January 16, 2012
from
PreventDisease Website
Gluten intolerance is no longer a fringe medical concept.
Researchers are fully aware there is a very big problem with modern wheat cultivation. Wheat is far from being a health food. It makes you fat, causes gas and makes your intestinal tract your enemy, or rather vice-versa.
High-yielding and now genetically
modified varieties of wheat are making this one cereal grain you'll
probably want to axe from your food list.
233 consumer and farmer groups in 26 countries have joined the "Definitive Global Rejection of GM Wheat" statement to stop the commercialization of genetically modified (GM) wheat and remind the biotechnology corporation Monsanto that genetically modifying this major crop is not acceptable to farmers or consumers.
Author and preventive cardiologist William Davis, MD, says it's when big agriculture stepped in decades ago to develop a higher-yielding crop. Today's "wheat," he says, isn't even wheat, thanks to some of the most intense crossbreeding efforts ever seen.
Plant breeders changed wheat in dramatic ways.
Once more than four feet tall, modern wheat - the type grown in 99 percent of wheat fields around the world - is now a stocky two-foot-tall plant with an unusually large seed head.
Dr. Davis says accomplishing this
involved crossing wheat with non-wheat grasses to introduce
altogether new genes, using techniques like irradiation of wheat
seeds and embryos with chemicals, gamma rays, and high-dose X-rays
to induce mutations.
Japan's flour companies are also rejecting GM wheat, echoing consumer opposition.
In a statement released today, the Flour Miller's Association of Japan wrote to the No! GMO Campaign indicating its opposition.
Clearfield Wheat, grown on nearly 1 million acres in the Pacific Northwest and sold by BASF Corporation - the world's largest chemical manufacturer - was created in a geneticist's lab by exposing wheat seeds and embryos to the mutation-inducing industrial toxin sodium azide, a substance poisonous to humans and known for exploding when mishandled, says Dr. Davis.
This hybridized wheat doesn't survive in
the wild, and most farmers rely on toxic chemical fertilizers and
pesticides to keep the crops alive.
Intense crossbreeding created significant changes in the amino acids in wheat's glutenproteins, a potential cause for the 400 percent increase in celiac disease over the past 40 years.
Wheat's gliadin protein has also undergone changes, with what appears to be a dire consequence.
An intolerance to gluten can cause a wide array of symptoms, some debilitating.
Moreover, delays in diagnosis or common
misdiagnoses can be devastating to long-term health. Gerta Farber
elaborates
on her research and personal experience
with Celiac disease.
Not only does WGA throw a monkey wrench
into our assumptions about the primary causes of wheat intolerance,
but due to the fact that WGA is found in highest concentrations in
"whole wheat," including its supposedly superior sprouted form, it
also pulls the rug out from under one of the health food industry's
favorite poster children.
Lectins, though found in all
grains, seeds, legumes, dairy and our beloved nightshades: the
tomato and potato, are rarely discussed in connection with health or
illness, even when their presence in our diet may greatly reduce
both the quality and length of our lives.
Wheat ingredients are now found in candy, Bloody Mary mixes, lunch meats, soy sauce, and even wine coolers.
As if making you hungrier wasn't enough, early evidence suggests that modern wheat's new biochemical code causes hormone disruption that is linked to diabetes and obesity.
Replace Wheat
With Spelt Spelt is an ancient grain that has lately made a comeback in North America, even though it has been popular through the decades in many European countries.
Spelt is a non-hybrid distant relative to present day wheat. Spelt's uniqueness is derived from its genetic makeup and nutrition profile. Spelt has high water solubility, so nutrients are easily absorbed by the body making it easy to digest. It is high in protein (significantly higher than wheat), higher in B complex vitamins, and spelt is high in both simple and complex carbohydrates.
These complex carbohydrates are an important factor in blood clotting and stimulating the body's immune system.
Spelt is a superb fiber resource.
Spelt's nutty flavor doesn't just taste good, it has so many other
nutritional benefits that are amazingly good for you! Keep reading
to find out more about how spelt’s nutrients contribute to lower
risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease, type II diabetes, and can
lessen occurrences of migraine headaches.
The husk needs to be mechanically separated from the kernal before milling (this is done after it is thrashed and harvested). The spelt is stored in good, low moisture conditions in order to protect the kernal, retain nutrients, and maintain freshness. Over decades, modern wheat has been drastically changed to be easier to grow and harvest.
This in turn increases yields, maintains a high gluten content in the wheat to produce high-volume commercial baked goods. On the other hand, spelt has preserved many of its original traits and continues to remain highly nutritious and full of flavor.
And spelt can make fantastic
breads and delicious pastries
Keep in mind that spelt does contain gluten.
Gluten is made up of glutenin
and gliadin molecules. Gluten provides elasticity to dough,
which allows bread to rise. Even though spelt’s gluten is more
fragile than other wheats, the bread produces fewer air pockets, it
is well formed and maintains its flavorful taste.
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