Is eating whole-grain foods THAT big of a deal?

[Ninetysix]

Where did the post you quoted state anything about fat storage or fat loss?

The post you quoted is simply saying that high levels of blood glucose in the blood can lead to type 2 diabetes.

When you have more processed carbs, like white bread, the pairs and chains of monos (the dis and polys) are processed down to monos. The problem with this from a health standpoint is that too many of these monos are then combined with fats by enzyms in the liver and then travels throughout the body for storage (fatty deposits).

In bold text.

[savaglauren]

In bold text.

Just be careful about equivilating carbs going directly to fat. It just is used as a transport tool for fats. Ironically in order to break down fats, you still need a carb and protein in order to break down fats as well.

[MrDude1]

Just be careful about equivilating carbs going directly to fat. It just is used as a transport tool for fats. Ironically in order to break down fats, you still need a carb and protein in order to break down fats as well.

Care to clarify that?

[torment]

Eat more vegetables and fruits. Forget about bread, grains and rice.

[Ninetysix]

Eat more vegetables and fruits. Forget about bread, grains and rice.

Care to suggest this to Asians where rice is their staple? It's all about calories in vs calories out. You can definitely fit bread, grains and rice into your diet.

[torment]

Care to suggest this to Asians where rice is their staple? It's all about calories in vs calories out. You can definitely fit bread, grains and rice into your diet.

Yes you can fit it in, but you will feel a lot better with vegetables or fruit. In place of those. They will fill you up more.

1 cup of cooked rice around 240ish calories
1 cup of broccoli is around 30 calories

To get same amount of in/out would need to eat 8 cups of broccoli, now which is going to make you more full?

[MrDude1]

Care to suggest this to Asians where rice is their staple? It's all about calories in vs calories out. You can definitely fit bread, grains and rice into your diet.

I agree with what you're saying... but you have to admit most grains are calorie dense.
I suggested removing rice to a Filipino friend.. By changing nothing except soda to diet and cutting rice out, hes lost 70+lbs so far. It was very very difficult for him at first, especially around family, but he has enough momentum from the results so far to continue. Its a great thing to watch someone you know go from morbidly obese to "normal looking" with such a small effort.

[savaglauren]

In order to break down fats, bile acids pair up with an amino acid, which enables that bile to an emulsifier for the fats). Chylomicrons are a type of lipoprotein (lipoproteins are transport vehicles for the fats made up of lipids and proteins) that allows for the fats to be transported throughout the circulatory system (not only for storage but also for elimination once broken down). Many people have heard of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in relation to cholesterol levels. We like to have high density lipoproteins since it also helps to remove built up lipid deposits within arteries (reduces risk for heart disease) and a protein is necessary for that to occur. The liver produces very low density lipoproteins (not through dietary intake) and as it travels through the blood systems, it becomes low density lipoproteins, so if you don’t have dietary intake of the HDL, fatty deposits may build up due to the very low density lipoproteins turning into LDL and this messes us up with heart disease and whatnot.

There are also many B vitamins (like niacin, biotin, B6, B12…) that are necessary for the metabolism of fats. These are found in protein source foods.

Carbohydrates are important because the body offsets the loss of fat storage (the body first uses energy from carbs, then fats). If fat is lost in large amounts over short periods of time, the body can become too acidic, called ketosis (the body accumulates ketones – by-product of when a fat breaks down). (Ketosis may be seen with Type 1 Diabetes, starvation, low carb/high protein diets.) If levels of ketones becomes too high, resulting of high fat loss, short time, the acidity of the blood may lead to damage to the liver and kidneys. It is very important that is people are one low carb/high protein diets, particularly those who are on those diets for long periods of time, that they are monitored extremely often (even every week) with urine tests to make sure that the ketones are not becoming dangerous. Anyone who has gone through cutting for contests and whatnot, I’m sure are familiar with the risks of dropping fat too quickly.

So, in other words, carbs help balance the burning of fats to make sure it doesn’t happen too quickly.

[sharpieblet]

Ultimately the no wheat no sugar issue is calories in vs calories out. They 'think' it's simply from eating unhealthy wheat when in reality they lose weight because they eat less calories. It's far more difficult to eat 2000 calories of chicken breast than it is chocolate cake.

precisely...coincidence has SOOO much to do with why people think whole wheat/avoiding carbs+sugars/nothing fried/smaller frequent meals=only way for fat loss. i can EASILY get overweight off chicken, fish, eggs and whole wheat bread and pasta, all while keeping the sweets and simple carbs out of my diet...WHILE eating 6+ meals a day lmao.

[Motaba]

Ultimately the no wheat no sugar issue is calories in vs calories out. They 'think' it's simply from eating unhealthy wheat when in reality they lose weight because they eat less calories. It's far more difficult to eat 2000 calories of chicken breast than it is chocolate cake.

I had a co-worker who was trying to lose weight take the advice of a nutritionist....he was eating chicken breasts for lunch. Told us that it's much harder to get fat on this...explained to us like a giant lightbulb went off in his head. 3 days later his lunch was 4 pizza pockets 1 bag of chips and a chocolate milk drink.

[Smittaye]

In order to break down fats, bile acids pair up with an amino acid, which enables that bile to an emulsifier for the fats). Chylomicrons are a type of lipoprotein (lipoproteins are transport vehicles for the fats made up of lipids and proteins) that allows for the fats to be transported throughout the circulatory system (not only for storage but also for elimination once broken down). Many people have heard of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in relation to cholesterol levels. We like to have high density lipoproteins since it also helps to remove built up lipid deposits within arteries (reduces risk for heart disease) and a protein is necessary for that to occur. The liver produces very low density lipoproteins (not through dietary intake) and as it travels through the blood systems, it becomes low density lipoproteins, so if you don’t have dietary intake of the HDL, fatty deposits may build up due to the very low density lipoproteins turning into LDL and this messes us up with heart disease and whatnot.

There are also many B vitamins (like niacin, biotin, B6, B12…) that are necessary for the metabolism of fats. These are found in protein source foods.

Carbohydrates are important because the body offsets the loss of fat storage (the body first uses energy from carbs, then fats). If fat is lost in large amounts over short periods of time, the body can become too acidic, called ketosis (the body accumulates ketones – by-product of when a fat breaks down). (Ketosis may be seen with Type 1 Diabetes, starvation, low carb/high protein diets.) If levels of ketones becomes too high, resulting of high fat loss, short time, the acidity of the blood may lead to damage to the liver and kidneys. It is very important that is people are one low carb/high protein diets, particularly those who are on those diets for long periods of time, that they are monitored extremely often (even every week) with urine tests to make sure that the ketones are not becoming dangerous. Anyone who has gone through cutting for contests and whatnot, I’m sure are familiar with the risks of dropping fat too quickly.

So, in other words, carbs help balance the burning of fats to make sure it doesn’t happen too quickly.

I find your posts to be full of giant words and nutritional/medical wizardry.

Will you marry me? (lol, jk).

[brand91]

Whole grains just taste better to me, and I've always eaten them regardless of my previous bad diet. smell/taste of white bread makes me gag, and I don't mean like nice italian breads, I mean the store bought wonder bread and the likes.

[tomtrombla]

I'm fighting a losing battle with the beliefs of my S/O and my personal trainer on this one, so I thought I'd stop here before I give up. Every time I look for dietary advice (mostly for info on total calorie counts and protein intake) I get inundated with concrete demands that I never eat white bread or pasta again, ever. Thing is, I don't get why the push to go to whole grain is such an unbreakable commandment in the dieting world. When it comes to how it compares with white grains, I see whole grains as having:

1) More fiber - Makes you feel fuller and makes you more regular. But I don't have a snacking impulse and I don't have a problem with being regular, so I don't see the big benefits to me, personally, here. Not to mention we're only talking a gram or two per serving, not exactly a game changer.

2) More nutrients - Sure it has a few more nutrients, but if my overall diet isn't terribly lacking and I'm taking a loaded multivitamin, are the scant few extra nutrients in whole grain that significant that I should forgo while grains for good?

3) More calories - 100% whole grain breads are more dense and therefore have more calories, which are not my friends when I'm trying to lose weight.

Did I miss anything here? I'm trying not to oversimplify it but IMO I'm being more analytical and rational about it than nutrition experts who say "It's better for you" like some religious gospel that they don't have to think too much about. Maybe I'm over-analyzing this because I'm a stubborn food snob who is resisting giving up all my favorite foods for substitutions that don't taste as good, but if I'm going to give up something I want to know not only -if- the alternative is "better for me", but also -how- and -how much- it's better for me. If it's night and day and will help the pounds drop significantly, I'll give it a go. If it's a tiny miniscule amount better for me, then I'd like to know that so I can make an educated choice that doesn't sound like mindless dogma.

Dont you think that eating a sammich with 100% whole wheat bread is better than eating it on Wonder bread? Yes, it provides more physical substance to your meal and yes it is certainly better for somone to eat a 100% naturaal product vs. something that was..."made"

[TheSauce9]

After months of "Fix My Diet," "How Do I Lose Weight Without Counting Calories?" and "Is Cardio the Only Way to Lose Weight?" threads, I just wanted to personally welcome everyone back to the Losing Fat forum, and tell you that I missed you all terribly.

[Electricheadd]

In order to break down fats, bile acids pair up with an amino acid, which enables that bile to an emulsifier for the fats). Chylomicrons are a type of lipoprotein (lipoproteins are transport vehicles for the fats made up of lipids and proteins) that allows for the fats to be transported throughout the circulatory system (not only for storage but also for elimination once broken down). Many people have heard of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in relation to cholesterol levels. We like to have high density lipoproteins since it also helps to remove built up lipid deposits within arteries (reduces risk for heart disease) and a protein is necessary for that to occur. The liver produces very low density lipoproteins (not through dietary intake) and as it travels through the blood systems, it becomes low density lipoproteins, so if you don’t have dietary intake of the HDL, fatty deposits may build up due to the very low density lipoproteins turning into LDL and this messes us up with heart disease and whatnot.

There are also many B vitamins (like niacin, biotin, B6, B12…) that are necessary for the metabolism of fats. These are found in protein source foods.

Carbohydrates are important because the body offsets the loss of fat storage (the body first uses energy from carbs, then fats). If fat is lost in large amounts over short periods of time, the body can become too acidic, called ketosis (the body accumulates ketones – by-product of when a fat breaks down). (Ketosis may be seen with Type 1 Diabetes, starvation, low carb/high protein diets.) If levels of ketones becomes too high, resulting of high fat loss, short time, the acidity of the blood may lead to damage to the liver and kidneys. It is very important that is people are one low carb/high protein diets, particularly those who are on those diets for long periods of time, that they are monitored extremely often (even every week) with urine tests to make sure that the ketones are not becoming dangerous. Anyone who has gone through cutting for contests and whatnot, I’m sure are familiar with the risks of dropping fat too quickly.

So, in other words, carbs help balance the burning of fats to make sure it doesn’t happen too quickly.

I take exception with the bolded statements. The body does not prioritize carbohydrate first, fat is the normal fuel for the body and carbohydrate is only used during periods of intense anaerobic exercise. Your body's only method of storing carbohydrate is muscle/liver glycogen it makes no sense for you to be walking around in a glycogen depleted state all day.

Second, calorie balance controls how fast you lose fat not carbohydrate balance. (You may perform better with carbs but that is not under debate) Dietary carbohydrate is not required to live, your body can manufacture enough carbohydrate to run your brain and minimum muscle glycogen.

Lastly, ketones are the results of the liver burning fat as energy rather than glycogen. There is no macro nutrient wizardry that would explain the cruxed of what your talking about in this post. Calories control speed of fat loss.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nut...-overview.html

[geexxz]

But if the difference is even 10% then it still doesn't pay to eat a 210 calorie serving of whole grain bread when I can have white bread for 100 calories (or less if it's the thin cut, fluffy low-cal variety).

If you're going for the premium whole wheat bread, that has seeds etc then yes, it's higher calorie. The standard slice of brown is ~20cals less than the standard white, in my (limited) experience.

[Electricheadd]

Dont you think that eating a sammich with 100% whole wheat bread is better than eating it on Wonder bread? Yes, it provides more physical substance to your meal and yes it is certainly better for somone to eat a 100% naturaal product vs. something that was..."made"

80 calories
5g protein
5g fiber
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailypl...o-light-bread/

For the 120 calories I saved by eating my bread I can eat an apple and 200g of brocolli and blow the doors off the micro nutrition of crappy whole grain bread.

[MrDude1]

80 calories
5g protein
5g fiber
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailypl...o-light-bread/

For the 120 calories I saved by eating my bread I can eat an apple and 200g of brocolli and blow the doors off the micro nutrition of crappy whole grain bread.

exactly.
and for anyone that thinks ANY BREAD is a 100% natural product, needs to have their head examined.

when you take the product of 1000s of plants, grind them up to get the innards, and then go through a complex recipe of baking them.. its not "a 100% natural product".
without machines, theres no way you would be casually eating a piece of bread. even in ancient times, bread as we know it was not common until the powered mill came along.

[ezjax]

The whole calorie in vs calorie out to lose weight is true but for overall nutrition and health whole grains and less process food are better for you



There is research to prove that a diet largely containing refined carbs or sugar increase estrogen levels and decrease test lvls... Overall decreasing your bmr, increasing your bf, and slowing your metabolism


There is also research to show that eating a diet composed largely of refined carbs/sugar increases chances for diabetes because of the insulin spikes and drops it causes



So in your short term goals to lose weight if you want to eat your white bread because it has less calories that's fine... but I believe most of us are in the losing fat section to become healthier overall and avoid long term problems... Eventually your diet should contain large amounts of
Complex carbs

since research show this and that can you "show" the research?

[Electricheadd]

How did this gem get pushed 3 pages deep.

[aterrigno]

since research show this and that can you "show" the research?

http://www.epha.org/spip.php?article1237
http://www.howtodothings.com/health-...-male-hormones

"Increase your complex carbohydrate intake. While excessive quantities of simple carbohydrates are unhealthy, a 2002 study published in the journal "Life Sciences" found that high carbohydrate diets led to higher plasma testosterone levels than high protein diets containing the same number of total calories. As such, build your diet around healthy complex carbohydrates such as whole grain bread, baked potatoes and brown rice."



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/21...#ixzz1n29fUp3a

http://chriskresser.com/think-skinny...es-think-again

This is what i found on the internet... I learned about this in a kinesiology class and recently moved so my notes are in a storage unit...


its foolish for people on a bodybuilding forum to insult and negate what phd level scientists have researched and studied religiously...

your regular m.d. may not give you correct "body building" tips when they are telling you your dietary needs this due to the fact that the average person isn't interested in body building just in being healthy overall...

however assuming all of the recommendations and info provided by these proffesionals is rubbish... is ludacris..


fact is... sure you can lose fat and even be "ripped" eating crappy foods just managing your macros accordingly... however managing your macros and calories while eating complex carbs, organic whole foods, and portion controlled timely meals is clearly healthier for you than getting your macros from double whoppers from burgerking or other refined carbs all in one sitting



the majority of the people in losing fat forum changed their lifestyle to be healthier, live longer, and avoid health issues such as diabetes...

not just move from 14%-8% bf

more and more "skinny people" are being diagnosed with T2DM...

[Electricheadd]

http://www.epha.org/spip.php?article1237
http://www.howtodothings.com/health-...-male-hormones

"Increase your complex carbohydrate intake. While excessive quantities of simple carbohydrates are unhealthy, a 2002 study published in the journal "Life Sciences" found that high carbohydrate diets led to higher plasma testosterone levels than high protein diets containing the same number of total calories. As such, build your diet around healthy complex carbohydrates such as whole grain bread, baked potatoes and brown rice."



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/21...#ixzz1n29fUp3a

http://chriskresser.com/think-skinny...es-think-again

This is what i found on the internet... I learned about this in a kinesiology class and recently moved so my notes are in a storage unit...


its foolish for people on a bodybuilding forum to insult and negate what phd level scientists have researched and studied religiously...

your regular m.d. may not give you correct "body building" tips when they are telling you your dietary needs this due to the fact that the average person isn't interested in body building just in being healthy overall...

however assuming all of the recommendations and info provided by these proffesionals is rubbish... is ludacris..


fact is... sure you can lose fat and even be "ripped" eating crappy foods just managing your macros accordingly... however managing your macros and calories while eating complex carbs, organic whole foods, and portion controlled timely meals is clearly healthier for you than getting your macros from double whoppers from burgerking or other refined carbs all in one sitting



the majority of the people in losing fat forum changed their lifestyle to be healthier, live longer, and avoid health issues such as diabetes...

not just move from 14%-8% bf

more and more "skinny people" are being diagnosed with T2DM...

Your articles do not address the debate at hand. Nobody here will argue that the macro nutrient composition of your diet is not important. We do take exception to the idea that somehow one source of carbohydrate is better than another. Nutrition is much more complex than that, take my bread example above. I can eat my refined 80 calorie bread along with an apple and 200g of brocolli or I could eat your 200 calorie whole grain bread. On both a macro and micro nutritional levels my 200 calories are better than yours. No specific foods are bad its over all diet composition that matters so be smart about it and enjoy the foods you like in the context of a varied whole food diet.

Your last statement I believe is wrong. Insulin resistance is directly correlated to the amount of body fat you have, Type 2 diabetes is a fat person disease almost exclusively.

[aterrigno]

Your articles do not address the debate at hand. Nobody here will argue that the macro nutrient composition of your diet is not important. We do take exception to the idea that somehow one source of carbohydrate is better than another. Nutrition is much more complex than that, take my bread example above. I can eat my refined 80 calorie bread along with an apple and 200g of brocolli or I could eat your 200 calorie whole grain bread. On both a macro and micro nutritional levels my 200 calories are better than yours. No specific foods are bad its over all diet composition that matters so be smart about it and enjoy the foods you like in the context of a varied whole food diet.

Your last statement I believe is wrong. Insulin resistance is directly correlated to the amount of body fat you have, Type 2 diabetes is a fat person disease almost exclusively.

how are my links not related at all? They are related to what I stated what the one guy asked fr


And diabetes is not exclusively a fat person disease ... Look it up


And the ratio is continually adjusting to more and more "skinny" people or lets say average body weight opposed to obese


As well as the age average is continually going down


It's stereotypical that older obese people are the only people who get diabetes but if you dig into it rather than just arguing with me you will see its a growing concern how it's moving away from a fat person disease rapidly


I think I provided one link fr that as well


Also I never stated and one single
Food is bad or attacked bread at all


Vegetables are complex carbs?? Soooo where's you're argument all I said was a diet should consist largely of complex carbs whether that's from whole grain bread or broccoli with slice of wonder bread either way the majority of that meal
Will be more nutrient rich and complex carb rich than 200 calories of wonder bread


I'm on your side bro

[Electricheadd]

how are my links not related at all? They are related to what I stated what the one guy asked fr


And diabetes is not exclusively a fat person disease ... Look it up


And the ratio is continually adjusting to more and more "skinny" people or lets say average body weight opposed to obese


As well as the age average is continually going down


It's stereotypical that older obese people are the only people who get diabetes but if you dig into it rather than just arguing with me you will see its a growing concern how it's moving away from a fat person disease rapidly


I think I provided one link fr that as well


Also I never stated and one single
Food is bad or attacked bread at all


Vegetables are complex carbs?? Soooo where's you're argument all I said was a diet should consist largely of complex carbs whether that's from whole grain bread or broccoli with slice of wonder bread either way the majority of that meal
Will be more nutrient rich and complex carb rich than 200 calories of wonder bread


I'm on your side bro

"More than 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are obese" US CDC
http://www.obesityinamerica.org/unde...y/diseases.cfm

My point was that demonizing foods and basing your diet off of Glycemic Index is a poor idea. There are no bad foods, every food has a unique nutritional profile and should be used in the context of a macro and micro nutritionally sound diet.
http://www.alanaragon.com/elements-c...mic-index.html

[hungryone15]

Article from the Huffington Post... It's not just about calories in vs. calories out!! Get your knowledge up:

How Wheat -- and Gluten -- Trigger Weight Gain, Prediabetes, Diabetes and More

This new modern wheat may look like wheat, but it is different in three important ways that all drive obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more.

It contains a Super Starch -- amylopectin A that is super fattening.
It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory.
It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more.
The Super Starch

The Bible says, "Give us this day our daily bread." Eating bread is nearly a religious commandment. But the Einkorn, heirloom, Biblical wheat of our ancestors is something modern humans never eat.

Instead, 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 around the world. Well, it has, and it has made them fat and sick.

The first major difference of this dwarf wheat is that it contains very high levels of a super starch called amylopectin A. This is how we get big fluffy Wonder Bread and Cinnabons.

Here's the downside. Two slices of whole wheat bread now raise your blood sugar more than two tablespoons of table sugar.

There is no difference between whole wheat and white flour here. The biggest scam perpetrated on the unsuspecting public is the inclusion of "whole grains" in many processed foods full of sugar and wheat, giving the food a virtuous glow. The best way to avoid foods that are bad for you is to stay away from foods with health claims on the labels. They are usually hiding something bad.

In people with diabetes, both white and whole grain bread raises blood sugar levels 70 to 120 mg/dl over starting levels. We know that foods with a high glycemic index make people store belly fat, trigger hidden fires of inflammation in the body and give you a fatty liver, leading the whole cascade of obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes. This problem now affects every other American and is the major driver of nearly all chronic disease and most our health care costs. Diabetes now sucks up one in three Medicare dollars.

The Super Gluten

Not only does this dwarf, FrankenWheat, contain the super starch, but it also contains super gluten which is much more likely to create inflammation in the body. And in addition to a host of inflammatory and chronic diseases caused by gluten, it causes obesity and diabetes.

Gluten is that sticky protein in wheat that holds bread together and makes it rise. The old fourteen-chromosome-containing Einkorn wheat codes for the small number of gluten proteins, and those that it does produce are the least likely to trigger celiac disease and inflammation. The new dwarf wheat contains twenty-eight or twice as many chromosomes and produces a large variety of gluten proteins, including the ones most likely to cause celiac disease.

Five Ways Gluten Makes You Sick and Fat

Gluten can trigger inflammation, obesity and chronic disease in five major ways.

Full-blown celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that triggers body-wide inflammation triggering insulin resistance, which causes weight gain and diabetes, as well as over 55 conditions including autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel, reflux, cancer, depression, osteoporosis and more.
Low-level inflammation reactions to gluten trigger the same problems even if you don't have full-blown celiac disease but just have elevated antibodies (7 percent of the population, or 21 million Americans).
There is also striking new research showing that adverse immune reactions to gluten may result from problems in very different parts of the immune system than those implicated in celiac disease. Most doctors dismiss gluten sensitivity if you don't have a diagnosis of celiac disease, but this new research proves them wrong. Celiac disease results when the body creates antibodies against the wheat (adaptive immunity), but another kind of gluten sensitivity results from a generalized activated immune system (innate immunity). This means that people can be gluten-sensitive without having celiac disease or gluten antibodies and still have inflammation and many other symptoms.
A NON-gluten glycoprotein or lectin (combination of sugar and protein) in wheat called wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)[1] found in highest concentrations in whole wheat increases whole body inflammation as well. This is not an autoimmune reaction, but can be just as dangerous and cause heart attacks.[2]
Eating too much gluten-free food (what I call gluten-free junk food) like gluten-free cookies, cakes and processed food. Processed food has a high glycemic load. Just because it is gluten-free, doesn't mean it is healthy. Gluten-free cakes and cookies are still cakes and cookies! Vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds and lean animal protein are all gluten free -- stick with those.
Let's look at this a little more closely. Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt and oats, can cause celiac disease, which triggers severe inflammation throughout the body and has been linked to autoimmune diseases, mood disorders, autism, schizophrenia, dementia, digestive disorders, nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, cancer and more.

Celiac Disease: The First Problem

Celiac disease and gluten-related problems have been increasing, and now affect at least 21 million Americans and perhaps many millions more. And 99 percent of people who have problems with gluten or wheat are NOT currently diagnosed.

Ninety-eight percent of people with celiac have a genetic predisposition known as HLA DQ2 or DQ8, which occurs in 30 percent of the population. But even though our genes haven't changed, we have seen a dramatic increase in celiac disease in the last 50 years because of some environmental trigger.

In a recent study that compared blood samples taken 50 years ago from 10,000 young Air Force recruits to samples taken recently from 10,000 people, researchers found something quite remarkable. There has been a real 400 percent increase in celiac disease over the last 50 years.[3] And that's just the full-blown disease affecting about one in 100 people, or about three million Americans. We used to think that this only was diagnosed in children with bloated bellies, weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. But now we know it can be triggered (based on a genetic susceptibility) at any age and without ANY digestive symptoms. The inflammation triggered by celiac disease can drive insulin resistance, weight gain and diabetes, just like any inflammatory trigger -- and I have seen this over and over in my patients.

Gluten and Gut Inflammation: The Second Problem

But there are two ways other than celiac disease in which wheat appears to be a problem.

The second way that gluten causes inflammation is through a low-grade autoimmune reaction to gluten. Your immune system creates low-level antibodies to gluten, but doesn't create full-blown celiac disease. In fact, 7 percent of the population, 21 million, have these anti-gliadin antibodies. These antibodies were also found in 18 percent of people with autism and 20 percent of those with schizophrenia.

A major study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that hidden gluten sensitivity (elevated antibodies without full-blown celiac disease) was shown to increase risk of death by 35 to 75 percent, mostly by causing heart disease and cancer.[4] Just by this mechanism alone, over 20 million Americans are at risk for heart attack, obesity, cancer and death.

How does eating gluten cause inflammation, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer?

Most of the increased risk occurs when gluten triggers inflammation that spreads like a fire throughout your whole body. It damages the gut lining. Then all the bugs and partially-digested food particles inside your intestine get across the gut barrier and are exposed your immune system, 60 percent of which lies right under the surface of the one cell thick layer of cells lining your gut or small intestine. If you spread out the lining of your gut, it would equal the surface area of a tennis court. Your immune system starts attacking these foreign proteins, leading to systemic inflammation that then causes heart disease, dementia, cancer, diabetes and more.

Dr. Alessio Fasano, a celiac expert from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, discovered a protein made in the intestine called "zonulin" that is increased by exposure to gluten.[5] Zonulin breaks up the tight junctions or cement between the intestinal cells that normally protect your immune system from bugs and foreign proteins in food leaking across the intestinal barrier. If you have a "leaky gut," you will get inflammation throughout your whole body and a whole list of symptoms and diseases.

[hungryone15]

Part 2: (just trying to help out here)

Why is there an increase in disease from gluten in the last 50 years?

It is because, as I described earlier, the dwarf wheat grown in this country has changed the quality and type of gluten proteins in wheat, creating much higher gluten content and many more of the gluten proteins that cause celiac disease and autoimmune antibodies.

Combine that with the damage our guts have suffered from our diet, environment, lifestyle and medication use, and you have the perfect storm for gluten intolerance. This super gluten crosses our leaky guts and gets exposed to our immune system. Our immune system reacts as if gluten was something foreign, and sets off the fires of inflammation in an attempt to eliminate it. However, this inflammation is not selective, so it begins to attack our cells -- leading to diabesity and other inflammatory diseases.

Damage to the gastrointestinal tract from overuse of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil or Aleve and acid-blocking drugs like Prilosec or Nexium, combined with our low-fiber, high-sugar diet, leads to the development of celiac disease and gluten intolerance or sensitivity and the resultant inflammation. That is why elimination of gluten and food allergens or sensitivities can be a powerful way to prevent and reverse diabesity and many other chronic diseases.

The Super Drug

Not only does wheat contain super starch and super gluten -- making it super fattening and super inflammatory -- but it also contains a super drug that makes you crazy, hungry and addicted.

When processed by your digestion, the proteins in wheat are converted into shorter proteins, "polypeptides," called "exorphins." They are like the endorphins you get from a runner's high and bind to the opioid receptors in the brain, making you high, and addicted just like a heroin addict. These wheat polypeptides are absorbed into the bloodstream and get right across the blood brain barrier. They are called "gluteomorphins," after "gluten" and "morphine."

These super drugs can cause multiple problems, including schizophrenia and autism. But they also cause addictive eating behavior, including cravings and bingeing. No one binges on broccoli, but they binge on cookies or cake. Even more alarming is the fact that you can block these food cravings and addictive eating behaviors and reduce calorie intake by giving the same drug we use in the emergency room to block heroin or morphine in an overdose, called naloxone. Binge eaters ate nearly 30 percent less food when given this drug.

Bottom line: wheat is an addictive appetite stimulant.

How to Beat the Wheat, and Lose the Weight

First, you should get tested to see if you have a more serious wheat or gluten problem.

If you meet any of these criteria, then you should do a six-week 100 percent gluten-free diet trial to see how you feel. If you have three out of five criteria, you should be gluten-free for life.

You have symptoms of celiac (any digestive, allergic, autoimmune or inflammatory disease, including diabesity).
You get better on a gluten-free diet.
You have elevated antibodies to gluten (anti-gliadin, AGA, or tissue transglutaminase antibodies, TTG).
You have a positive small intestinal biopsy.
You have the genes that predispose you to gluten (HLA DQ2/8).
Second, for the rest of you who don't have gluten antibodies or some variety of celiac -- the super starch and the super drug, both of which make you fat and sick, can still affect you. So go cold turkey for six weeks. And keep a journal of how you feel.

The problems with wheat are real, scientifically validated and ever-present. Getting off wheat may not only make you feel better and lose weight, it could save your life.

My personal hope is that together we can create a national conversation about a real, practical solution for the prevention, treatment, and reversal of our obesity, diabetes and chronic disease epidemic. Getting off wheat may just be an important step.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, MD

References:

[1] Saja K, Chatterjee U, Chatterjee BP, Sudhakaran PR. "Activation dependent expression of MMPs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells involves protein kinase." A. Mol Cell Biochem. 2007 Feb;296(1-2):185-92

[2] Dalla Pellegrina C, Perbellini O, Scupoli MT, Tomelleri C, Zanetti C, Zoccatelli G, Fusi M, Peruffo A, Rizzi C, Chignola R. "Effects of wheat germ agglutinin on human gastrointestinal epithelium: insights from an experimental model of immune/epithelial cell interaction." Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2009 Jun 1;237(2):146-53.

[3] Rubio-Tapia A, Kyle RA, Kaplan EL, Johnson DR, Page W, Erdtmann F, Brantner TL, Kim WR, Phelps TK, Lahr BD, Zinsmeister AR, Melton LJ 3rd, Murray JA. "Increased prevalence and mortality in undiagnosed celiac disease." Gastroenterology. 2009 Jul;137(1):88-93

[4] Ludvigsson JF, Montgomery SM, Ekbom A, Brandt L, Granath F. "Small-intestinal histopathology and mortality risk in celiac disease." JAMA. 2009 Sep 16;302(11):1171-8.

[5] Fasano A. "Physiological, pathological, and therapeutic implications of zonulin-mediated intestinal barrier modulation: living life on the edge of the wall." Am J Pathol. 2008 Nov;173(5):1243-52.

[hungryone15]

Sorry for the long posts... If someone can post the link for me, I'll be happy to delete the previous two.

[Electricheadd]

You should post this in the nutrition section.

[MrDude1]

The man who engineered this modern wheat won the Nobel Prize -- it promised to feed millions of starving around the world. Well, it has, and it has made them fat and sick.

I take offence from this. Dr Norman Borlaug has saved BILLIONS from starvation. thats Billion with a B... and a fuggin S on the end.
Your perspective comes from a fatass 1st world country where pig-headded yuppie hippies that have a choice in food bash the man for not being "organic".
Organic means billions needlessly die of starvation. Organic means we can not support the people on the planet right now, nevermind the future. Norman Borlaug did more for the world then almost every hero you hear mentioned combined, and never asked for anything in return... You have a choice in what you eat, and say what you want about that, but the man has not made the world sick. The man has saved more lives then you can even comprehend.

[aterrigno]

"More than 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are obese" US CDC
http://www.obesityinamerica.org/unde...y/diseases.cfm

My point was that demonizing foods and basing your diet off of Glycemic Index is a poor idea. There are no bad foods, every food has a unique nutritional profile and should be used in the context of a macro and micro nutritionally sound diet.
http://www.alanaragon.com/elements-c...mic-index.html

http://www.pre-diabetes.com/newslett...e-disease.html

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/h...es-1202451.php


I still never demonized 1 single source of food... there are bad foods....


find me one doctor, nutrtionist , or even biochemist who would tell me that eating sweedish fish vs broccoli to meet my daily carb requirement would not have a negative impact on my health

the sole point I was trying to make is when people come on here and ask for advice on how to eat healthy and lose weight.... "eat whatever you want just hit your macros" is not healthy advice... IMO

I never said wonderbread is the devil... i just so happen to never have liked wonder bread..

I don't look at the glycemic index at all.. i never have... i simply dont eat refined crap thats all

i eat organic, i try and eat whole foods, i hit my macros, and try and hit my micros

i also have a slice of pizza on the weekends--- nothing will kill you in moderation... however a lifestyle built around refined carbs can have a negative impact on your life


im over this thread.. to each his own