Wheat--America's grain of choice

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May 29, 2007 07:12 PDT

 

Wheat--America's grain of choice. Its hardy, glutenous

consistency

 

Wheat--America's grain of choice. Its hardy, glutenous

consistency

makes it practical for a variety of foodstuffs--cakes,

breads,

pastas, cookies, bagels, pretzels and cereals that have

been puffed,

shredded and shaped.

 

This ancient grain can actually be very nutritious when

it is grown

and prepared in the appropriate manner.

 

Unfortunately, the indiscretions inflicted by our modern

farming

techniques and milling practices have dramatically

reduced the

" quality " of the commercial wheat berry and the

flour it makes.

 

You might think, " Wheat is wheat--what can they do

that makes

commercial varieties so bad? " Listen up, because you

are in for a

surprise!

 

It was the cultivation of grains--members of the grass

family--that

made civilization possible.1 Since wheat is one of the

oldest known

grains, its cultivation is as old as civilization itself.

Some

accounts suggest that mankind has used this wholesome

food since

10,000 to 15,000 years BC.2 Upon opening Egyptian tombs

archeologists discovered large earthenware jars full of

wheat

to " sustain " the Pharaohs in the afterlife.

 

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was said to

recommend stone-

ground flour for its beneficial effects on the digestive

tract. Once

humans figured out how to grind wheat, they discovered

that when

water is added it can be naturally fermented and turned

into beer

and expandable dough.

 

Botonists have identified almost 30,000 varieties of

wheat, which

are assigned to one of several classifications according

to their

planting schedule and nutrient composition3--hard red

winter, hard

red spring, soft red winter, durum, hard white and soft white.

 

Spring wheat is planted in the spring, and winter wheat

is planted

in the fall and shoots up the next spring to mature that

summer.

Soft, hard, and durum (even harder) wheats are classified

according

to the strength of their kernel.

 

This strength is a function of the protein-to-starch

ratio in the

endosperm (the starchy middle layer of the seed).

 

Hard wheats contain less starch, leaving a stronger

protein matrix.

 

With the advent of modern farming, the number of

varieties of wheat

in common use has been drastically reduced.

 

Today, just a few varieties account for 90 percent of

the wheat

grown in the world.

 

When grown in well-nourished, fertile soil, whole wheat

is rich in

vitamin E and B complex, many minerals, including calcium

and iron,

as well as omega-3 fatty acids.

 

Proper growing and milling methods are necessary to

preserve these

nutrients and prevent rancidity.

 

Unfortunately, due to the indiscretions inflicted by

contemporary

farming and processing on modern wheat, many people have

become

intolerant or even allergic to this nourishing grain.

 

These indiscretions include depletion of the soil through

the use of

chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals,

high-heat

milling, refining and improper preparation, such as

extrusion.1

 

Rather than focus on soil fertility and careful selection

of seed to

produce varieties tailored to a particular micro-climate,

modern

farming practices use high-tech methods to deal with

pests and

disease, leading to overdependence on chemicals and other

substances.

 

IT STARTS WITH THE SEED

Even before they are planted in the ground, wheat seeds

receive an

application of fungicides and insecticides. Fungicides

are used to

control diseases of seeds and seedlings; insecticides are

used to

control insect pests, killing them as they feed on the

seed or

emerging seedling.7 Seed companies often use mixtures of

different

seed-treatment fungicides or insecticides to control a

broader

spectrum of seed pests.8

 

PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS

Some of the main chemicals (insecticides, herbicides and

fungicides)

used on commercial wheat crops are disulfoton

(Di-syston), methyl

parathion, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, diamba and

glyphosate.9

 

Although all these chemicals are approved for use and

considered

safe, consumers are wise to reduce their exposure as much

as

possible. Besides contributing to the overall toxic load

in our

bodies, these chemicals increase our susceptibility to

neurotoxic

diseases as well as to conditions like cancer.

 

Many of these pesticides function as xenoestrogens,

foreign estrogen

that can reap havoc with our hormone balance and may be a

contributing factor to a number of health conditions.

 

For example, researchers speculate these

estrogen-mimicking

chemicals

are one of

the contributing factors to boys and girls entering

puberty at

earlier and earlier ages. They have also been linked to

abnormalities and hormone-related cancers including

fibrocystic

breast disease, breast cancer and endometriosis.13

 

HORMONES ON WHEAT?

Sounds strange, but farmers apply hormone-like substances

or " plant

growth regulators " that affect wheat

characteristics, such as time

of germination and strength of stalk.11 These hormones

are

either " natural, " that is, extracted from other

plants, or

synthetic. Cycocel is a synthetic hormone that is

commonly applied

to wheat.

 

Moreover, research is being conducted on how to

manipulate the

naturally occurring hormones in wheat and other grains to

achieve " desirable " changes, such as regulated

germination and an

increased ability to survive in cold weather.12

 

No studies exist that isolate the health risks of eating

hormone-

manipulated wheat or varieties that have been exposed to

hormone

application. However, there is substantial evidence about

the

dangers of increasing our intake of hormone-like

substances.

 

CHEMICALS USED IN STORAGE

Chemical offenses don't stop after the growing process.

The long

storage of grains makes them vulnerable to a number of

critters.

Before commercial grain is even stored, the collection

bins are

sprayed with insecticide, inside and out.

More chemicals are added

while the bin is filled. These so-called

" protectants " are then

added to the upper surface of the grain as well as four

inches deep

into the grain to protect against damage from moths and

other

insects entering from the top of the bin. The list of

various

chemicals used includes chlorpyrifos-methyl, diatomaceous

earth*,

bacillus thuringiensis, cy-fluthrin, malathion and

pyrethrins.14

 

Then there is the threshold test. If there is one live

insect per

quart of sample, fumigation is initiated. The goal of

fumigation is

to " maintain a toxic concentration of gas long

enough to kill the

target pest population. "

 

The toxic chemicals penetrate the entire

storage facility as well as the grains being treated. Two

of the

fumigants used include methyl bromide and

phosphine-producing

materials, such as magnesium phosphide or aluminum

phosphide.14

 

GRAIN DRYING

Heat damage is a serious problem that results from the

artificial

drying of damp grain at high temperatures. Overheating

causes

denaturing of the protein26 and can also partially cook

the protein,

ruining the flour's baking properties and nutritional

value.

 

According to Ed Lysenko, who tests grain by baking it

into bread for

the Canadian Grain Commission's grain research

laboratory, wheat can

be dried without damage by using re-circulating batch

dryers, which

keep the wheat moving during drying. He suggests an

optimal drying

temperature of 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees

Fahrenheit).27

Unfortunately, grain processors do not always take these

precautions.

 

MODERN PROCESSING

The damage inflicted on wheat does not end with

cultivation and

storage, but continues into milling and processing. A

grain kernel

is comprised of three layers: the bran, the germ and the

endosperm.

 

The bran is the outside layer where most of the fiber

exists. The

germ is the inside layer where many nutrients and

essential fatty

acids are found. The endosperm is the starchy middle

layer. The high

nutrient density associated with grains exists only when

these three

are intact.

 

The term whole grain refers to the grain before it has

been milled into flour. It was not until the late

nineteenth century

that white bread, biscuits, and cakes made from white

flour and

sugars became mainstays in the diets of industrialized

nations, and

these products were only made possible with the invention

of high-

speed milling machines.28

 

Dr. Price observed the unmistakable

consequences of these dietary changes during his travels

and

documented their corresponding health effects. These

changes not

only resulted in tooth decay, but problems with

fertility, mental

health and disease progression.30

 

Flour was originally produced by grinding grains between

large

stones.

 

The final product, 100 percent stone-ground whole-wheat

flour, contained everything that was in the grain,

including the

germ, fiber, starch and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

 

Without refrigeration or chemical preservatives, fresh

stone-ground

flour spoils quickly. After wheat has been ground,

natural wheat-

germ oil becomes rancid at about the same rate that milk

becomes

sour, so refrigeration of whole grain breads and flours

is

necessary.

 

Technology's answer to these issues has been to apply

faster, hotter and more aggressive processing.28

 

Since grinding stones are not fast enough for

mass-production, the

industry uses high-speed, steel roller mills that eject

the germ and

the bran.

 

Much of this " waste product " --the most

nutritious part of

the grain--is sold as " byproducts " for animals.

The resulting white

flour contains only a fraction of the nutrients of the

original

grain.

 

Even whole wheat flour is compromised during the modern

milling process. High-speed mills reach 400 degrees

Fahrenheit, and

this heat destroys vital nutrients and creates rancidity

in the bran

and the germ. Vitamin E in the germ is destroyed--a real

tragedy

because whole wheat used to be our most readily available

source of

vitamin E.

 

Literally dozens of dough conditioners and preservatives

go into

modern bread, as well as toxic ingredients like partially

hydrogenated vegetable oils and soy flour. Soy flour is

added to

virtually all brand-name breads today to

improve rise and prevent sticking.

 

The extrusion process, used to

make cold breakfast cereals and puffed grains, adds

insult to injury

with high temperatures and high pressures that create

additional

toxic components and further destroy nutrients--even the

synthetic

vitamins that are added to replace the ones destroyed by

refinement

and milling.

 

People have become accustomed to the mass-produced,

gooey,

devitalized, and nutritionally deficient breads and baked

goods and

have little recollection of how real bread should taste.

Chemical

preservatives allow bread to be shipped long distances

and to remain

on the shelf for many days without spoiling and without

refrigeration.

 

HEALTHY WHOLE WHEAT PRODUCTS

Ideally, one should buy whole wheat berries and grind

them fresh to

make homemade breads and other baked goods. Buy whole

wheat berries

that are grown organically or biodynamically--biodynamic

farming

involves higher standards than organic.34

Since these forms of

farming do not allow synthetic, carcinogenic chemicals

and

fertilizers, purchasing organic or biodynamic wheat

assures that you

are getting the cleanest, most nutritious food possible.

 

It also

automatically eliminates the possibility of irradiation31

and

genetically engineered seed. The second best option is to

buy

organic 100 percent stone-ground whole-wheat flour at a

natural food

store.

 

Slow-speed, steel hammer-mills are often used instead of

stones, and flours made in this way can list

" stone-ground " on the

label. This method is equivalent to the stone-ground

process and

produces a product that is equally nutritious. Any

process that

renders the entire grain into usable flour without

exposing it to

high heat is acceptable.

 

If you do not make your own bread, there are ready made

alternatives

available. Look for organic sourdough or sprouted breads

freshly

baked or in the freezer compartment of your market or

health food

store. If bread is made entirely with l00 percent

stone-ground whole

grains, it will state so on the label.

 

When bread is stone ground

and then baked, the internal temperature does not usually

exceed 170

degrees, so most of the nutrients are preserved.28 As

they contain

no preservatives, both whole wheat flour and its products

should be

kept in the refrigerator or freezer. Stone-ground flour

will keep

for several months frozen.28

 

Sprouting, soaking and genuine sourdough leavening

" pre-digests "

grains, allowing the nutrients to be more easily

assimilated and

metabolized. This is an age-old approach practiced in

most

traditional cultures.

Sprouting begins germination, which increases

the enzymatic activity in foods and inactivates

substances called

enzyme inhibitors.1 These enzyme inhibitors prevent the

activation

of the enzymes present in the food and, therefore, may

hinder

optimal digestion and absorption. Soaking neutralizes

phytic acid, a

component of plant fiber found in the bran and hulls of

grains,

legumes, nuts, and seeds that reduces mineral

absorption.32 All of

these benefits may explain why sprouted foods are less

likely to

produce allergic reactions in those who are sensitive.1

 

Sprouting also causes a beneficial modification of

various

nutritional elements. According to research undertaken at

the

University of Minnesota, sprouting increases the total

nutrient

density of a food.

 

For example, sprouted whole wheat was found to

have 28 percent more thiamine (B1), 315 percent more

riboflavin

(B2), 66 percent more niacin (B3), 65 percent more

pantothenic acid

(B5), 111 percent more biotin, 278 percent more folic

acid, and 300

percent more vitamin C than non-sprouted whole wheat.

 

This phenomenon is not restricted to wheat. All grains

undergo this

type

of quantitative and qualitative transformation. These

studies also

confirmed a significant increase in enzymes, which means

the

nutrients are easier to digest and absorb.33

 

You have several options for preparing your wheat. You

can use a

sour leavening method by mixing yogurt with

freshly ground wheat or quality pre-ground wheat from the

store. Or,

soak your berries whole for 8 to 22 hours, then drain and

rinse.

 

There are some recipes that use the whole berries while

they are

wet, such as cracker dough ground right in the food

processor.

Another option is to dry sprouted wheat berries in a

low-temperature

oven or dehydrator, and then grind them in your grain

mill and then

use the flour in a variety or recipes.

 

Although our modern wheat suffers from a great number of

indiscretions, there are steps we can take to find the

quality

choices that will nourish us today and for the long haul.

Go out and

make a difference for you and yours and turn your wheaty

indiscretions into wheaty indulgences.

 

http://www.arrowheadmills.com/products/ancient-grains.php

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SPELT AND KAMUT

Spelt is a distant cousin to modern wheat and one of the

oldest

cultivated grains. Current research indicates few

differences

between hard red wheat and Canadian spelt. Researchers

have also

found evidence supporting the claim that spelt may be

easier for

humans to digest than wheat.4

 

Modern wheat has been altered over the

years through breeding to simplify its growth and

harvesting,

increase its yield and raise its gluten content for the

production

of commercial baked goods--

 

all of which has rendered modern wheat

more difficult to digest. Spelt, on the other hand, has

not been as

popular in our food supply and has therefore retained

many of its

original traits.5

 

Kamut is also an ancient relative of modern wheat, durum

wheat to be

exact. Actually, " kamut " is an ancient word for

wheat.

 

Similar to

spelt, this grain has been untouched by modern

plant-breeding

techniques that have been imposed on wheat.6

 

 

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IRRADIATION

Wheat and wheat flour were some of the first foods the

Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) approved for irradiation.15 A 1963

ruling

applied to imported grains.

 

In 1968, the FDA approved irradiation

for US wheat berries and flour to control insects.16

Irradiation is

the practice of using either high-speed electron beams or

high-

energy radiation to break chemical bonds and ionize

molecules that

lie in their path.17

 

According to proponents of this technology,

irradiation can provide more food security for the world

by

eradicating storage pests in grain, killing fruit flies

in fruit,

preventing mold growth, delaying ripening, preventing the

sprouting

of potatoes, onions and garlic, and extending the shelf

life of

meat, fish and shellfish – all without health

consequences. However,

research tells us something quite different.

 

One particularly interesting study on the dangers of

irradiation was

published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition18

in 1975.

Ten children were divided into two groups of five.

 

Before the trial

started, blood samples were taken and examined for each

child. The

diets given to each group were identical except the wheat

for the

experimental group had been irradiated two or three days

earlier

with a dose recommended for grain disinfestation.

 

After four weeks,

the examination of blood samples showed abnormal cell

formation in

four of the five children given irradiated wheat. No

signs of

abnormal cell development appeared in the control group.

 

One particularly disturbing cell type found in the

experimental

group was polyploid lymph. Lymph is a vital component of

the immune

system, and these abnormal varieties occur routinely in

patients

undergoing radiation treatment.

 

In fact, the level of these abnormal

lymph cells is often used as a measure of radiation exposure

for

people accidentally exposed to radiation.19 After six

weeks, blood

samples were taken again and a sharp increase of

polyploid lymph

cells was seen when compared to the level at four weeks.

Because of

concern for the children's health, the study was

terminated.

 

It was argued that the main culprit in the increase of

cell

abnormalities was the fact the wheat was " freshly

irradiated. "

 

Therefore, a subsequent study looked at the effects of

feeding wheat

that had been irradiated and then stored for 12 weeks.

The polyploid

cells took a little longer to show up--six weeks instead

of four.

After the irradiated wheat had been withdrawn, it took 24

weeks

before the blood of the test children reverted to normal.

 

To verify their results, the researchers continued with

experimental

animals and found the same results in both monkeys and

rats--a

progressive increase of polyploid lymph cells and a

gradual

disappearance of these cells after withdrawal of the

irradiated

wheat.20 ,21 ,22 ,23

 

Thus, the dangers of irradiated foods are

evident, whether the food has been freshly irradiated or

stored for

a period of time. Other long-term health implications

from eating

irradiated foods include lowered immune resistance,

decreased

fertility, damage to kidneys, depressed growth rates, as

well as a

reduction in vitamins A, B complex, C, E and K.24

 

 

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NUTRIENT LOSS FROM REFINING OF WHEAT29

Thiamine (B1) 77%

Riboflavin (B2) 80%

Niacin 81%

Pyridoxine (B6) 72%

Pantothenic acid 50%

Vitamin E 86%

Calcium 60%

Phosphorous 71%

Magnesium 84%

Potassium 77%

Sodium 78%

Chromium 40%

Manganese 86%

Iron 76%

Cobalt 89%

Zinc 78%

Copper 68%

Selenium 16%

Molybdenum 48%

 

 

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GENETICALLY ENGINEERED WHEAT

Genetic Engineering (GE) is the process of altering or

disrupting

the genetic blueprints of living organisms--plants,

trees, fish,

animals and microorganisms. Genes are spliced to

incorporate a new

characteristic or function into an organism.

 

For example, scientists

can mix a gene from a cold-water fish into a strawberry

plant's DNA

so it can withstand colder temperatures. So far, the most

widely

used GE foods are soy, cotton and corn. Monsanto hopes to

commercialize Roundup Ready Wheat sometime between 2003

and 2005.

This crop will join the company of a number of crops

engineered to

resist the Roundup herbicide.

 

Proponents of GE claim that this " technology "

will make agriculture

sustainable, eliminate world hunger, cure disease and

improve public

health--but have they factored in the enormous risks?

When surveyed,

most consumers do not want to eat genetically modified

foods, and

even commercial farmers are wary.

 

Wheat farmers are scared of the

Starlink corn fiasco. Iowa farmers planted one percent of

their 2000

corn crop as Starlink, a genetically engineered corn

approved only

for animal consumption.

 

By harvest time, almost 50 percent of the

Iowa crop tested positive for Starlink. Product recalls,

consumer

outcry and export difficulties have ensued. This mistake

resulted in

the recall of hundreds of millions of dollars of food

products and

seeds.

 

In regards to exporting, our overseas consumers say they

will

not accept any wheat that has been genetically

engineered. For this

reason, Monsanto has put the development of GE wheat on

temporary

hold.25