The Food Pyramid says eat more whole grains, and General Mills complies with “Made With Whole Grain!” cereal and coordinating advertisements.
Michael Pollan says don’t eat foods that have advertisements.
For more than one reason, he may be right when it comes to whole grains.
If you eat cereal, bread, pasta, or rice, keep reading to see what nutrients you may be missing.
Why Keep Grains Whole?
The whole grain has all the nutrients God put into grains: fiber, protein, healthy fats, and lots of vitamins and minerals. The straight starch in white flour, in the absence of the whole, is quickly turned into simple sugars in your body. This has two effects:
- Spikes your blood sugar
- Is easily turned into fat for storage
In my personal opinion, if God created a food with certain parts, those parts should be eaten together, unless there is a clear reason to do otherwise. In the case of whole grains, however, it may become a question not of “separated or united” but of “how to prepare”.
What is a Whole Grain?
A kernel of grain has three parts: endosperm, germ, and bran. This applies to all grains, like rice, oats, wheat, barley and more.
The endosperm contains:
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- A few vitamins
The germ contains:
- B vitamins
- Vitamin E
- Antioxidants
- Mostly polyunsaturated fats
- Lots of folic acid (important for pregnancy)
- Iron, zinc and other minerals
The bran contains:
- Main source of the grain’s fiber
- Most phytonutrients and minerals
- Antioxidants
- Phytates
All these parts can be separated. You can buy wheat bran. You can buy wheat germ. (Health food folks like to do this.) You can buy wheat endosperm. It’s called “white flour”. (Processed food companies like to do this.)
Because of its oils, the wheat germ is likely to go rancid quickly. In order to extend the shelf life, as with trans fats, food manufacturers strip off the germ and the bran so that the remaining endosperm, although lacking in nutrition, can sit around for a long time and wait for people to consume it. If only it was worth consuming!
Pros and Cons
Yes, Grains Please! For an in-depth look at the nutritional value of whole grains and the many diseases it may prevent/improve, see the World’s Healthiest Foods report.
No Way, No Grains! Some say grains themselves should be avoided entirely. Here are a few examples (not necessarily the best ones, just some example of what’s out there):
- Wheat negatively impacts mental health
- Whole grains cause, not prevent, constipation
- Nourished Kitchen: 10 Reasons to Go Grain-Free
The Possible Dangers of Eating Whole Grains
The phytates in the bran and the fats in the germ can cause some unique problems for those of us trying to follow recommendations and increase our whole grain consumption.
- Phytates are largely an anti-nutrient, which means they do more to take nutrients from our bodies than share them. When we eat grains with the bran intact, the phytates bind to minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus so that our systems can’t make use of them. We’re paying a premium for whole grain products that aren’t delivering on their nutritional profile in reality.
- Rancid oils are damaging to our health, and certain processes cause the oils in the whole grain germ to become oxidized and/or rancid, even if we can’t taste it.
This is why we’re raising our consciousness of grains this week by trying to avoid them at one meal or snack. They’re not the easy health food, even in whole form, that they’re made out to be when the government recommends 6-11 servings a day. Next week I’ll share more on phytates and how to get around that problem, and today I’ll share the most pervasive area we find damaged whole grain fats in the grocery stores.
Why We Should Avoid Whole Grain Breakfast Cereals
First, if regular whole grains really are bound up by phytates, you might as well save your money on the whole grain upgrade, because you’re not getting anything helpful from the whole grains anyway.
Second, almost all breakfast cereals are made by a process called extrusion. My uncle was actually one of the people on the ground floor of designing and implementing the process, and he explained it to me around the campfire last summer. Here’s my best shot at remembering (why didn’t I write it down right away like I thought I did?):
- Whole puffed grains (think rice cereal, corn pops, etc) are prepared for processing, then placed inside a huge vat, where the pressure is increased to a certain point.
- When the pressure is released, the grains literally explode upward – POP! – and puff out to the shape you see in your cereal bowl. Think popcorn, industrial-style. The calculated pressure gives a more uniform shape to the grains.
- Cereal shapes, like Os, stars, and even flakes, are made by a similar process. Even shredded wheat (and Triscuit crackers) is extruded to make the “shreds” that shape.
- The ingredients are mixed together to make a cereal “dough”.
- This “dough” passes down a chamber, much like that of a gun, and as it is heated to “bake” it, it is also extruded through a mold to make the shape. This again is more like a gun firing than anything else, complete with the pow factor and the extreme pressure on the grains.
- When using whole grains, the delicate fats and Vitamin E in the germ are damaged.
The exceptions to this process include some granola type cereals, some Kashi cereals, and Grape Nuts. Grape Nuts, if you’re a science junkie like me and curious, are actually made by baking a 10-lb loaf of dense “bread” at a very low temperature until it is completely solid for a few inches all the way around. That part is smashed up to make the cereal! If you can’t stay away from packaged cereals, Grape Nuts would seem a better choice amongst the poor options.
Here is an article at the Weston A. Price Foundation that cites two unpublished research studies that demonstrate the dangers of extruded grain breakfast cereals. I’m not sure that I buy it all, but it’s an interesting read nonetheless.
The Bottom Line on Whole Grains
- White flour and refined grains have almost no nutritional value, but they will fill you up, and they’re cheap.
- Whole grains have potential for nutritional value, but they may have some drawbacks, and they’re expensive in comparison.
- However, whole grains must trump processed grains if only because they are metabolized more slowly and give at least a bit of protein and fat to help your body deal with the starches.
- Research shows that sourdoughed whole grains have a great deal more available nutrients. I’ll show you how to make your own sourdough in three weeks!
- Research may show that the process of soaking grains can also improve their nutrient profile. The scoop on that, and some recipes, next week.
Hungry? Some soaked grain recipes
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I’m pleased to participate in Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.
I think we may be VERY oldfashioned, but we have ‘whole grain’ cereal every day for breakfast.
Just…… whole grains…. any type.. wheat one day, rye the next, spelt after that, etc.
We simply soak the whole kernels in buttermilk overnight and then cook up a porridge the next day. Add a little molasses and you’re set..
Often the simplest things win in terms of nutrition and even convinience
Greetings from the Netherlands!
.-= Linda´s last blog ..When time is scarce…. =-.
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I’ll be interested in this series. I’ve heard from both extremes in the argument, but as always, reserve my opinion until I can substantiate all claims with fact. Your research will be very helpful.
One question that keeps coming to mind is the actual amount of phytates in various whole grains. I’ve heard everything from too small to matter, to overwhelmingly dangerous. Surely the truth lies somewhere in between(?)
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I am also very interested in this issue. Cheeseslave recently interviewed Rami Nagel and he said something that shocked me completely, that soaking/sprouting whole grains, nuts & seeds only reduced the phytic acid content by 10%-30%! What? Here I thought that soaking and sour leavening was completely neutralizing that darn acid.
My questions are:
If God designed grains, nuts and seeds for our consumption, (and there are many references in the bible to people eating seeds and breads) then why are they so damaging?
What does God know about this issues that we don’t know? It seems like we’re missing something!
If soaking doesn’t reduce the phytic acid content completely, then shouldn’t we completely eliminate them from our diet?
I tell you what, lately i have no idea what to eat!
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chanelle Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Can I just say this is exactly where I’m at? I feel like science is on one side and God is on the other! I am currently soaking my grains, and I’d love to get into sprouting- I’ll start that soon- but why if grains still aren’t that nutritious?
katie, thanks for an informative post. Please give us more info. on the positive aspects, ’cause I know those are out there too!
.-= chanelle´s last blog ..Beef Stroganoff =-.
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Tim Reply:
January 30th, 2012 at 2:09 am
God knew about this way back in the garden of eden. After Adam and Eve Ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil, they were poisoned and were afraid of God and hid from him. That was the knowledge that the serphant had warned them about. Later on in the Old Testament God gave many rules about food (clean vs unclean, etc), and even how to care for the land where the crops are grown (giving the land a rest / not growing crops on the fields every so many years). If everyone followed the old testement commandments concerning foods and growing crops, we wouldn’t have a lot of the disease we have today. Most see these Old Testement commands as obselete, but they were for man’s own good. As for the reason God created food this way, that is a whole new topic for discussion.
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Jassica Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 6:33 am
I was also disappointed to learn that soaking does not completely neutralize phytates. However, I wonder whether the 10-30% reduction is significant enough. Maybe it would be harmful to absorb ALL of the minerals in the grains we eat, especially in the quantities that many people eat them. Just wondering, and I’ve never seen this addressed.
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facinating info from your uncle! plus it really turns me off, even more, towords cereals.
in regards to the bible referencing grains frequently, i believe the issue is way more complex then that. perhaps a couple thousand years ago when Jesus was born, and in the time when the bible was being written, grains were very different. modern wheat, whether whole or not, has been genetically modified by scients and farmers to be more glutinous and to better withstand causes of potential crop failure. also, a number of varieties of grains were eaten in biblical times, whereas nowadays most Americans eat mainly wheat, rice, and oats. Eating the same, modern, hybridized variety of grain every day, in practically every processed item at the grocery store, seems to be leading towords many problems, including allergies to those very foods we are eating too much of.
.-= emily´s last blog ..Egg, Bacon and Cheese Muffin (grain and gluten-free) =-.
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Have you seen this forum thread about kefir? http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=203282
I don’t buy the “phytates are evil” theory. Yes, on the surface it seems that way, but I am a firm believer that God knows what He’s doing and that science must necessarily submit itself to His Word. There is no indication in the Bible that grains are a bad thing – in fact, bread is used as a reference to Jesus Himself! – and we know they ate “quick breads.” (The Jewish tradition is that the unleavened bread eaten at Passover must be made within – I think it’s 18 minutes – of moistening the flour, or it isn’t considered unleavened. So they clearly made bread without even any wild yeasts.) My own opinion, for what it’s worth, is that it’s probably good for us to eat some soaked/fermented grains and some unsoaked/fermented, because we probably get a different nutritional complex from each.
.-= Rachel R.´s last blog ..Encouragement for Discouraged Homemakers =-.
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Jassica Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 6:20 am
I agree that quick breads were eaten, and that God condoned this practice. But, I’ve also seen referenced several times how grain was collected into sheaves in the fields and was stored in sheaves. It likely was rained on or dew-soaked, and many of the seeds might have been partly sprouted by the time they were eaten. This is not true today. Grains are separated from the stalk and stored in silos and kept dry. This is good, because it prevents mold from growing on the grain, but also means that the grains have not been naturally pre-soaked. So, we are left to do the work to get more out of the grains.
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Thanks so much for posting this!!! I have been changing to whole grains and have people asking questions-so this is very helpful!!! I am looking forward to more of your study!! I’m linking a post to this post… I have friends who will be interested! Thanks.
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Fascinating story, Katie. Nice to have a first-hand account of the cereal-making process.
I agree with your other commenters concerning the phytate issue. It’s very confusing. Personally, I buy only organic grains, whole, and grind them myself. I have a large family, spend a lot of time just feeding them as it is. Remembering to soak beans is a struggle for me. Soaking and sprouting grains, other than soaking oatmeal or something like that for breakfast (waffles, pancakes, etc.), is more work than I have time for. I don’t own a dehydrator. And, I, too, have a hard time understanding how God could have wanted the process of eating the grains to be so time-intensive.
More fruits and veggies have been most helpful to our health overall.
There is so much confusion in the nutrition field right now. Hmmm…wonder where that is coming from? Would make a good meditation during Lent, perhaps.
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Jean Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Thanks for the “wonder where that confusion is coming from” comment. It is giving me pause and leading me to prayer.
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Emily, you are so right on. Our modern grains are nothing like the grains for the bible. Our modern wheat is very high in gluten. Spelt is the nearest thing to ancient wheat and even that has been modernized. We cannot compare today’s grain to the bibical grains as equals.
JoAnn, I thought soaking grains would be hard and time consuming as well. It is not. I use normal recipes if they include a liquid. The night before I am going to make say a cake, brownines, etc., I put the amount of flour I needed in a glass bowl, add the liquid it called for and add about 1 T of yogurt and leave it covered on my counter until I ready to make the recipe. It is not that it is hard, we just have not been brought up to cook this way. I know, I was raised on boxed food.
It is hard to change. But I feel it is worth it after seven years of doing this and seeing the huge changes for the better in my family. Going from having crooked teeth to straightening out and not needing braces was only one of the blessings that we have received from eating this way! Another have a child with learning difficulties not have them anymore. God is good.
What Katie is talking about is not giving up grains but reducing them. Jesus did not eat grains the way our society does today. Thank you, Katie for blogging about this subject.
One more thing…the only reason USDA promotes as much grain as they do is because they are paid off by megacooperations such as Cargill and ADM. That is fact that you all can research yourself.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Daybook =-.
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emily Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
the book The Maker’s Diet is a good resource for folks interestedin what foods are acceptable, biblically speaking.
.-= emily´s last blog ..Egg, Bacon and Cheese Muffin (grain and gluten-free) =-.
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I’m new to the whole soaking thing – I tried to soak some grains to make some bread a little over a week ago, but didn’t have very good results. The bread never really rose. I haven’t tried again (largely due to being out of town), but if you’re soaking to release the phytates, aren’t the phytates remaining in the soaking water unless you change the water (which is next to impossible with flour, but feasible with rice, etc.)?
On another topic, I happened to think about an old cookbook I received from a cousin for a wedding gift 10 years ago. It belonged to my great-aunt, who, as my mother always said, was known to “cook a meal fit for a king from a piece of shoe leather”. It’s the Virginia Cookery – Past & Present cookbook, published in 1957 in northern Virginia. It includes recipes and cooking history from families of George Washington and Robert E. Lee. Naturally, alot of the recipes date back to the 1800′s (if you need a cure for Scarlett Fever, this cookbook has a recipe!). Per the cookbook, in the plantation days, bread dough was made at 8pm in the summer and 6pm in the winter and sat overnight in a bread crock. The servant would rise early to punch down the bread and make rolls for breakfast. It says “few modern housekeepers” would attempt hot bread for breakfast (in 1957!), and says that bread experts frown on having it sit all night because it could sour. The cookbook states that “in the times ‘befo’ de wah’ (before the war) — and since then, too — it was common thing to have four or five varieties of warm bread on the breakfast table. The tall loaf of rolls, muffins or beaten biscuits or both, batter bread, ‘egg bread’, Sally Lunn, waffles, ‘batter cakes!’” (Sally Lunn was a baker in 18th century Bath England, and maybe there was someone else referred to as Sally Lunn that cook for George Washington. Regardless, Miss Lunn evidently perfected a type of breakfast cake/bread (butter, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, yeast & flour).) As for the recipes in the book, from what I can tell, none of the recipes call for soaking the grains and/or flour. Most of you are probably thinking of cultures and their intake of grain further back than 150 years, but at least in the 1800′s in Virginia, bread sounds like it was an important part of the diet. Particularly spoon bread, which my Momma made frequently when I was growing up.
Actually, I just found a quote in the cookbook from a letter Capt John Smith wrote in 1607 – “We feasted daily with good bread, Virginia pease (peas), pumpions (pumpkin) and putchamins (persimmons), fish, fowle and divers sort of wild beast as fat as we could eat them.”
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Morgan Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I recently talked to my grandmother about the soaking and sprouting of grains. She is 85. She had never heard of such a thing. She does remember her grandmother making sourdough bread but didn’t know anything about soaking and sprouting. I thought this was strange since every where I look online talks about our ancestors soaking/sprouting. Reading your comment makes me think that maybe it isn’t as common as some would have us believe? Has anyone else talked to their elders to see if they soaked/sprouted? Maybe my grandmother is in the minority.
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Cindy B Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Morgan – I’m wondering the exact same thing. Unfortunately I can’t ask either one of my grandmothers since both are deceased. But I’d be willing to wager that neither soaked or sprouted.
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Katie Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
What an awesome quote. Thank you so much for sharing. Morgan makes a good point, that the “ancestors” in the traditional foods movement means more like 1000+ years than a few hundred, but there are still some parts about all that bread that are close to the soaking idea: sourdough is deemed the very healthiest way to eat bread and breaks down almost all the phytates, and leaving the bread dough overnight “that might sour” is exactly the point of soaking. We have to go back a bit farther than grandparents to get to non-processed foods. So much more coming in the next few weeks!
Thanks for joining the conversation!
Katie
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Morgan Conner Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 10:19 am
I should have added-when I asked about what she did eat-everything matched quite well with the whole foods, locally grown, etc movement. They only ate what they grew (including meat), canned, raw milk, raw cheese, lard, etc. I just thought it was interesting that the soaked/sprouted thing wasn’t included. It just seems to go hand in hand with others who follow the whole food program. I didn’t mean to imply that no one ever soaked/sprouted in history. But I know from our conversation that my grandmother did not eat any processed foods and she is still in excellent health at 85.
.-= Morgan Conner´s last blog ..No Tumor Growth!! =-.
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Thanks for the motivation, Amy.
I guess I was remiss in mentioning I was not just talking about soaking the grains, but sprouting as well. That’s really where I get hung up.
I will be more diligent about soaking overnight thanks to your encouragement.
I love Cindy B’s post as well. Starting bread in the evening is one tip I give those new to bread making. It really makes it do-able.
Great comments, ladies!
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Great posts!
I think it’s so hard for Americans to imagine life without grains. We really have been indoctrinated into thinking they are a healthy, necessary food when in fact they provide absolutely nothing you couldn’t get from real food i.e. fruits, veggies, meat, legumes & nuts.
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Wow. I never thought about grains being a not-so-great-for-you-food. You’ve really given me food for thought. Especially the fact that they are a relatively “new” food – lightbulb moment! I’ve enjoyed reading the links your provided too. Great post!
.-= Melodie´s last blog ..Foodie Fridays: Spicy Pinto Beans and Chipotle Chili Puree =-.
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I am relatively new to the real foods only life and find the questions surrounding grains to be exhausting! I found this post and the comments quite interesting and look forward to future installments.
.-= Maggie´s last blog ..Real Food Gardening Basics =-.
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Cindy B Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Maggie – “Exhausting” is an accurate description I think! I used to really enjoying eating and cooking a good made-from-scratch meal, but am finding that’s not the case so much anymore because I am wondering, ‘well, if we have bread (or pasta, rice, etc.) with this meal, is it bad, or should it be soaked, etc.?’ Or what if my 4 yr old wakes up and has a taste for blueberry muffins – do I tell her “no” because I haven’t soaked some flour overnight? Seems like the more I read/learn, for me, the more cooking and eating has become way too complicated and I’ve lost the joy!
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emily Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 11:48 am
sad to have lost the joy from new knowledge. why not look at it like the blinders are off, you now know more and can make better choices everyday! blueberry muffins are fab, but quite sugar laden usually. try making them with almonds ground to a flour, lots of butter, eggs, and a tablespoon of sweetener.
.-= emily´s last blog ..Double Book Giveaway- gluten-free AND gluten-filled! =-.
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Cindy B Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Emily – The blueberry muffins we (as in my 4 yr old & I, b/c she loves to cook) make are made with whole wheat flour (and no, I don’t grind it myself), baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, milk, a couple of tbsp of honey, berries and I substituted unsweetened applesauce for oil or butter b/c that’s what I had most readily available.
As for as soaking/sprouting grains, candidly, I’ve just about decided it’s not for me. I may do it occasionally, for “fun” to see how I like it when I think about it (my previous attempt at bread was a disaster), but I don’t see it becoming a way of life for me. I feed my family local grass-fed, free-range meats (beef, chicken, pork), fresh local wild seafood, free range local eggs, organic milk (raw milk is illegal in my state) and as much organic and/or local produce as possible. I just have to have faith that all of that counts for something in an effort to keep my family healthy, and if we don’t eat soaked grains (which I don’t think either of my grandmothers did), then we’ll still be okay at the end of the day. I may change my mind one day (esp if someone seems to have an intolerance for grains), but for now, I’m okay with NOT soaking. I’m not going to stress about whether to soak or not and just move forward, happily cooking along the way!
Just my 2 cents…
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Katie Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Cindy,
Katie
Don’t forget “80/20″. If you’re eating healthy foods 80% of the time, cheap with abandon the other 20% while you enjoy yourself and your food! Also, there’s still a lot of controversy about soaked grains. So. Our primary goal is to raise the souls of our children to Heaven, and if we do our best for their bodies, too, God will honor that. But our life on this earth is just temporary, no matter how many grains we eat!
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Cindy B – I understand your confusion completely. The only way I’ve been able to tackle new food-prep techniques is to do it with a friend. Somehow, it just makes it do-able.
On soaking, if we do it, great. If not, we make the food anyway. I am comforted in knowing I’m feeding my family with the most nourishing ingredients we can afford. I do what I can. It must be working because my family has stayed remarkably healthy for many years.
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This is why I limit my bread intake from 1 or 2 slices a day. Some people can tolerate bread more than others, and I don’t particularly think that bread is in anyway “bad” for you… When is someone going to say that eating in general causes cancer? Lol, I’m just kidding. I eat bread, bread doesn’t eat me. ( I have no idea what I mean by that, but it sounds cool.)
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Hi Katie – our family doesn’t necessarily avoid grains, but we do strive to eat them in their most natural and properly prepared forms when we do eat them (soaked, sprouted, or fermented). I personally had a myriad of health problems when I was eating processed, commercial grains and it took me almost 20 years to figure that out. During that time I discovered that eating too many grains – an in particular, the processed variety, made all kinds of problems occur that were very similar to panic-attack symptoms – the most noticeable was that my heart would race for hours and keep me up at night. I felt like a train wreck the next day. Now that I eat grains sparingly and also eat a lot of other real foods, I no longer have this problem that plagued me for years.
God may have made grains for us to eat, but He certainly didn’t intend for us to mass market and produce them, and strip them of their nutritional content and add a bunch of chemicals back in. When people used to eat grains long ago before the age of the Industrial Revolution, it took some time and effort to prepare them – which tells me they were eaten less frequently (not 6 – 9 servings a day as the Food Pyramid dictates), and they contained more nutrition since they were prepared correctly. I probably only eat grains about 3 – 6 times per week, sometimes less. thanks for this post, Katie!
.-= Raine Saunders´s last blog ..Want to Learn How to Cook Traditional Food? Sign Up For This Great eCourse! =-.
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I gotta admit I tee-heed at the above comment “I eat bread, bread doesn’t eat me.” :>) As always, Katie, I’m learning a ton and look forward to more. I linked. Thanks!
.-= Lenetta @ Nettacow´s last blog ..Link Roundup – MELTING Edition =-.
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This is a really interesting discussion – I am enjoying the posts and the comments. I always soak my grains – I find that it helps me to digest them better. Which is my main concern, since I do enjoy baked goods sometimes. As for pastas, I use corn or buckwheat, and I don’t soak those, but then again, we don’t eat them often. Maybe twice a month.
As for flours and the like, I think we need to talk about eating like our great, great, great, great grandparents ate. I also think we need to define “traditional diets” better as well.
This is certainly not an easy subject to tackle.
.-= Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen´s last blog ..Happy Valentine’s Day! : Roasted Chicken with Heather Ale & Herbs de Provence & A Delicious Way to Help Haiti =-.
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I found this comment on another site (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/reversing-tooth-decay.html), and thought I would copy some of it here, because it was VERY interesting.
“I just ran across a reference to a 1950 study by Mellanby (this could be in the 1950 book I referenced above) where he gives the phytic acid content of grains after soaking in acidified water (PH 4.5) at a SUSTAINED temperature of 45 degrees C /113 F.
Please read this online excerpt from the book “Rebuild from Depression” by Amanda Rose PHD:
http://www.rebuild-from-depression.com/resources/book/Chapter13.pdf
It doesn’t sound like the method of heating water, pouring it on the oats (or any grain)adding whey and soaking this covered on the counter all night is doing much for the phytic acid content! Rather, perhaps we should be soaking our grains on the STOVE at low heat for a sustained period. Phytic acid was reduced to 0% in wheat and rye in just 2 hours time. Oats and corn still had 75% phytic acid content after 12 hours at 113 degrees (additonal procedures are needed for the oats and corn). ”
I, too, have been struggling with this whole soaking/sprouting thing. For yet another view on the whole topic, google Sue Becker and phytic acid.
Here’s the thing: I can’t accept that grains are so bad for us, even if they’ve been modernized. Sourdough makes all kind of sense to me. Soaking and sprouting just doesn’t. I’ve never had a soaked/sprouted bread that tasted as good one that wasn’t, but sourdough can be very tasty. I really believe that, generally speaking, healthy food should be as good as, or BETTER than “fake food”.
But, having said that, I have a very hard time digesting grains. Soaking oats makes them mildly more digestible to me, but certainly does not fix the problem entirely. Soaking wheat does not seem to help at all. And, in fact, white flour doesn’t give me near the stomach problems that whole wheat flour does. ?? Very strange.
Anyway, interesting stuff. Looking forward to someday when I know all the answers for sure!
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Katie Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 3:37 am
Jade,
Katie
Have you tried soaking oatmeal along with a bit of wheat flour? That should add the necessary phytase to do the job even better- I’d love to hear if you stomach feels better yet after that change. If it’s the phytic acid in the bran that is bothering you, in some ways it’s not strange at all that white flour wouldn’t have an impact. There’s a theory that even traditional cultures sifted out much of the bran, so the best way to make bread would be to use 1/3-1/3 white flour anyway. ??? Some people think soaked baked goods taste better, but I’m kind of hit and miss with breads and muffins. Tortillas and pancakes are awesome soaked though! It’s such a tangled web to get through, isn’t it?
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Just in case anyone is subscribed to this old soaking grains post, I wanted to let you know that I’ve reopened the issue with the goal of closing it at KS this Friday. There’s also a little Nutrimill grain mill giveaway going on.
Last fall we tested our grains, I did a recap post on soaking grains, measured pH, and have a soaked recipe ebook coming out for free in about a month.
If you’ve been away, come on back to the party!
Katie
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Hi,
I’m joining in waaay late here, but I have a question that I would love to find an answer to. First off, so you know where I’m coming from -I have eliminated refined sugar and white flour from my diet for the last five years. I have a family history of diabetes. Because of this predisposition I stick to food choices that are of a lower GI rating, This makes eating whole grains of paramount importance because they are slow to break down to sugars, keeping my blood sugar as level as possible.
So, that said, my question is regarding the GI rating of soaked and soured grains. Why would I want to pre-digest my food to get nutrients only to have my blood sugar spike ? Or am I missing a key piece of information here? Why would I want to add wheat to Oats to break them down more? That seems counter productive, Please help me figure this out!!
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Teresa,
(Note: This is Not medical advice)
I get the impression that you’re either following government advice or modern medical. Neither one is intended to solve your problem. Most people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. For most it is caused by a bad (or modern) diet. Diabetes occurance is higher than it has ever been. The solution is not to take advice from those who are causing the problem. The solution is to look at the societies / tribes / cultures that have never had the problem. The other thing is to look at those who do it wrong, what they have in common, and make sure you don’t make the same mistake.
First of all, ask any farmer, the way to fatten up animals is to give them grain. So if you want to look and feel like a fat cow, eat lots of grain. It causes all kinds of health problems, including diabetes. It is too hard to digest. Your pancreas as well as other organs are having a rough time. Give them a break. Give them natural food that is easy to digest like fruits and vegetables. Grains are full of things like phytates that interfere with normal digestion. You can actually lose vitamins and minerals by eating phytate laden foods. Considering that we are living in a day of low nutrient foods like GMOs and highly processed foods full of sugars and sweeteners causing adictions and quick highs, why would you want to deplete yourself further with grains full of phytates and other antinutrients. Sure, you don’t want to eat sugar laden foods that cause your sugar levels to go haywire, but why would you want to put such a strain on your system with barely digestable foods. The reason people soak and sprout foods is to make them more digestable / improve their health. There are phytases (enzymes) in the foods that break down the phytates (antinutrients). The food industry heats / sterilizes grains to kill bugs / bacteria. If the whole grains cannot be sprouted, then they probably have been heated and the phytase (that breaks down the phytates has probably been destroyed (and your food will still be very difficult to digest). Grains flattend like oatmeal or ground to flour cannot be determined what has previously done to it. Grains are also ground at high speed which heats the flour and destroys the phytase enzyme (see low speed grain grinders in a google search for more information). In addition to that, phytase degades over time once grain has been ground. Soy has been processed/degraded to the point that it’s nutritional value is gone (only the harmful stuff is left). Do your own research. There are numerous studies on people or animals going on grains and having health problems. The government rerouted waterways going to indians and subsidized them with government approved food: bread, butter, cheese, milk. The result, the tribe became riddled with weight problems and diabetes. Cows given modern GMO grains were studied (researchers examined stomach contents) and found to be unable to digest them as well as getting infections, weight gain, as well as other health problems. Unless you really know what you are doing, I wouldn’t mess with grains. There is not only the problem of how to ferment or sprout them, but also whether it has been heat treated to sterilize it. Sure, you can improve upon it, but if you already have problems like diabetes or weight gain, why mess with it. The internet is full of examples of societies (that haven’t been influenced by US agriculture, medicine, or the US government) that don’t have these modern diseases. The government even changed its food pyrmid because of all the obesity. They still don’t have it right, but at least they reduced the grains. Obesity and diabetes keeps getting worse, yet the government is promoting them more than ever. Sure, you can find plenty of people who say these things are good for you and how much nutrients are in them. Sure they have nutrients in them, but your body cannot absorb them. Grains is a money making business. It is how the US plans to feed the world. There are too many conflicts of interest to get the get the government or food industry to change. I have yet to see someone who goes off grains, mucus foods (dairy), and sugars/sweeteners, and not have remarkable improvement in health. Don’t take my word for it. Examine those who have succeeded, examine those who have vibrant health to their upper 90′s, examine those who have great health, but haven’t been influenced by the US, and finally, try it yourself (and be serious about it). But, if you do change your diet, be prepared for side effectes: weight loss, withdrawl, temporary tiredness, nausia, and even diahrhea. I don’t know how bad your health is, but when you give your body a chance to get rid of garbage, you feel the effects. I’m sorry to say, that if you eat like a modern American, you will look like a modern American… overweight and full of disease.
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Okay, that is a lot of good information to process…but I still would like to know the answer to my question: does sprouting raise the GI level of the grain?
Also, I’m Canadian, and the medical advise I was given was from a man named Rick Gallop who spear headed an attempt to change the food pyramid here to veggies and fruits on top lean meats and them finally minimal grains.
I have 15 pounds to lose and I am generally very healthy other than having a family history of Diabetes. I have no allergies and I have found that eating wheat has been a part of successful weight loss. I have my feet in both worlds. I grew up with alternative medicine all around me in a Waldorf School and my parents send me to the Dr when I got sick , so I think I have a very level head when approaching health concerns.
I found your posts intriguing and I thought your imput would be very helpful. I see that even though you are attempting to give all sides to the story, you are advising soaking from the beginning, so it seems that you have already made up your mind? I just want to understand the science behind this decision….I value my health above all. I have eliminated grains from one meal a day while I attempt to wade through all this conflicting information. I eat food from my own garden, local grass fed pastured lean meat, local eggs, make my own yogurt and drink little milk.
I attempted twice to go off grains and found that my digestive system got very backed up, even with all the fruits and veggies I eat and drinking plenty of fluids.
I havent eaten sugar in 5 years as well as white flour. eat steel cut oats oat bran and large flake oats. I just started my sour dough starter (thank you) I just want help understanding why my so called better food choices are harming my body.
Thank you so much!
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Katie Reply:
March 1st, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Teresa,
I’m here! I always respond to comments, but I got really backed up this month.
First, I think Tim had a lot of truth to add, and I do strongly believe that diabetics need to be low grains – it sounds like you’re doing good things with only whole grains, and you’re not diabetic, just watching for it, sounds like. HUGE improvement over so many! I am surprised that your system had such an obvious adjustment to no grains…but maybe it was detoxing or something. ?? For myself on no grains, I don’t notice a huge change; if anything, perhaps the opposite of your experience. My DH, who has Crohn’s, ends up with less diarrhea when he’s off gluten, at least, and no grains seems to be a good thing. Soooo…maybe you need to do it longer and things will regulate?
Here’s the thing – I don’t think it could hurt you to go no grains for a few weeks or a month, but what if all the starches, even though whole, are impacting your chance of diabetes now? Clearly, I’m not a medical professional, but someone who likes to ask a lot of questions.
You’re right, that I was already soaking grains before I wrote this post, but I still wonder about it…I don’t know for sure if it’s the right thing or not. It’s all so complicated!
As for the GI index, I do know that sprouting decreases the carbs in grains and legumes, because the tiny plant begins to consume some of the starches in the cotyledon. That would strike me as only a positive thing for a healthy diet. The goal of soaking/souring is to release minerals and get rid of hard-to-digest parts, but I’ve never come across anything that says it acts more like a sugar, like when you take the bran and germ out to make refined white flour. ??? If anything, I am guessing the starchy, white flour part of the whole wheat would be less intense since it’s partially digested too.
I’d love to hear how you like the sourdough! I find it to be very filling, and many find it easier on their digestion.
As far as purchasing flour, I’m not sure – Tim reminds us that some flour is ground at too high heat, so maybe stone ground is better. ? I doubt it’s “the only way to go” though.
One last thing – you questioned why your food choices are harming your body – but unless you’re eating trans fat, artificial sweeteners, and MSGs, which you’re not, I am not saying your food is harming your body. If you’re eating natural food from the earth, you’re doing awesome things for yourself.
For weight loss in general, you might want to search Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s blog for “wheat belly” an interesting book she reviewed and interviewed the author. Many folks find coconut oil and/or cutting grains helps with “real food weight loss.”
Good luck on your journey!
Katie
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One more question
Should I be looking for STONE ground flour? I make my own bread but I still need to know what type of flour to purchase…
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Hi Katie!
I thought Tims post was from you! Sorry for the confusion there.
The sour dough starter is huge step for me. I have made my own bread without a bread machine for months now, but never sourdough, it just felt too complicated or out of my league. I’m very excited to see how it goes. I will keep you updated, as I’m sure I will have questions.
Your answer regarding the GI level of the soaked grain is helpful and intriguing. I am very excited to know that I might reduce the GI level of my brown rice, lentils oatmeal and beans. I will continue to look into it.
Like you, I also wonder if the grains are worth eliminating. I just can’t justify such a drastic change without feeling confidant that I’m making an informed decision. Might there be health benefits that we would eliminate unwittingly ? I still have a lot to learn. Thank you for exploring this topic, I’m glad I’m not alone!
Teresa.
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