In Praise of Whole Wheat and Other Whole Grains

[Not Fade]

As a counter to some of the no-wheat extremists who post here - http://www.today.com/health/whole-grains-t98326

If you are so inclined to read such things, the study is here - http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/133 ... 0.abstract

[BlackSpinner]

As a counter to some of the no-wheat extremists who post here - http://www.today.com/health/whole-grains-t98326

If you are so inclined to read such things, the study is here - http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/133 ... 0.abstract

Those are carbs. Whole wheat raises your insulin as much as white wheat.

[Chevie]

This is a link to a medical study in a legitimate journal:

the study is here - http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/133 ... 0.abstract

This is an anonymous sentence by a random internet user:

Whole wheat raises your insulin as much as white wheat.

[Gasper62]

My "counter" to that is, I don't care how whole the grains are, they'll spike my blood glucose levels every time. I really miss breads and oatmeal cookies, but I'll take better health over type-2 diabetes any day.

[Captain_Midnight]

...

Those are carbs. Whole wheat raises your insulin as much as white wheat.

You are entirely correct, BSpinner. All grains are just plain awful for anyone.

BTW, as one who rarely eats grains, (and keeps carbs reasonably low) I wish everyone here could have my blood cholesterol (good and bad) and triglyceride blood test readings readings. I just ran 4 miles this morning, and at the tender young age of 67, I'm just getting quicker.
Every good person here on this fine forum would likely benefit from a low carb, no grain diet.I

Since many folks hold diets as sacrosanct, I anticipate some ... umm ... feedback. I invite that (civility encouraged).


.

[palerider]

[quote="Captain_Midnight"Since many folks hold diets as sacrosanct, I anticipate some ... umm ... feedback. I invite that (civility encouraged). [/quote]
after my time in the TV studio, whenever someone says "feedback" my first thought is to the loud, shrill screech you get when the mic is too close to the speaker....

come to think of it, that's probably close to what you'll get from some

[SewTired]

The study is a cohort and does not address diabetics. There is nothing wrong with 3 servings of whole grains for someone who has normal blood glucose and who gets regular exercise. The question is how many total grams of carbs are they eating? Most Americans eat way more than than 150 grams per day and tend to be couch potatoes while doing so.

Now, if this study were looking at just T2 diabetics, well, the results would be quite different. These are folks whose systems are BROKEN. Did they get there JUST by eating grains? No. In a major percentage of cases, overeating, consuming specifically too many carbs, and underexercising (as well as genes) played a significant role.

[BlackSpinner]

Whole grains are wonderful if you have a large herd of peasants to work your fields and you need cheap carbs to keep them going until the croak at a young age but have reproduced enough so you have 12 year olds to replace them.

[Eddie Fasolino]

The study is a cohort and does not address diabetics. There is nothing wrong with 3 servings of whole grains for someone who has normal blood glucose and who gets regular exercise. The question is how many total grams of carbs are they eating? Most Americans eat way more than than 150 grams per day and tend to be couch potatoes while doing so.

Now, if this study were looking at just T2 diabetics, well, the results would be quite different. These are folks whose systems are BROKEN. Did they get there JUST by eating grains? No. In a major percentage of cases, overeating, consuming specifically too many carbs, and underexercising (as well as genes) played a significant role.

Very well said.

I am a type 2 diabetic because I had a bad diet, drank too much, did not exercise and was obese for many years. But, I don't tell my wife that the whole wheat toast she eats for breakfast is bad for her. It is not bad for her. She is slim and has been going to the gym and otherwise staying physically active for decades while I worked long hours and had high-calorie dinners and drinks with business associates.

The diabetics should start their own thread and not try to tell people like my wife that whole grains are evil.

[chunkyfrog]

Sewtired and Eddie:
As a T2 diabetic, I have become aware of what foods give me high blood sugars;
and how much of any carbohydrate will give me undesirable numbers.
Bread, rice, and pasta are nearly as big a risk to my broken system as dessert.
I have learned how high blood sugars trigger CRAVINGS (in my case, painful hunger)
That is one of the cruelest things Nature does to us.
Fasting quells cravings better than any dangerous drug. It can be addictive--because it works!

[BlackSpinner]

The diabetics should start their own thread and not try to tell people like my wife that whole grains are evil.

There are several already out there.

[jnk...]

As a counter to some of the no-wheat extremists who post here - http://www.today.com/health/whole-grains-t98326

If you are so inclined to read such things, the study is here - http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/133 ... 0.abstract

My opinion (like butts, we all have them, even "scientists"):

Bad article on an advertiser-supported site based on a meaningless meta-analysis of cherry-picked studies.

If anything, all it proves is that the people who are well-off enough to self-report being able to afford to pay the extra for that which is labelled so-called "whole grain" may be less likely to die than the poorer people who have to settle for eating their spam and cheese-whiz on the cheaper version of Wonder bread. That kind of statistical association is well-explained without any relevant information on the benefits of so-called "whole grain" actually presenting itself, at least not to anyone other than the food industry who sells the stuff and the people who believe the articles based on warped analysis by people who know how to get published.

Other than that, great post! Thanks!!

(I am glad that so many of rooster's identities actually agree with themselves on this one in this thread, though. )

My position is that if someone is in a position to eat bread without it affecting his or her health negatively, then whole-grain is probably not the worst choice possible.

[Jay Aitchsee]

The "Limitations of the study" acknowledged by the authors and included in the body of the full report can be found here: http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2716

[leptic]

As a counter to some of the no-wheat extremists who post here - http://www.today.com/health/whole-grains-t98326

If you are so inclined to read such things, the study is here - http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/133 ... 0.abstract

That's an interesting article, and it's funny I was just wondering about this. Have been exploring a low-carb diet, and wonder the extent to which whole grains are included in the 'to avoid' category. From what I understand refined carbs get digested faster and lead to more pronounced insulin spike; I'm only a fledgling no-wheat extremist so haven't quite reached this part of the indoctrination

Was also wondering whether things like chia and flaxseeds are discouraged in the LCHF diet doctrine...

Regarding the article, it's not clear from the abstract whether the health benefits attributed to whole grains could be due to a corresponding reduction in consumption of refined grains. This is not the same thing as demonstrating that consuming whole grains is 'healthier' than eating no grains... Downloaded the pdf and will try to read the whole thing.

Thanks for posting - it's definitely good to discuss given the amount of interest.

[BlackSpinner]

That's an interesting article, and it's funny I was just wondering about this. Have been exploring a low-carb diet, and wonder the extent to which whole grains are included in the 'to avoid' category. From what I understand refined carbs get digested faster and lead to more pronounced insulin spike; I'm only a fledgling no-wheat extremist so haven't quite reached this part of the indoctrination

Was also wondering whether things like chia and flaxseeds are discouraged in the LCHF diet doctrine...
.

There isn't much difference in the spikes. What little benefit the whole grain provides is offset by the spikes. The refined flour only has the good parts stripped out (the germ) and left the same amount of carbs. Then they add back some of the vitamins they stripped out so you won't get rickets.

Chia and flax seeds are different. You don't use them in high quantities anyway.