Why Whole Grains Make Us Sick

Why Whole Grains Make Us Sick
by Alexis Girvan

start to make sense. We have to go back quite a ways to understand the problem
with grains, about 10,000 years to be exact. You see, before then all human beings
were hunter-gatherers. The spent their days hunting animals and gathering fruits,
veggies, seeds, nuts, bugs.

Why should our Hunter-Gatherer Ancestry Matter to us today?

You are the same as them. That's right, our genes (the info in our cells that makes
us human) haven't changed really at all for the last 40,000 years. Therefore, you are
designed to eat those same things that our hunter-gatherer ancestors were eating -
things from the earth and in their natural state.

Now, have you ever tried to eat a grain in its natural state? Chances are you have, in
the form of corn. You'll notice if you are observant, that not much is digested. Other
grains such as wheat, rye, and barley are also hard to digest in their natural state and
much harder to collect which is a major reason we were not created to eat them. It
would have taken hours to collect just a few handfuls of wheat kernels and then
eating them wouldn't have netted many calories or nutrients.

About 10,000 years ago, with the help of agriculture and stones tools, humans
began harvesting and grinding grains. This in a sense was our first processed food
and it allowed us access to the calories in the grains. Now, technologies have
advanced to allow us to produce processed grains on a large scale, enabling new
"Whole Grain" foods to pop up on our grocery store shelves every month. Items like
whole grain pasta, cereal and whole grain bread have become staples in the
American diet. But because humans really have no evolutionary history with them,
society has encountered major problems due to their consumption.

What is pH Balance?

There is something called a pH balance that your body strives for in different tissues,
and it has to do with how acidic an environment is. For example, your stomach
needs to have a very low pH (or high- to be able to digest your food. Your blood
however, needs to have a much higher pH, slightly basic (alkaline) environment for
you to continue living; in fact, your blood is one of the most tightly controlled
environments in your body. Your body will fight and sacrifice other systems to keep
it's pH in the range of 7.35-7.45 (water is 7).

The Acidity of Grains

Grains, unlike fruits and vegetables, produce a large amount of acid when digested by
the human body and allowed to enter our bloodstream. This means that your body
must buffer that acidity to keep the blood pH in its narrow range, and the major way
your body deals with this acidity is to draw calcium from our bones. Calcium is a
basic (alkaline) element and if forced to, it will exit our bones to buffer our blood with
a cost to our bone health. Your body has a hierarchy, and within that hierarchy blood
health comes before bone health. This calcium loss due to buffering our grain laden
diet is a major factor in the pain, suffering and millions we spend each day on
osteoporosis in our country.

There are a few other ways your body can deal with this extra acidity.

First, it can be stored away from our blood in our adipose tissue (fat), making it
very difficult to lose unwanted pounds because your body does not want to
have that acid back in the blood stream
Second, it can be excreted through your skin, producing acne, boils, eczema
and a host of other symptoms.
Third, microforms also known as yeast, viruses & unhealthy bacteria thrive in
acidity, so the more grains in a person's diet, often the more susceptible they
are to low grade or repeat infections as well (The pH miracle. Warner books, NY
2002 by way of Chestnut Innate diet p 56-58).

To live a healthy lifestyle, it important to consume a diet like our hunter-gatherer
ancestors would have, one that is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lean healthy
meats and if your daring, the occasional bug.

About The Author

Alexis writes for Bonfirehealth.com, an online Health education company that teaches
its customers how to live longer, happier and healthier lives. Bonfirehealth provides
the resources, products and services that enable people to live a wellness lifestyle.
Visit us at

Grains were not meant to be
consumed by humans. Actually, grain
products can be quite problematic
when digested in the human body.
And, you may need to sit down for
this one: Grains are largely
responsible for the diseases of
civilization. Chronic diseases, obesity,
diabetes, heart disease,
osteoporosis, auto immune
disorders, strokes, and cancer all can
be tied back to the consumption of
grains.

Now, take a deep breath and keep
reading because this is where it will

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.