Chapter 5

Food in Its Original Form

One has to question the wisdom of trying to improve what we don’t

understand.

Popcorn is Amazing

The white stuff is the starch The little flecks of shell is the fiber It’s 100% whole grain. It’s all there.

All grains start out as whole grain. They contain three parts:

» the starchy inside » the seed or germ» and the outer shell or bran

Refined grains have the germ and bran removed, leaving just the starch (ei. Wonder White Bread)

For every 100 pounds of whole wheat that gets refined, after the germ and bran have been removed only 72 pounds of flour is left. The rest is fed to cattle.

Add malted barley, bleaching agents, and some additives and you have the All-American White Flour

Hayden Flour Mill, Tempe AZ

In the past 20 years, research has shown that a diet based on refined grains is not ideal.

Eating whole grains provides a level of disease protection that is no longer available once the grain has been refined.

Food in its original form is generally better

Whole grains should be eaten at most meals. They are at the base of the healthy eating pyramid

Only 13% of Americans eat at least 1 serving of whole grains per day

Only 5% of foods containing wheat contain whole wheat

It’s okay to eat some refined grains and starches, just eat them with other whole foods.

Whole Grains and Heart Disease

10 studies completed All but one showed that the more

dietary fiber people ate, the lower their risk of heart disease

For every 10 grams of fiber you average per day, risk of heart attach goes down 14%, risk of heart disease death goes down 27%

Cardiovascular disease and cereal fiber consumption

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2 slices of whole wheat bread have 4-6 grams

JAMA. 2003;289:1659-1666

10 grams of Whole Grain=

four slices of whole wheat bread A cup of whole grain cereal

One study showed that if you eat whole-grain breakfast cereals risk of heart disease drops 35%

Cancer

45 studies have been completed on whole grains and cancer

Only 3 of the 45 failed to show a protective effect for cancer of the breast, ovary, colon, rectum, pancreas, stomach, and others

Diabetes

Which is digested faster: whole grain wheat, or refined white flour?

Refined white flour reaches the bloodstream quickly and causes a dramatic increase in insulin. This

increases diabetes risk.

2 or more servings of whole grains per day reduces blood insulin

2 or more servings per day reduces diabetes risk by 30%

Stroke and Death

2 or more servings of whole grains per day reduced stroke risk by 36%

2 or more servings of whole grains per day reduced death rate by 17%

Maybe the saying is true that

“The whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead?”

Individuals who have diets composed mostly of white flour and refined starches are at a significant health disadvantage

What’s going on here?

Why are whole grains so special?

Whole grains are plants. Plants have developed adaptations

(phytochemicals) to help them survive attacks from:» Fungus, bacteria, virus, molds, ultraviolet light,

and free radicals Phytochemicals (fight-o-chemicals) help stop

these attackers When you eat the plants you eat the

phytochemicals and you too get protection

Phytochemicals

Are specialized chemicals produced by plants to help plants avoid disease and death

There are over 100,000 different phytochemicals

Scientists have only identified 5,000

Refined grains no longer contain the phytochemicals because most of them are located in the bran (outer layer) and in the germ… the part of the plant that has been removed

Phytochemicals are known to be associated with the prevention and treatment of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension

Why should you eat whole grains?

They absorb water and make the stool softer. A soft stool makes everything pass through the digestive system a lot easier. A hard stool is part of the cause of constipation.

They change the acidity in the colon, which prompts the body to produce immune fighting cells. This helps you avoid infections.

They alter the amount of insulin our bodies produce. This means the energy in whole grain foods enters the blood stream more slowly which helps keep blood sugar from having wide fluctuations. (More on this in the discussion of the glycemic index in chapter 7)

They contain phytochemicals, nature’s health promoting helpers.

How much whole grains should you eat?

Half of your bread/cereal servings every day should be whole grain

most adults eat 6 servings…

“3 are key” get at least 3 servings of whole grains per day and even more is better

Get “Real” Whole Wheat Bread

INGREDIENTSENRICHED FLOUR (FLOUR, BARLEY MALT, NIACIN,

IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN), WATER, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: YEAST, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEAT GLUTEN, SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM AND SODIUM TEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, CORN FLOUR, SOYA FLOUR, POTASSIUM BROMATE, ENZYMES), CALCIUM PROPIONATE (A PRESERVATIVE), YEAST NUTRIENTS (AMMONIUM SULFATE, CALCIUM SULFATE), CARAMEL COLOR, POTASSIUM SORBATE (A PRESERVATIVE)

This is FAKE whole wheat bread

INGREDIENTSENRICHED FLOUR (FLOUR, BARLEY MALT, NIACIN,

IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN), WATER, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: YEAST, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEAT GLUTEN, SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM AND SODIUM TEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, CORN FLOUR, SOYA FLOUR, POTASSIUM BROMATE, ENZYMES), CALCIUM PROPIONATE (A PRESERVATIVE), YEAST NUTRIENTS (AMMONIUM SULFATE, CALCIUM SULFATE), CARAMEL COLOR, POTASSIUM SORBATE (A PRESERVATIVE)

This bread ingredient list shows that it is made of refined wheat flour and the carmel coloring is added to make it look darker, like whole wheat…Don’t be fooled

Points to Remember

Once a whole grain is refined, it no longer contains all of the fiber and phytochemicals it used to have, and it no longer provides your body with the same level of disease prevention.

It’s okay to eat some refined flour and starches, but whole grains should make up most of the breads and cereals you eat every day.

The fiber and phytochemicals found in whole foods appear to be able to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.

At least half of the breads and cereals you eat every day should be whole grain.