Why are Refined Grain Products Harmful?

Why are Refined Grain Products Harmful?

Refined grains and their food products are substandard foods for several reasons:

1. They are excessively starchy and high in gluten.
2. They are practically devoid of natural fiber.
3. There can be up to approximately 25 different chemicals that are added to refined grains and breads products.
4. Grains are fumigated.
5. Bleaching chemicals are used.
6. Artificial colorings and flavorings are used.
7. They are nutritionally imbalanced.

Because refined grain products are nutritionally imbalanced, they are responsible for contributing to several degenerative diseases. Calcium leaching from the bones and teeth occurs because of the altered phosphorous-calcium balance in these products. Sugar and refined grain products are primarily responsible for tooth decay in this country, as well as being the major cause of brittle bones in the elderly.

The crux of the situation is that the shelf-life of products are far more important in our economy than the health and well-being of the people. If we are to lean on the "staff of life" for nutrition, we must identify the counterfeit refined grains from the real, whole grains.

In the US, the familiar white flour which is the result of modern refining process is 72% extraction. This means that it has lost 28% of the bulk of the wheat, including half or more of many of the crucial nutrients. So for optimum health, eliminate all refined flour products from your diet and use only whole grains.

8 Healthy Gluten Free Whole Grain Alternatives

1. Amaranth
2. Buckwheat
3. Corn-organic only
4. Millet
5. Oats (*see below)
6. Quinoa
7. Rice
8. Wild Rice

*Oats are inherently gluten-free, but are frequently contaminated with wheat during growing or processing. Several companies (Bob's Red Mill, Cream Hill Estates, GF Harvest (fromerly Gluten Free Oats), Avena Foods (Only Oats), Legacy Valley (Montana Monster Munchies), and Gifts of Nature) currently offer pure, uncontaminated oats. Ask your physician if these oats are acceptable for you.