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The UnHOLY truth about WHOLE grains + Other Nutrition Myths

The UnHoly Truth about WHOLE grains.

Here is a link to an article I have written about whole grains 

It took me a decade of religiously following the low-fat vegetarian whole-grain based diet to realise that that is the unhealthiest diet one can eat, and it is the opposite of what nature intended for us. The government and food industry has convinced people that whole grain is the healthiest food for human consumption, and this could not be farther from the truth. Let's deep dive.

It turns out that whole grains are not an optimum food for humans, and that it contains very little nutrients. Not only is it mainly carbohydrates, it is also rich in anti-nutrients that inhibit absorption of vitamins and minerals! All of the 'research' on whole grains tends to be quite biased, and conducted by the food industry which sells 'whole-grain high-fibre' processed products to fool the people. [1]

Anthropological evidence suggests that the shift from hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a sedentary agricultural diet came with serious health consequences such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis (thinning of bones). All of these diseases are called diseases of civilization. Modern hunter-gatherer populations that thrive on foods such as meat, fish, organs, tubers, honey and fruit do not experience any of these diseases. [2]

The Myth of Life Span.

It is a myth that our hunter-gatherer ancestors lived far shorter lives than us. This is an argument civilization defenders make, but it is false. Amongst hunter gatherers, the infant and child mortality rate was much higher. A lot of children would die at a young age, commonly from infectious illnesses. But those who made it past this age would often live to their 70s. [2] This is not different from civilized people. Due to factors such as sanitation and healthcare access, less children die. So if you take the average lifespan of humans, it will be about 50-60, but this is only because a lot of children don't make it to adolescence and adulthood. In my view, this is a natural phenomenon to keep a species in check, so that they do not over dominate an ecological niche. For example, there are carnivorous lions who hunt deer, keeping numbers in check. If deer overpopulate the land, then overgrazing will destroy the soil and put the ecosystem out of balance. Methods of civilization, in my view are sins against nature which makes humans dominate over other species. Such is the Anthropocene, and this comes with chronic diseases of civilization - as I will elucidate in the paragraph below. With diseases of civilization, people do live long, but they suffer from 'chronic' diseases, meaning that their day-to-day quality of life is severely impaired. 

The difference between lifespan and health span. Frailty accounts for severe reduction in quality of life over the years, most of which are due to 'chronic' illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease.


Health Span & The Diseases of Civilization.

As we switched from a protein and fat rich meat based diet and extended periods of fasting (often hunter-gatherers would go for hours and days without eating any food) to a carbohydrate rich diet with no fasting, our metabolism became broken. The human body is not designed to eat a high-carbohydrate diet, but we are equipped to eat seasonal carbohydrates such as fruit, tubers and honey. We are also not designed to be eating all day.  Modern humans eat a diet that is far less diverse than our hunter gatherer diet. Our ancestors ate a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods. Often plant-based foods have phytonutrients and polyphenols in them which induce a mild inflammatory response, strengthening the immune system. [2] Animal based foods included a nose-to-tail diet consisting of organ meats and bone broths. These are extremely nutritious foods. Modern humans eat a diet that is mostly carbohydrates from a few subsidised grains such as wheat, corn and rice. The protein consumption is low, and the animal fats have gone missing from the diet, resulting in nutrient deficiencies and metabolic problems. Let's look at the consequences of such a diet.

DISEASES OF CIVILIZATION:

When we eat a high-carbohydrate, low-protein, low-fat diet; or worse - an ultra processed diet comprised of cereals, sugars and vegetable oils, we develop diseases of civilization. Most diseases of civilization are related to each other. Unlike what Western Medicine claims, different body systems are connected to each other. It does not make sense that a nutrient that damages the kidney protects the heart, or that a nutrient that reduces risk of dementia (like fats) causes heart attacks. All organ systems are connected to each other. If there is inflammation in the body, it will likely affect various organs in various ways, and this is known as a syndrome. All diseases of civilization cause a syndrome called metabolic syndrome. Grains and Lentils are not only high in carbohydrates, but also high in anti-nutrients such lectins and phytic acid, which further causes malnutrition.

Common symptoms of metabolic syndrome include prediabetes, diabetes, fatty liver, high blood pressure, and dyslipidaemia (this is characterised by low HDL, high triglycerides and oxidation of LDL and Lp(a) - I have discussed cholesterol elsewhere). These symptoms or diagnoses come with complications such as heart attacks, strokes, liver cirrhosis, kidney disease, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, sarcopenia (muscle wasting) and osteoporosis, frailty, fractures, heart failure and dementia. Even dementia is now known as type III diabetes, wherein there is disrupted energy metabolism in the brain. In my YT video, I have discussed this in detail [3]

From my research, there are things other than diet that cause diseases of civilization - nature deficiency, disrupted circadian rhythm, disrupted stress hormone levels, loneliness, drug usage, environmental toxins and pollution, social media usage, etc.

THE INDIAN DILEMMA

It really upsets me that the Indian population is dying with Western Diseases of Civilization after the British imposed their western ways of life onto us. Unfortunately our diet is far too high in carbohydrates, and low in protein.

DISPELLING NUTRITION MYTHS that are rampant amongst South Asians:

The body needs about 1.2 g/kg of protein a day for optimum function. For a 65 kg woman such as myself, that is about 70 g/day. Protein quality and amino acid composition is also an important consideration. I would like to dispel some myths about protein/meat consumption:

MYTH #1: RED MEAT MAKES YOU FAT
Obesity is a hormonal problem, usually involving insulin resistance, leptin resistance and thyroid problems (to name a few). Anything that causes insulin resistance and inflammation will make you fat - namely sugar and vegetable oils, and excess carbohydrates. Stress, Lack of sleep, Alcohol, and Obesogenic chemicals are also a factor.

For reference, Below is a picture of me as a low-fat vegetarian who was scared of butter and red meat (1st pic) & exercising 3 times a day; vs a high-fat meat eater who thrives on red meat, and exercising 3 times a week.

MYTH #2: PROTEIN CAUSES KIDNEY DAMAGE
The myth about protein and kidney damage is also wrong. Kidney Diseases is caused by high blood pressure, diabetes and medications. Often people are on a lot of medications such as painkillers and drugs to reduce their BP and sugar or for other inflammatory conditions, but these drugs will be unnecessary if one follows a high protein, high healthy fat and low-carbohydrate diet. Evidence from Dr Unwin's population suggests improvement in kidney functions of diabetics on a high protein diet. He suggests >100 g/day. He followed up these patients for 8 years, and their kidney function improved. So it is sugar, not protein that damages the kidneys. And whole grains are chains of sugar. On his suggested diet, people typically eat more fat as well - and their cholesterol comes down.

MYTH #3: FAT INCREASES YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND CAUSES HEART ATTACKS
The condition that is associated with heart attacks is called DYSLIPIDAEMIA, not high LDL-C. There are many factors that cause heart attacks, but insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome is almost a pre-requisite for heart disease. I have rarely seen a heart attack patient without metabolic syndrome. But this is caused by eating carbohydrates, not by eating fat. From the graph below you can see that on a low-carb diet, dyslipidaemia is completely reversed, and so is every single risk factor for heart attacks. Total cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol is a poor predictor of heart disease, but HDL-cholesterol and Blood Sugar is a far better predictor. See 2nd figure below on the UK population which shows that Diabetes and low HDL is the biggest risk factor for heart disease, NOT total cholesterol. With each mmol/L or 38 mg/dL increase in total cholesterol, your heart disease risk increases by 0. But with reduction in HDL and increase in HbA1C, heart disease risk increases significantly. It is important to note that in most people who are obese, a high fat low carb diet will reduce total cholesterol.

I repeat - low HDL is caused by eating sugar/carbohydrates, and seed oils; and high HbA1C is caused by metabolic syndrome - from eating a high-carb diet and emotional/psychosocial stress. 

With each 40 mg/dL increase in total cholesterol, your risk of heart disease increases by ZERO. Loneliness is a much bigger risk factor.

MYTH #4: LENTILS AND BEANS ARE A SOURCE OF PROTEIN
This is an utter misconception. They are a source of carbohydrates. I have explored this concept in detail in this article.

MYTH #5: VEGETABLE OILS ARE HEALTHIER THAN GHEE
The Indian population has really been fooled by the industry. But, refined vegetable oils are not food - they should not be eaten. You shouldn't even breathe the fumes of heated vegetable oils. Eating something deep fried in vegetable oil is similar to smoking 15 cigarettes - it has that many carcinogens.

MYTH #6: WHOLE GRAINS ARE EXTREMELY NUTRITIOUS, AND A MUST FOR DIABETICS
This is utter bullshit that has been propagated by the medical establishment. The more you follow this advise, the worse your diabetes will get, and the more medications you will need. Whole grains are just carbohydrates, which are a chain of sugar molecules. 

TRUTH: WHOLE GRAINS CONTAIN ANTI-NUTRIENTS, and are inappropriate for people with chronic health issues such as autoimmune diseases, and those at risk for malnourishment.
Anti-nutrients include phytic acid, lectins, oxalates, saponins, tannins, and protease inhibitors. These are present in lentils, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains. The reason for this is because grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are plant babies. They are designed to sprout and become whole new plants, and they are covered by a protective covering that keeps them safe, until the temperature, humidity and light is sufficient for germination! This is basic biology. The plant mother does not want her babies to be eaten by other animals - she wants them to propagate and become actual plants. Therefore, she arms her baby with these chemicals that will cause digestive issues to animals who eat them. However these issues can be rectified if you eat properly prepared grains - soaked, sprouted and fermented, and even pressure cooking.

See diagram below - whole grains 'i.e. corn completely blocks zinc absorption. Phytic acid and Lectins



For the most part, I avoid eating legumes and whole grains - I prefer to eat root vegetables and fruits and honey as my carbohydrate sources. But if I do eat them I eat foods such as sourdough, miso, tempeh, sprouted/soaked nuts & seeds. For more information on autoimmune friendly diets,  see link below:

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