the breakdown of dentin and decay.  Anthropological records of pre-agricultural humans indicate very little to no tooth decay; however, that changed after the dawn of agriculture.   Indeed, some anthropologists use the presence of tooth decay is an indicator of an agricultural society.

Create Skin Issues

Grains have a very high carbohydrate content, and while the carbohydrates in grain are complex they are still broken down into sugars – often at more rapid rates than simple carbohydrates. These sugars instruct your body to produce more insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IFG-1).   Elevated insulin levels lead to a cascading hormonal response and these hormones activate the sebum-producing glands in your skin – encouraging them to produce more oil.   IFG-1 is also linked with the increased production of keratinocytes which also contribute to acne.

Trigger Cravings

You know how the smell of bread creates a longing in you   – a yearning for a slice, slathered with your favorite spread.   Or consider a plate of cookies set in front of you – so delicious – and you can’t just have one?   Foods rich in carbohydrates give you quick energy, but that energy wears off just as quickly as it came. Since grains break down into sugar, they create a rise in insulin levels when those levels fall you crave more grains and, thus, the vicious cycle continues.

Neolithic Foods

While still a traditional food, grains are, nonetheless, the a new addition to the human diet.   Prior to the advent of agriculture, humans relied on hunting and gathering for their foods.   They foraged for wild greens, berries, fruits and other plants.   They hunted wild animals.   They fished for wild fish.   They didn’t plant a garden, or grow any amber waves of grain or, for that matter, drink dairy from domesticated animals since there simply weren’t any domesticated animals.   Humans survived like this from the development of the appearance of the first homo sapiens sapiens about 47,000 years ago to the advent of agriculture some 10 – 12,000 years ago. For the better part of human existence grains did not comprise any notable portion of the human diet. In essence, what has become the bulk of the modern diet was missing from the diet of prehistoric ancestors.

Here’s What You Can Do

Feeling overwhelmed, for starters:

·       Go full on “No-Grains” – remove them all

·       Commit to eliminating 80-100% of grains from your diet – find what works for you. Nutrition is highly individualized and there is no one diet fits all, however, I wouldn’t take that as an excuse to consume grains.  The science is there. They are harmful to our bodies.

·       Replace grains with vegetables – spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles, or carrot noodles can all be delicious.  

·       When baking, use grain-free flours like coconut flours, cassava flour, or almond flour.