This article is primarily about agricultural and food manufacturing practices that are creating havoc in the health of the U.S. population. Unfortunately, as we have seen with fats and oils, the food industry, or “Big Food”, has its own agenda about health, and it has to do with their bottom line, not ours. The top line, which for me represents the health of the population, is a far distant concern, after the $6 billion in profits Big Food made this past year.

There are many enlightening issues that we can pursue in relation to food, like fake fat, foreign proteins in our foods, refined empty carbohydrates, poor food manufacturing practices, the decline of dairy and radically altered grains. I am extremely motivated to inform the public about how the food we are eating adversely affect our health. My primary concern in this article is to show how refined carbohydrates, especially wheat products, are causing quite a stir in natural health circles. Facts about wheat consumption are just now coming to light and are not the least bit encouraging. But how can wheat, you say, the world’s largest staple food crop, be the major culprit? First, let’s look at a brief history of what has happened over the years to our “amber waves of grain”.

Wheat has always been mentioned as a staple around the world, the earliest evidence of  which were recognized about 8000 years ago, when it was found undigested, in the guts of human remains.  Remnants of Egyptian wheat bread from 5000 years ago can still be found today in the British Museum. Wheat is specifically mentioned in the Bible, and in ancient Egyptian texts. It was also found in the gut of ancient frozen humans in the Italian Alps, and was ground down by ancient cave men (women most likely), throughout the Stone Age. The Romans had a bakers guild where wheat was pounded into flour by slaves. Millstones for grinding wheat are still being found around the globe. Wheat was brought to the new world in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, planted in Puerto Rico, then transported to the colonies on the Mayflower.1

As farming techniques improved, so did yields, and so did the natural evolution of the grain. In the late 1800‘s, Gregor Mendel introduced the ‘Laws of Inheritance’ which in turn led to the modern study of genetics that was implemented and used commercially in the production of wheat in the early part of the 20th century. The introduction of inorganic fertilizers boosted yields and crop quality, allowing farmers to lose less of their yields to pests, disease and weeds. The grain started to change.

To meet the demands of the growing population, longer-lasting flour was needed. So, those elements that spoiled in the flour, the outer bran and germ layer, were removed. Unfortunately, these factors contained 80% of the precious nutrients. Lost forever from our flour were the natural vitamins B and E, minerals and more.

In the late 19th century, wheat production and consumption grew dramatically. New and hardier strains of wheat appeared on the landscape, and advancements were made in the technology used to grow, harvest, mill and transport wheat. This helped produce huge quantities of finer, whiter flour, making it available to more people. The masses finally had access to the refined wheat flour that was once a luxury of the wealthy.

Though eating a big bowl of cereal for breakfast seems the norm today, it was only in the late 1890′s that breakfast cereal was invented as a health food to help people with digestive problems. The popularity of cereal continued to rise throughout the decades, but the cereal of today is not quite the health food it was once thought to be! According to a 1966 study, the rise and fall in wheat consumption during World War II in five different countries correlated to the increase and decline in the number of schizophrenia patients admitted to hospitals in those countries.2  Curious.

Through the Great Depression and World War II, people were encouraged to find alternatives for meat and dairy due to war rationing. What we did was to find new ways to eat wheat. In the 1960s and 1970s people became concerned with heart disease and cholesterol and whole wheat was viewed as a “healthy alternative” to combat these health problems. Wheat consumption in the U.S. saw another great increase with the huge rise in the fast food industry in the 70s and 80s.

Today, wheat is the single most cultivated crop worldwide. Most people in the United States eat wheat every day at almost every meal. Bakers have added more “vital wheat gluten” for high gluten flour to make fluffier loaves of bread. Vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes are made from extracted gluten. Wheat and wheat by-products are found everywhere. It’s no surprise that people are not tolerating a food that has in genetic terms, “suddenly” become our dominant food source.

“The body is not built wrongly, but is being used wrongly,” proposed T.L. Cleave, author of a 1974 book called The Saccharine Disease, which addressed health conditions that he believed to be caused by sugar and white flour. Rather than viewing people who are unable to tolerate gluten as defective, we need to recognize that it is the change in the grain, how it is manufactured, and the staggering increase in wheat consumption that have led many Americans down the road to ill health!

“Big Food” and “Big Ag” have changed the grain and therefore changed the game. Wheat, which was once seen as the staff of life, has somehow become a major health hazard, and the possible cause of many of our modern day afflictions, like asthma, chronic fatigue, psoriasis, depression, anxiety, anemia, stroke, infertility, thyroid problems (Hashimoto’s or Graves), severe hair loss, allergies, Addison’s disease, a host of neurological illnesses, early onset dementia, schizophrenia, lymphoma, type I diabetes, leaky gut syndrome, osteoporosis and the rash of autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome to name a few. In regard to wheat, research has shown that symptoms outside the gut are 15x more common than inside.3 Symptoms such as: fatigue, nasal congestion, headaches, migraines, fluid retention, sleep problems, depression, hyperactivity, acid reflux, stomach ache, bloating, PMS symptoms, itching, eczema, achy or inflamed joints and irritability are some of the many possibilities, just from eating “our daily bread”.

Wheat has now reached exalted status throughout the world and has been elevated above all other foods enjoyed by humans. Yet the rise of wheat as the very catalyst for the emergence of ancient civilization has occurred at a great price. While wheat was the engine of civilization’s expansion and was glorified as a “necessary food,” those suffering from celiac disease are living testimony to the lesser known dark side of wheat. An understanding of the mechanism of celiac disease may help unlock the mystery of why modern man, who eats modern day wheat, is the sickest animal yet to have arisen on planet earth.4

 Celiac Disease Revisited

Celiac disease (CD) was once considered an extremely rare genetic affliction that was limited to individuals of European descent, and characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms of malabsorption and malnourishment. However, a growing number of studies indicate that celiac disease is found throughout the U.S. at a rate of up to 1 in every 133 persons, which is much higher than anyone previously estimated.5

These findings have led researchers to visualize CD literally as the tip of an iceberg that represents a relatively small number of the world’s population.6  The submerged portion of the iceberg is largely invisible to classical clinical diagnosis, but not to modern day screening methods such as antibody testing. This portion of the iceberg is composed of people that are asymptomatic and those with latent celiac disease as well as others with numerous degrees of wheat intolerance. At the base of this massive iceberg sits approximately 20-30% of the world’s population – those who have been found to carry the genetic susceptibility to celiac disease but have not been officially diagnosed.

 It is Not our Genes, But What We Expose Them To

The science of understanding the function of genes and how they work is undergoing a major transformation. Because you have a gene that is known to express a certain trait, doesn’t mean that you will necessarily manifest that trait. It is, after all, only a tendency. Epigenetic factors, which are essentially what we do with our lives, what we eat and what we are exposed to directly or indirectly, influence whether a gene will remain silent, or will turn itself on, thus manifesting that tendency in a person’s body. The presence or absence of key nutrients in the diet (80% of wheat’s precious nutrients are destroyed during processing),or exposures to chemicals, pathogens and other environmental influences become key in understanding and manifesting sickness and disease. In a nutshell, who we are, what we do, what we eat and what we are exposed to in our environment directly affects our DNA and its genetic expression.7

Despite common misconceptions, diseases that result from errors in a single gene are exceedingly rare. Perhaps only 1% of all diseases fall within this category, and Celiac disease is not one of them. In fact, following the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in 2003, it is no longer accurate to say that our genes “cause” disease.8

The implications of those findings are rather extraordinary: epigenetic and nongenetic factors are the primary causes in determining disease outcomes. The upshot is that we can no longer blame our DNA for our ills. Rather, it has more to do with what we choose to expose our DNA to that really matters.

What all of this means for CD is that we may need to shift our understanding from viewing this as a classical “disease” involving a passive subject controlled by aberrant genes, to viewing it as an expression of a natural, protective response to the ingestion of something that the human body was not designed to consume.9

If we view celiac disease not as an unhealthy response to a healthy food, but as a healthy response to an unhealthy food, classical CD symptoms like diarrhea make more sense. Diarrhea can be the body’s way of reducing the duration of exposure to a toxin or pathogen, and the atrophy of the villa of the small intestine can be the body’s way of preventing absorption of a toxin and the systemic effect of chronic exposure to wheat.

 People with CD almost have an advantage over those with simple wheat intolerance, who lack the classic symptoms of the disease. Even though they may suffer just as much, and with many more diverse side effects. It is possible that celiac disease represents an extreme reaction to a global, species-specific intolerance to wheat that we all share to varying degrees.10

Therefore, the problem with wheat is that it is really not about the person who reacts to it, but more about the wheat grain itself. People are reacting more and more to the proteins found in wheat, especially gluten, which contains gliadin and glutinen and 23,788 other proteins.11 That’s right, there are over 23 thousand foreign proteins found in wheat. No wonder so many people are reacting to it and with such a wide range of symptoms, diseases and reactions.

These reactions are the direct result of hybridizing the grain over and over again, throughout the past 50 years, as well as the exponential increase in its consumption.

What is it in wheat that causes all these problems? I’m glad you asked.

There are four main features about wheat that are of concern to anyone eating it:

1) Gluten, which contains both gliadin, which triggers the biggest response from the immune system, and glutinen, which is abundant in the endosperm of the hybridized wheat grain.

2) Wheat Germ Agglutinin, (WGA), derived from the germ of the wheat grain.

3) Blood sugar problems. Most of the wheat grain is a refined carbohydrate, presented as Amylopectin A, which effects our blood sugar in a most amazing way.

4) Opioid Peptides which are addictive and found throughout the endosperm of the wheat grain.

1)Gluten (from Latin meaning “glue”) is found primarily in the endosperm of wheat, and is a storage protein composite that is found in all foods processed from wheat and related grain species. Gluten is also found in barley, rye and spelt. (Some people include oats in this category, but only because the some manufacturers of oats use the same equipment for processing oats and wheat, and the equipment becomes contaminated). Gluten free oats can be easily found in a health food store.

Proteins are stored in the grain in order to germinate and nourish the seeds in order for the next wheat plants to survive. The problem, according to the medical director for the University of Mayland’s Center for Celiac Research, is that “no one can properly digest wheat. We do not have the enzymes to break it down”.12

Undigested gluten triggers your immune system to attack the lining of your small intestine, the location of the absorption problem, causing symptoms like diarrhea or constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain. In recent years it’s been shown that not digesting wheat can also cause a much wider array of symptoms that are not gastrointestinal in nature, further complicating proper diagnosis. Over time, your small intestine becomes increasingly damaged and less able to absorb nutrients such as iron and calcium. This in turn can lead to anemia, osteoporosis and a host of other health problems. Peer review studies connect over 160 diseases to the consumption of wheat. You can visit www.greenmedinfo.com/toxic-ingredient/wheat to check it out for yourself. Wheat proteins- referred collectively as gluten- represent an entirely different spectrum of health disorders than does the carbohydrate portion of the wheat plant.

Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helps it to rise (which doesn’t happen with any other grain), helps it to keep its shape and gives the final product a chewy texture. Gluten is also found in some cosmetics, hair products, and dermatological preparations, and in numerous additives that can be hidden in an amazing number of foods, such as: french fries, baking powder, cream soups, sauces, gravies, pie fillings, modified food starch, unidentified starch, malt, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed plant protein(HPP), texturized vegetable protein(TVP), binders, fillers, excipients and extenders. Avoiding processed foods will help. Other ingredients that can contain gluten include: acadia, annetto, caramel coloring, cellulose gum, garlic salt, malt vinegar, monosodium glutamate(MSG), natural flavors, onion salt, tomato paste, vegetable broth. Gluten can also be lurking in alcohol made from wheat, bouillon cubes, chocolate milk, dried fruit, egg substitutes, instant coffee like Postum, ketchup, licorice, Ovaltine, roux, salad dressings, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Also watch out for imitation bacon, veggie burgers, marinades, processed meats, blue cheese, mustard, fried foods, chewing gum, and laxatives. Most tablets and capsules in prescription and over-the-counter drugs contain fillers (excipients) that contain wheat-based starches as well as lactose, refined sugars and calcium sulfate. Yuk! Check your nutritional supplements and even the glue on stamps and envelopes can contain gluten. Most cereals, bread crumbs, bulgur, couscous, cracker meal, and seitan are wheat.13  WOW!

Different strains of wheat contain a different number of chromosomes in their genetic codes. Einkorn, the original wheat, contained fourteen chromosomes and one set of genes, while todays wheat, triticum aestivum, has forty-two chromosomes and five sets of genes.14 This isn’t the whole wheat grain your great-grandma used to cook.

Another study using frozen blood samples taken from Air Force recruits 50 years ago, found that intolerance to wheat gluten is four times more common today than it was in the 1950’s.15  Also of interest is a 1966 report that correlated the rise and fall of wheat consumption during World War II in five different countries with to the increase and decline in the number of schizophrenia patients admitted to hospitals in those countries.  The latest study to confirm the gluten-schizophrenia link was published January of 2013, in the World Journal of Biological Psychiatry and is titled, “Elevated Gliadin Antibody Levels in Individuals with Schizophrenia.” Researchers compared the blood work of 950 schizophrenics with 1,000 healthy controls. They discovered that the odds ratio of having anti-gliadin IgG antibodies was 2.13 times higher in schizophrenics, indicating that schizophrenics are twice as likely to experience an adverse response to wheat proteins. www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/60-years-research-links-gluten-grains-schizophrenia.

Gluten can cause chronic gut inflammation and Leaky Gut Syndrome, which leads to the malabsorption of essential nutrients, nutritional deficiencies and allergic responses to foods. Leaky gut occurs when the normally tight junctions of the intestinal mucosa are compromised, widen, and become permeable to large undigested compounds, toxins and bacteria. These large undigested proteins cause a hyper reaction in the immune system and in the intestine that elevate all immune system responses throughout the body. This process creates a viscous cycle of further intestinal inflammation and greater loss of intestinal permeability. Leaky Gut Syndrome promotes further autoimmune reactions, which induces more leaking in your gut. And, because gliadin, the toxic fraction of gluten, can be similar in structure to proteins found in several organs in the body, an auto immune reaction in a variety of organs, particularly the thyroid, pancreas and small intestine often occur. Other conditions directly associated with Leaky Gut are:  heart disease, type 1 diabetes, chronic inflammatory disorders, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, inflammatory bowel disorders, multiple food sensitivities, chronic yeast overgrowth, low thyroid, major depression, brain fog and cancer.Some of the major causes of Leaky Gut are: alcohol, (also promotes intestinal bacterial growth), gluten, processed foods, excess sugar, high fructose corn syrup and fast foods.

The range of symptoms for gluten disorders encompass a wide range, and include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, upset stomach, gas bloating, abdominal distention, malabsorption of nutrients and destruction of the intestinal lining. The spectrum ranges from outright Celiac Disease to gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity. Wherever you find yourself on this spectrum, and most of the population is included, be assured that eating wheat is definitely the cause.

2)Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA), is glycoprotein that is classified as a lectin and like gluten, irritates the gut, causing premature cell death, leading to a leaky gut with all the health ramifications.

WGA also disrupts the mucus membranes in the gut, which can cause bacterial overgrowth and lead to a host of digestive issues including GERD and ulcers.16  Lectins are a natural part of some plants like beans, grains, nuts and potatoes, and are enzyme inhibitors, some of which are difficult if not impossible to digest. Lectins are designed by Nature to protect the grain, bean or nut from bacteria, insects and animals, but they can make it tough for humans and other animals to consume them without getting a belly ache or worse. if we don’t render these enzyme inhibitors harmless (which is relatively easy to do), some varieties will cause problems. This is true of most grains, but especially wheat, and to lesser degree of beans and nuts, especially peanuts. Lectins cause inflammation in the gut and can be extremely toxic, affecting the immune system and heart and interfering with nerve transmission. WGA has the ability to pass through the blood/brain barrier and attach to the protective coating of our nerves, known as the myelin sheath. This can damage nerves and inhibit nerve growth. There is increasing evidence that wheat may be the root cause of many neurological and psychiatric conditions, as we have seen with schizophrenia. WGA also binds to insulin receptors which increases the inflammation that contributes to autoimmune disease, insulin resistance, and facilitates the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Lectins can also interfere with certain neurotransmitters especially as they relate to chronic pain. WGA can also cause depression ADD/ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, migraines… and who knows what else.

WGA also causes vitamin D stores to deplete quickly, leading to vitamin D deficiency, with all its accompanying issues like weakening of the bones and immune system and a vulnerability to infectious diseases and bacterial infections.

WGA Is extremely pro-inflammatory to intestinal and immune system cells in the gut, (80% of our immune system resides in the gut), and causes the synthesis of pro-inflammatory messengers or cytokines. WGA induces thymus atrophy (the master control organ of the immune system) and the production of anti-WGA antibodies, such as IgA and IgG that are found in patients with Celiac Disease. WGA has been shown to be pro-inflammatory, neurotoxic (toxic to nerves), cytotoxic (cell killing), cardiotoxic (damaging to the heart), excitotoxic, (causing hyperactive reactions in nerve cells) and an overall disruption of the endocrine and gastrointestinal systems. Wheat, dairy and soy all contain exceptionally high levels of glutamic acid and aspartic acid, which causes nerves to be hyperactive and can lead to brain injury.

WGA is also known to play a key role in kidney pathologies. A study from the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy published in 2007 in the “International Journal of Cancer” looked at bread consumption and the risk of kidney cancer. They found that those who consumed the most bread had a 94% higher risk of developing kidney cancer compared to those who consumed the least bread.17  This may only be the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to wheat proteins, wheat lectins and cancer.

“The implications could be profound when you consider how many processed wheat products are consumed today, and at a very early age… Not only may our addiction to grains be fueling gastrointestinal diseases, like Celiac Disease, but allergies, obesity, and diabetes; it also may be contributing to deteriorating mental health, as well as neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.” 18

All grains, particularly wheat, contribute to Insulin Resistance, which is the underlying cause for many of the chronic diseases we experience today, from diabetes to cancer. Above all, this is reason enough to limit your intake of grains,.

Wheat has also been shown to be an appetite stimulant. 19.

3) Blood sugar problemsmay be the biggest concern of all in regard to wheat, and it has nothing at all to do with gluten. Diabetes in 2013 is now considered to exist in epidemic proportions in America.  While Americans have been following the low fat, high refined carb diet, our blood sugar levels have been heading to the moon, while our health statistics show that our overall health is going to the dogs. Diabetes and pre-diabetes are now rampant in our society, as we continue to follow the recommendations of “Big Food” manufacturers, the FDA, the AMA, American Diabetes Association, The American Heart Association, The Mayo Clinic, The American Institute for Cancer Research, The United States Department of Agriculture, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, etc., etc…  Unknowingly, we have been led down the wrong path, which unfortunately is turning into a super highway, leading straight to the doctor’s office for drug therapy.

Wheat has the incredible capacity to send blood sugar levels straight up, initiating a  glucose-insulin roller coaster ride that drives appetite, generates addictive brain activity, and grows visceral fat. Wheat, the main attraction in healthy whole grains, is turning out to be the one ‘essential food’ to eliminate in a serious attempt to prevent, reduce, or control diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, obesity, and the components of Metabolic Syndrome, which are ultimately caused by eating too many refined carbohydrates in cereals and baked goods.

Even though we can be genetically predisposed to diabetes, it is primarily what we eat and drink that causes the disease to manifest, and wheat is certainly at the top of the list of problematic foods. This list also includes refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks with high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners that signal our appetite control center that we are not yet satisfied. Following “medically healthy advice”, we have been told to reduce fat and increase our consumption of “healthy whole grains”. The average person consumes 75% of their carbohydrate load/calories from wheat products. People who ate original Eincorn wheat almost never developed diabetes.

The notion of reducing fat and saturated fat in the diet led to the idea that “healthy whole grains” would salvage the health of Americans believed to be threatened by the over-consumption of saturated fats. It inadvertently led to a thirty-year period that now shows what can happen to people who reduce fats but replace lost fat calories with “healthy whole grains” such as wheat. The result: weight gain, obesity, bulging abdomens of visceral fat, diabetes and prediabetes on a scale never witnessed before.

Twenty-five million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes, which is 8.3% of the population. These atrocious numbers went from 1.5 million in 1958 to 18.8 million in 2010. Epidemic proportions. Plus, there are currently 79 million more Americans with prediabetes aged 20 and over, waiting in the wings. This does not include over 7 million Americans that are undiagnosed diabetics.20 These numbers will continue to skyrocket until we make some rational changes. Other than obesity, diabetes is the fastest growing disease in America, that also leads to other serious health problems. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, limb amputations and blindness among U.S. adults. Diabetes is also a major cause of heart disease and stroke, and the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. It is also estimated that 22-39% of all U.S. adults are prediabetetic. 21

The solutions recommended for both diabetes and heart disease, by the health powers that be, is “to eat less fat and more “healthy whole grains”.22 This practice led to the rapid over consumption of refined carbohydrates, and has led to ill health on a wide variety of fronts. What makes it even worse, is that we are now taking high risk medications that lower fat levels dangerously lower than ever before, as if saturated fats were our enemy. Our lack of understanding about fats, a macro nutrient, is creating even higher levels of heart disease. See my blog @ www.jimforleo.com. We also resort to taking serious medications that at best only delay the problem of diabetes, instead of eliminating the high circulating sugars from wheat, soft drinks, sugar and other refined carbohydrates from our diets. These short sighted health tactics are criminal.

The average American in 2009 consumed 133 pounds of wheat, 130 pounds of sugar and 45 gallons of soft drinks, and someone is eating most of my share. This accounts for the 43% rise in obesity levels, current epidemic proportions of diabetes, and to the number one killer of human beings, heart disease. “Big Food” has calculated just how much sugar it takes to put in our foods to reach what they call the “bliss point”, making these foods addictive, which unfortunately for us, is their calculated goal. After all, sugar has been shown to be more addictive than cocaine by stimulating the opiate receptors in our brains. The high glycemic index of refined and processed foods leads directly to insulin resistance, type II diabetes and obesity, which has now been determined to be a “new disease” by the AMA. Now they can treat it with drugs, which will make no difference at all, unless we get to the real cause, reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates in our diet. To make things worse, “Big Food” has also introduced “flavor enhancers” that make us even more addicted to manufactured foods. They do this by using a secret process that doesn’t even need to be listed on the label. We have met the enemy and he is us. See the book Sugar, Salt and Fat for more shocking details.

Eating refined carbohydrates directly relates to belly fat, or as I like to call it carbo-belly, where visceral fat builds up internally between your liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines, and manifests externally as apple shaped belly fat. This type of fat is linked to insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. Increased refined carbohydrate consumption also leads to increased levels of visceral or organ fat and increased production of cytokines, the cellular messengers and primary markers for inflammatory disease in the body. Visceral/organ fat also increases estrogen production in both men and women, which is especially relevant to the development of various types of cancer.

Recent research in the United Kingdom and in Sweden has shown that a strong connection exists between celiac patients and the development of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, stomach, esophagus, liver, bile ducts and pancreas.23 There is also a category of “latent” celiac disease, or those that have antibodies to gluten, but not the disease itself. These people had a 30-49% increased risk for fatal cancers, cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases.24 Since only 10% of celiacs know they have the disease, the other 90% are extremely susceptible. In America, many people unknowingly react to the gluten in wheat, and according to cardiologist Dr. William Davis, people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects some 20% of our population, and acid reflux/heartburn or inflammation of the esophagus, which has doubled since 1970, may well be reacting to wheat and numerous medications used to treat a variety of diseases. Davis states that when his patients eliminated wheat, they also significantly improved or completely eliminated the symptoms of both IBS and acid reflux.25

Insulin resistance or (IR) is also a common problem in America. High levels of circulating insulin overwhelm our cells, making them resistive to letting any more sugar into our cells. In essence our cells are saying “Please, no more sugar!” But this sugar does not only come from the sugar bowl, it also comes from refined grains, such as bread, bagels, cereals, pretzels, etc. IR is a condition that leads straight to diabetes. For example, people with type 2 diabetes don’t lack insulin, but in fact have too much circulating insulin from the foods they eat, which include refined grains and refined sugars. The medical conclusion made from all this was to determine that we have too much saturated fat in our diets and instead need more “whole grains” such as wheat.   Did I miss something here? Sounds like a decision that not only makes no scientific sense, but has lead to an exponential rise in diabetes, heart disease, obesity and a host of digestive problems.

Complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, breads and pasta were once thought to be a healthy alternative for humans, because they were harder to digest than simple sugars like candy bars, soft drinks, ice cream and table sugar. But, according to the values represented on the Glycemic Index (GI), which range from 1-100, the higher the GI, the greater impact a food has on our blood sugar. The truth is that 2 slices of today’s whole wheat or white bread, raises blood sugar faster than two teaspoons of straight table sugar.26  Food pyramid, anyone?

So how does wheat consumption compare with eating straight sugar? Amazingly enough, eating wheat drives your blood sugar up faster and further than eating sugar straight from the sugar bowl. The glycemic index(GI) for sucrose is 59, while the GI for whole wheat bread is 72. That is a Wow, only to be exceeded by their gluten free substitutes! Many gluten free foods use cornstarch, rice starch, potato and tapioca starch and have extremely high glycemic index values over 100! These are some of the many hidden factors that fly under the radar, so to speak, causing numerous health problems that can be easily resolved by simply changing our diet. We have settled for expensive and dangerous medications to try and find solutions, yet we can resolve many of our health problems by eliminating processed or manufactured foods in favor of whole foods, the way that nature has designed. As the title of my book clearly states, Health Is Simple, It’s Disease that’s Complicated.

It’s what’s in our food that is killing us!

Question: So, how has our food changed?

Answer: our food and our eating habits have changed dramatically. My parents and my grandparents ate whole foods primarily because there were very few processed foods and no pesticides, herbicides, manufactured foods, or manmade fertilizers at the time; only animal manure was used as fertilizer. Today, the long term results of modern farming have finally shown themselves not only by creating an agricultural disaster for the land, but a long list of health disasters for its inhabitants.

The agricultural practices of “Big Ag” over the past several decades, have created new strains of wheat that not only elevate the farmer’s yields, but exponentially raise our blood sugar levels and our risk of diabetes. Through a complex series of wheat hybridizations and thousands of genetic modifications (paid for in large part by farm subsidies I might add), carried out over the past 50 years with little or no government supervision, wheat has become one of the most abundant crops on the planet, creating a health hazard of epic proportions. This scenario may not have occurred intentionally, but no one has really put a stop to it, either. It is ironic, but today “Big Food” manufactures food created by “Big Ag”, which creates big health problems that only “Big Pharma” seems to have the ability to cure. This methodology is a recipe for disaster for Americans.

Seventy percent of todays modern wheat is composed of complex carbohydrate, seventy five percent of which is composed of repeating chains of glucose, calledamylopectin, which, has been shown to cause insulin resistance in rats.27 “The amylopectin in wheat, amylopectin A, is so easily digested, that it is no better and often worse than digesting simple sugars, like sucrose.” 28 Corn products also contain high levels of amylopectin A.

Wheat is in fact a super-carbohydrate, due to the fact that the complex carbohydrates in wheat are simply branching chains of glucose units (sugar), somewhere between 20,000 to 200,000 of these rapidly digested units. Other forms of starch are digested much more slowly because they contain more amylose like amylopectin B, contained in potatoes and bananas, and amylopectin C, the least digestible form occurring in legumes like beans and peanuts.

In 1985, the intake of carbohydrate in the United States was 47% of total energy intake with less than one half being from complex carbohydrate sources. Recommendations proposed by the National Academy of Sciences, American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association called for a decrease in fat intake to less than 30% of total energy and a corresponding increase in carbohydrate intake to 55-60% of total energy. 29

Well, those recommendation didn’t work out so well. We now have more diabetes, more heart disease and over-the-top obesity, and no one is taking any responsibility for it. These recommendation of lowering fats and increasing refined carbohydrates, simply put, are down right dangerous. When will our leaders lead?

“We eat dwarf wheat, the product of genetic manipulation and hybridization that created short, stubby, hardy, high-yielding wheat plants with much higher amounts of starch and gluten and many more chromosomes coding for all sorts of new odd proteins. The man who engineered this modern wheat won the Nobel Prize- it promised to feed millions of starving people around the world. Well, it has, and it has made them fat and sick,” says Mark Hymen, M.D.

So, why do the American Diabetes Association, the American Institute for Cancer Research, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Heart Association., the F.D.A., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Mayo Clinic still recommend eating “healthy whole grains” and synthetically manufactured wheat products that raise our blood sugar higher and faster than straight table sugar?? Maybe, just maybe, its the 1800 % increase in profits that Big Food companies have realized since the late 1980s that motivate them. And, of course, the free for all bonanza created by the revolving door that exists between the board of directors of Big Food and Big Ag” and numerous governmental regulatory agencies that make the rules for producing our food. Foods that are making us sicker and fatter every year. This is one door that needs to shut permanently.

4)Opiates

I know it is really hard to believe, but gliadin, a component of modern day wheat, is an appetite stimulant that mimics the action of opium in the body. That’s right, opium. In actuality what happens is that gliadin gets broken down into polypeptides that are small enough to cross the blood brain barrier and bind with certain opiate/morphine receptors in the brain causing appetite stimulation and addiction.30 This is a serious problem, much more likened to a drug action than a food reaction. This appetite stimulation and addiction not only creates a dependency on refined carbohydrates, but specifically on gliadin protein found in wheat.

We have been aware for some time that the body has a habitual addictive response mechanism that craves more of what we overeat or drink. For example, when we eat refined carbohydrates in the form of bread, cakes, cookies, and cereals, we quickly burn the energy our body has stored as carbohydrates in our muscle tissue and liver. As a direct result, we crave more carbohydrates to replace the energy used. The fact that the opiate/morphine receptors in the brain stimulate our appetite and produce a craving for more refined carbohydrates in the form of refined wheat, is sadly a new development and a direct result of eating modern day stubby wheat. The drug like effects of eating refined wheat products produce what are called exorphins, that have the potential to generate euphoria, simply by eating a sandwich or a bowl of cereal. Go figure.

Gluteomorphin is the specific name given to these peptides which also may be the underlying mechanism in how schizophrenics react to the proteins in wheat, gliadin. Studies have also been done using the drug naloxone, which is used to negate the high from real opiates like morphine and oxycodone. Unbelievably, this same drug also blocks the action of wheat on opiate/morphine receptors in the brain, demonstrating their biochemical similarities. This could be the reason why so many distinct mental and emotional symptoms have been tied to wheat consumption, like schizophrenia, mood swings, inability to concentrate, inability to sleep, mental fogginess, fatigue, irritability, binge eating, and even depression. The connection to other diseases is also a strong possibility, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and other nervous system disorders like incontinence, incoordination, seizures, ataxia, immune system diseases, neuropathy and dementia. Many of my patients experience relief of serious nerve system diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, heart problems and high blood pressure when they stop eating wheat in particular and grains in general. When we consume modern-day wheat, described by authorities as “healthy whole grains”, we literally become wheat addicts. When we try to stop eating wheat we also go through a period of withdrawal, similar to drug or alcohol withdrawal, which brings with it a host of physical, mental and emotional baggage.

Is wheat a GMO? No country in the world, including the United States, has been approved for the planting or sale of genetically modified wheat. That being said, nine years ago Monsanto created and tested GMO wheat that as of May 2013 is still turning up in farmer’s fields, this time in Oregon, a place where no wheat trials were ever conducted.31 The reason why GMO wheat was not produced commercially, is that even though the U.S. is the worlds leading exporter of wheat, the rest of the world doesn’t want our GMO wheat. Japan, for example, halted wheat imports from the U.S. right after GMO wheat was found growing in Oregon. Despite not being approved by the FDA, or legally grown in the U.S. for 9 years, Monsanto chose to abandon its project in 2004. They chose not to produce it as consumers around the globe voiced strong opposition to allowing GMO wheat to enter their countries food chain. If we won’t buy it, they won’t grow it!

Concerns about the use of Round up continue to escalate as scientific research in 2010 demonstrated that Roundup and the chemical on which it is based, glyphosate, cause birth defects in frog and chicken embryos at dilutions much lower than what we are currently eating. The research was led by professor Andres Carrasco of Argentine government research body CONICET. Roundup and glyphosate have also been shown to cause endocrine disruption, damage to DNA, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxity, and cancer as well as birth defects. Round up pesticide, fed to animals, still remains in their tissues when we consume them. To combat this, we need to eat organically grown grass fed beef that is not fattened up or finished with any grains, especially GMO. Here again, our FDA watchdog agency is actively looking in the wrong direction for health.

We the people have been kept in the dark about the health draining chemicals that are being included in manufactured foods. While governmental officials in the U.S. have been backpedaling on this glyphosate issue, trying hard to kick the can down the road, we continue to pay the price with our health. So it looks like its up to us to do our homework and understand these GMO issues ourselves, and insist that our lawmakers, at the very least, pass labeling laws that will let us know which foods already contain GMOs. This is only a baby step at best, but one taken in the right direction. Next, we need these officials, and those in the FDA, our federal watchdog agency, to tell us why they approve of citizens of the United States consuming dangerous herbicides in every bite. We also need to approach our congressman to forbid this chemical to continue to be used in our food supply. Round up ready foods already dominate the farm industry here in the U.S.A. Of course politic$ always plays its part, with federal officials using delaying tactics that allow safeguards that would reveal these issues to the public to expire without any action ever being taken. We the people must take charge of our food source, because our governmental agencies seem to be more interested in taking care of themselves and the large corporations that share the revolving door between federal agencies and corporate boards. The first step: labeling laws.

What about corn. Is it safe? Unfortunately, 85% of the corn crop in the U.S. is GMO. These days people are reacting to what is called corn gluten. Now, corn does not contain gluten per say, but celiacs are certainly reacting to something in it. Here are several reasons that more and more people are reacting to corn.

1)  There are many cross contamination issues with corn, where manufacturers use the same facilities and equipment to process corn that is used for wheat. This translates into gluten from wheat being present in corn.

2)  Most all the corn that we use, unless labeled as certified organic, is genetically modified. Our corn therefore contained Round up herbicide within its cells, and is sprayed with this same health compromising chemical, Round up, out in the field.

3)  Most gluten free foods contain GMO corn, which still contain insecticides imbedded in the seeds, causing celiacs and many others to react. In addition, some maize (corn) prolamins contain amino acids that chemically resemble wheat gluten, are also causing reactions, especially in celiac patients. Among a list of other symptoms, corn gluten causes brain fog and depression.

4)  The 2 proteins found in GMO corn, which cause the majority of problems, are the sulfur rich amino acids glutamine and proline. These amino acids are important in processing heavy metals, and the regulation of gene and protein functions in the body. Research in July 2011, by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture shows that changes in glutamine are the most destructive of the two, as glutamine is needed as GAD, a neurotransmitter that affects the brain and the pancreas These GAD genes are directly related to celiac disease!

5)  Monsanto’s Bt corn, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), is already showing major problems in midwest fields by producing resistant ”super pests” that not only require more insecticide use than touted, but is now causing health problems in humans. 33

6)  Who knows what other problems will show up with GMOs in the future. As of now, we are simply the guinea pigs for Big Agriculture.

Remember to use certified organic corn, whenever possible, because we don’t really know what is being put into non-organic foods, which is the root of the problem caused by not labeling GMO foods. We have no idea what is in the food we are eating! And, because Big Ag and Food Manufacturers are not telling us the truth behind the current research studies and are pouring millions of dollars into trying to defeat labeling laws throughout the country, that keep us from knowing what’s in our food. GMO corn is currently in thousands of different foods in America. All restaurant food in the U.S. contains GMO corn, unless it is certified organic… Whether we know it or not, we are now being shown that it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!

Microbiata

When our guts become irritated and inflamed, large molecules begin to leak into our bloodstream (Leaky Gut), and we begin to experience symptoms of malabsorption, out-of-control inflammation, early cell death, altered physiology, faulty digestion and escalating allergies. Other maladies that are now being related to a leaky gut are: chronic cystitis, headaches, migraines (includes the word grain), food intolerances, vaginal thrush, PMS, hormonal disruptions, skin problems, sinus infections, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. We are also finding out that when our gut, which houses a multitude of bacterial colonies throughout our intestines, becomes inflamed by eating wheat, the bacteria housed within it becomes seriously affected. And, when the living community of micro organisms in our gut become seriously altered, our immunity, digestion, detoxification and absorption rates change for the worse. Research is showing that many disorders of the digestive tract such as indigestion, heartburn, bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, or constipation, vomiting, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, Crohn’s, and celiac disease, all may be the result of sick and damaged gut flora or dysbiosis.34

If our gut is our second brain, joined by the vegas nerve, it stands to reason that what happens in our gut, also manifests in our brains. This turns out to be true.  Anatomically, these two organs are derived from the same embryonic tissue in our human development and when you think about it, even look alike. Related gut maladies that affect the brain are conditions such as; depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, autism, dyspraxia (inability to perform desired actions), dyslexia, and schizophrenia.35 Even the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin (primarily produced in the gut), becomes diminished when the gut becomes irritated and inflamed. A lack of serotonin has a big impact on mood, depression, aggression, psychological health and behavior, which ultimately leads me to make this statement: when we have a leaky gut, we also have a leaky brain. This is precisely why Alzheimer’s disease is now being called type III diabetes. Elevated blood sugar levels from eating grains and refined carbohydrates over a period of time overwhelm the stomach, intestines, pancreas, and brain, causing abnormally high levels of inflammation, insulin resistance (IR), type II and III diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Other causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome and dysbiosis include: antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, numerous other drugs, environmental toxins, such as pesticides, chlorine and fluoridein our water supply, chronic illness, candida overgrowth, parasites, a lack of dietary fiber, eating refined carbohydrates and other “whole grain”products, nutritional deficiencies, sepsis, an already compromised immune system, incomplete digestion of fats and proteins, manufactured fats, chronic inflammation, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, physical, mental or emotional injury or trauma, and severe or prolonged levels of stress.36

As it turns out, our entire gastrointestinal tract is covered with a layer of bacteria that act  as a natural barrier, keeping out undigested foods, toxins, parasites, and foreign invaders. The normally healthy bacteria in our gut (estimated at over 100 trillion), protect us from harm and secrete many healthy substances that our bodies utilize, such as Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, K, important enzymes, amino acids and immune system modulators that help us flourish. Hence the name flora. So, when leaky gut and dysbiosis (sick microflora) occur in our digestive tract, a host of serious illnesses often follow. Many health clinicians contend that it’s prudent to consider Leaky Gut Syndrome as “an integral part of any chronic health condition.37

Another recent animal study indicates that the presence or absence of beneficial gut microorganisms during infancy permanently alters gene expression in the young, specifically those genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory and motor control. This suggests that gut bacteria are closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior. 38 This makes manufactured wheat and wheat products much more of a problem than previously thought, showing significant implications for the use of wheat products early in life. Gut bacteria are so important in our lives that when entire strains go missing, the body manifests this deficiency in the form of dis-ease. These findings suggest that gut bacteria are closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior!

Initially we received this precious bacterial inheritance from our parents, and to a lesser degree from our immediate environment. And, if we were lucky enough to have had a vaginal birth, which allows us to become inoculated with our parent’s bacteria, and were breast fed, which provides nourishment for this essential gut culture, and get to play outside in the dirt adding more variety to our micro-biome, we usually get a good healthy start in life. But, if we are given antibiotics at a young age, (the average American child receives 10-20 courses of antibiotics before turning 18), or we eat sterile, manufactured food like wheat products and manufactured fats, our micro-flora becomes endangered and we end up living in a world of hurt. A Brussels study from the lab of Patrice Cani, reveled that a junk food diet made animals’ gut barrier notably more permeable, allowing endotoxins to easily leak into the bloodstream. This produced a chronic low-grade inflammation that eventually led to metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. 39

The data suggests that there is a critical period early in life when gut microorganisms affect the brain and change our behavior later in life. According to Dr. Rochellys Diaz Heijtz, lead author of that study, “Normal gut microbiota modulates brain development and behavior. The implications could be profound when you consider how many processed wheat products are consumed today, and from a very early age. Not only may our addiction to grains be fueling gastrointestinal diseases like celiac disease, but  allergies, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, our deteriorating mental health picture, as well as neuro-degenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.”

Whenever pathogenic bacteria are involved, the medical course of action has always been to attack and destroy bad bacteria at all costs, but this strategy kills off the good bacteria as well. Now antibiotics can save lives, no doubt, but the careless way that they and other drugs continue to be used in modern medicine, has permanently changed the nature and contents of the bacteria that live inside our guts. When the bacteria in your gut are sick, you will eventually be sick too. Even the best nutrition and vitamin programs will have little or no effect when your gut flora is damaged. Refined foods, especially grains, even though you may crave them, simply make things worse.

Celiacs experience the effects of eating wheat in the small intestine, where gluten flattens the villa blocking the absorption of nutrients, creating high levels of inflammation, which detrimentally affects the function of entire body. More and more research is suggesting that same scenario that exists for celiacs also exists to a lesser degree for anyone who eats this modern day manufactured food. Our absorption of essential nutrients is diminished, inflammation is created in the stomach, small and large intestines, and our elimination system becomes seriously impaired.

The view that celiacs are a rarity may have everything to do with our beliefs that wheat and whole grains are healthy for human beings, but this has little to do with the facts. The facts are that most of the diseases of affluence, like type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, cancer, etc., can be linked to the consumption of a grain-based diet, which includes “hidden sources” of grain consumption like grain-fed fish, poultry, meat and dairy products. Our belief that whole grains make us healthy is simply not supported by the facts.

What’s bad for gut microflora? Wheat, grains, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, a junk food diet, manufactured fats, hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers like lecithin, Datem, CMC, and polysorbate 80, drugs, especially antibiotics, NSAIDS, such as ibuprofen, prednisone, cortisone, sleeping pills, heartburn medication, antipsychotic drugs, and an endless list of medications. Refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, refined grains and a lack of healthy fruits and vegetables, will end up giving you nothing but heartache.

What’s good for gut microflora? Naturally ripened organic fruits and vegetables, vegetable juices, grass fed meat and eggs, seafood, raw or lightly cooked nuts and seeds, unrefined oils and other natural fats, saturated fats. Probiotics, such as bifidus, and acidophilus (only minute traces are found in commercial yoghurt) are essential, as we need to constantly support and replenish our gut bacteria. The large intestine was designed to house bacteria and needs a slightly acidic pH. The most effective prebiotics, which feed these bacteria and heal the internal environment of the intestines, are fermented foods like yogurt, kifir, kimchi, raw unpasteurized whole milk (which is illegal), and sauerkraut. Fermented foods heal and nourish the gut and the bacteria that reside within it. Many commercially produced fermented foods have been refined and pasteurized, killing the bacteria in the culture and the upsetting the naturally acidic environment. As far as the health of your gut is concerned, naturally fermented foods are the answer, and they are the best  and the cheapest, when you make them yourself.

Conclusion

In this article, I have tried to provide the facts backed by scientific literature and by clinical trials, including my own. The most glaring fact is that I continue to find, is that we can’t trust food growers or manufacturers to tell us the truth about what we are eating. They have failed to provide us with safe manufactured foods that do not cause sickness, disease or death. Sounds ominous, but unfortunately it is the truth. It’s up to every one of us to find out for ourselves what foods are healthy for us and our families to eat and which one’s are not. Neither can we count on the FDA or the American Cancer society, the Mayo clinic, the U.S Department of Agriculture, or any other government or private agency to tell us the whole truth about our food. By the time our government agencies let us know what is happening to us from the perils of wheat and GMO grains, the health of our population will be seriously compromised and ready to be drugged silly by our medical system. Therefore, we must take matters into our own hands and vote with our dollars, as this is the only vote that the giants of industries ultimately care about; not your health, just your money. So, make sure that you don’t give it to them. Do your shopping in stores that provide certified organic produce, fruits and vegetables. Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb and other meats should be grass fed, without using GMO grains to fatten them up at the very end. Don’t buy beef grown in feed lots and fed corn, as corn fed animals are sick and will ultimately transfer that sickness to you.

Get yourself and your family off wheat! As drastic as that may sound, and as pervasive as wheat is in our culture, it is the right thing to do. Your health and life may literally depend on it. And, if you are already sick, get yourself off of all grains and go on a Paleo type diet.  The Paleo diet, which varies considerably, is often referred to as the caveman diet, consists primarily of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots and nuts. It excludes grains, legumes(including peanuts), dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.40 It is a little extreme for my taste, but is an excellent way to bring your mind and body back into balance. Also make especially sure to eat good fats, (especially saturated ones), and stay away from manufactured fats, statin drugs and low fat diets. Also, try to avoid refined manufactured foods, anything that you buy in a bag or a box, and eat whole, organic foods produced by Nature. Also direct the elected officials in your state to vote for labeling laws for GMO products, so we can be clear on what foods not to eat.

Be well and pay attention to what it is you put in your mouth,

-Dr. Jim

 

footnotes:

1)  Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D., Rodale Press, pg.20.

2)  Wheat Consumption and Hospital Admissions for Schizophrenia During World War II, F.C. Dohan, M.D.pg 3, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 18, January 1966.

3)  Why Grains Can Be Such a Pain, Judith DeCava, Price Pottinger Journal, Vol. 34, No 1, pg 2

4)  The Dark Side of Wheat- New Perspectives On Celiac Disease and Wheat Intolerance by Sayer Ji, Green Med Info March 2010, pg 2.

5)  Celiac Disease: an emerging global probal problem, Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 2002, Oct;35 (4):472-4

6)  Richard Logan is responsible for first introducing the “Celiac Iceberg” metaphor in 1991.

7)  An Introduction to Genetic Engineering, by Desmond S.T. Nicholl, Cambridge University Press, 2002, pg. 24.

8)  Genetic dissection between silent and clinically diagnosed symptomatic forms of celiac disease in multiplex families, Digestive and Liver Disease, 2002 Dec;34 (12):842-5.

9)  Is gliadin really safe for non-celiac individuals? Gut 2007;56:889-890; doi:10.1136/gut,2006.

10)         “Gliadin, Zonulin and Gut Permeability: Effects on Celiac and Non-Celiac Intestinal Mucosa and Intestinal Cell Lines”, Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology Apr;41(4):408-19

11)         The Dark Side of Wheat-New Perspectives on Celiac Disease and Wheat Intolerance– by Sayer Ji, GreenMedInfo.com, pg. 3

12)         Why You Should Probably Stop eating Wheat, Dec 14, 2012 by The D News Editors. pg. 3.

13)         Why Grains Can Be Such a Pain, Judith DeCava, Price Pottinger Journal, Vol. 34, No 1, pg. 8.

14)         Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D.,Rodale Press, pg. 38.

15)         Why is Wheat Gluten Disorder on the Rise? Mercola, 7/23, 2009. pg. 1, articles.mercola.com.

16)          11 Ways Gluten and Wheat Can Damage Your Health, pg. 2, http:paleodietlifestyle.com/11-ways-gluten-and-wheat-can-damage-your-health/

17)          : “Food groups and renal cell carcinoma a case-control study from Italy.” International Journal of Cancer 2007, Feb1;120(3):681-5.

18)          3 Ounces of This a Day May Be Harming Your Brain, July 4, 2011, Mercola, pg.4, articles.mercola.com.

19)          Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D., Rodale Press, pg.53.

20)          CDC National Diabetes Fact Sheet.www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf

21)          Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D., Rodale Press, pg.101.

22)          IBID, pg 101.

23)          IBID, pg 90.

24)          IBID, pg 90.

25)          IBID, pg 93.

26)          Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D., Rodale Press, pg.8.

27)          Dietary Amylose-Amylopectin Starch Content Affects Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Adipocytes of Normal and Diabetic Rats, Journal of Nutrition, January 1, 1988 vol 128 no. 1 35-43, IBID, pg 33.

28)         Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D., Rodale Press, pg.33.

29)          The Effect of Long-term Consumption of Amylose vs Amylopectin Starch on Metabolic Variables in Human Subjects, pg.1 Kay M Behall and Juliette C Howe.

30)          Wheat Belly, William Davis, M.D., Rodale Press, pg.54.

31)          Escaped Wheat Shows Difficulty of Controlling Crop Tests, Mark Drajem, May 31, 2013, www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-31/escaped-wheat-shows-difficulty-of-keeping-test-crops-on-the-farm

32)         GMO Foods and Auto Immune Diseases-Celiac Disease, Urban Organic News, April 27, 2012, pg.2.

33)          Monsanto Decimates Their Credibility, Mercola, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/10/monsanto-bt-corn.aspx,September 10, 2013.

34)         Why Can Grains Be Such A Pain, Judith DeCava LNC, CNC, Price Pottenger Journal, Vol. 34, No. 1.

35)          Why Can Grains Be Such A Pain? Part 2, Judith DeCava CNC, LNC, Nutrition News and Views, March/April 2009, pg 1.

36)          Why Can Grains Be Such A Pain? Part 2, Judith DeCava CNC, LNC, Nutrition News and Views, March/April 2009, pg 4.

37)         Why Can Grains Be Such A Pain? Part 2, Judith DeCava CNC, LNC, Nutrition News and Views, March/April 2009, pg 3.

38)          3 Ounces of This a Day May Be Harming Your Brain, Mercola, July 4, 2011,articles/mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/04/can/eating/wheat/cause/psychiatric/problems.

39)          The Secret Lives of Germs, What We Can Learn From Our Microbiome, Michael Pollan, The New York Times Magazine, May 19, 2013, pg. 43.

40)          Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia, Paleolithic diet, wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet, pg 1.

—

The path taken by Big Food and Big Ag has insulated them from the health or disease producing effects of their foods, while we the consumers pay the price. Bottom line profits direct Big Food’s actions, not what is best for the population. Ultimately, large corporations are only concerned with serving themselves and their shareholders.

Lectins often end up circulating in the body and in the brain, where they can cause leptin resistance(LR), causing similar effects to Insulin Resistance(IR). These two factors, LR and IR, promote obesity as leptin and insulin are the two most important hormones needed to maintain  normal weight and energy balance.