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https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/08/busting-whole-grain-myth/#gs.sDAQAXU
Busting the (Whole) Grain Myth
BY ROSANE OLIVEIRA ON AUGUST 3, 2016
This is the first article in our new Controversies series where we plan to tackle some of the biggest nutritional myths swirling around the three macronutrients—carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Today’s topic?
Aug-3_Carbs-Grains_Body-14_5_Gluten-Free-Grains-Seeds_71245129Whole grains.
The subject of a lot of negative press, whole grains have been a staple of the human diet for centuries.
From the Aztecs and the Incas who ate amaranth and quinoa (a pseudograin), to rice in Asia and wheat and rye in Europe, whole grains have been with us a very long time.
And yet today, whole grains emerge as an enormous nutritional controversy.
Those opposed to whole grain believe it is the enemy, bad for our health and our waistlines. Whole grain proponents argue the exact opposite, believing this group of carbohydrates is a powerful health promoter.
Let’s explore the truth about grains together.
What Is a Grain?
When we refer to grains, we normally talk about cereal grains, which are members of the grass family Poaceae.
Here are some of the most common cereal grains: barley, brown rice, maize, millet, oat, rye, sorghum, spelt, and wheat.
Also included in the definition are pseudocereal grains, which come from broadleaf plant families and include: amaranth, buckwheat, chia, and quinoa.
Aug-3_Carbs-Grains_Body-13_4_Gluten-Free-Grains_55141016And What Does ‘Whole Grain’ Mean?
A whole grain is a grain in which all components of grain (the bran, the germ, and the endosperm) remain intact.
Interestingly, a grain can be considered ‘whole’ even when ground into flour.
Whole grain bread, whole grain cereal, and whole grain pasta are all examples of foods that contain ground whole grains. And while these foods are still good for you, eating the whole grains themselves will always be better.
Through a combination of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancing activities, phytates block the formation of new blood vessels that might feed the tumors and disrupt pre-formed capillary vessels.
So, the claim that we should not eat whole grains because of their phytate content simply does not stand up; phytates are a powerful health-promoting ally, not the enemy.
Does #insulin have a role in making us fat? Find out – via @DrRosane
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Claim 3: Whole grains make you fat.
Aug-3_Carbs-Grains_Body-14_12_Gluten-Free-Grains-Seeds_71245129This pillar is based on the idea that carbohydrates cause obesity because they elevate insulin levels and therefore increase fat storage.
The logic behind this theory assumes that:
Insulin plays a primary role in making us fat.
Only carbohydrates elevate insulin levels.
Let’s examine these claims together.
For starters, research shows that body fat is regulated by the brain—not by fat tissue itself or an insulin-secreting pancreas.
The primary role of insulin is to manage the concentrations of nutrients.
When insulin suppresses fat burning, it is normally because there is an abundance of glucose. In other words, insulin ‘tells’ storage tissues to stop burning fat because carbohydrates are available as fuel.
However, if you eat a diet high in fat (and low in carbohydrates), insulin ‘instructs’ your body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates, but it will not dip into your fat stores any more (or any less) than if your diet was based on carbohydrates. As long as the calories consumed are close to or in excess of what you need, fat storage will remain the same.
Aug-3_Carbs-Grains_Body-13_8_Gluten-Free-Grains_55141016Another problem is that the carbohydrate-insulin theory also presumes that carbohydrates have some unique relationship with insulin causing the latter to spike.
However, when you examine the insulinogenic index (a measure of how much eating food increases insulin per unit calorie), you see that protein-rich foods like beef increase insulin secretion as much as carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta.
In the end, 3 billion people on the planet live on grain-based diets with little or no obesity.
The reason?
Whole grains are low in calories (particularly when compared to animal foods), low in fat and high in satiating carbohydrates.
While it is true that a few people are sensitive to some types of whole grains and should avoid them, for most of us whole grains are a health-promoting addition to our diet, especially when the diet is already based on the consumption of whole plant foods.