Grains

[Ægir Valsson]

I've bin surfing online for some time now looking up why grains are bad and cant seem to find a decent source. I know the philosophy of paleo is that grains are new to us humans but surely we can evolve, I mean grains are nr. 1 food source to most of people on earth. Do f.x. asians who eat olmost only wheat and rice any serius health problems?

Thank you

[Jason Jamora]

I was wondering this myself.

[Renee Lee]

i'm sure somebody will come in and add to this, but here are a few big points:

1) yes, we can evolve, but 10,000 years isn't enough time to do it in

2) here's a study about sugar/starch leading to coronary artery disease:

http://www.crossfitbalboa.com/upload...nce_cad(1).pdf (sfw)

3) google hyperinsulinemia.

[Brian Bedell]

I think the main problem is that grains are high GI foods which creates all the problems associated with insulin issues; like renee said google that hyperinsulinism or read some of the journal articles/videos.

[Laura Kurth]

I eat grains and I am in great health.

So, it's kind of up to you. You will find plenty of research and studies on either side of the argument, do some reading, do some experimentation on yourself

Welcome to the board!

[Kevin Thomas]

Grains may or may not be the devil in food form, but the arguments based on evolution are difficult to take seriously. Humans are successful as a species because of our ability to adapt to many different environments and food sources. Grains are a large part of that recent success. Once grains and agriculture became available, the population of humans exploded. That cannot be denied.

Also, the idea that an organism is found in the environment in which the organism is best suited is false. An organism is found in the environment in which it best competes. Sometimes that may be the "ideal" environment, but plenty of times it is not. Many organisms do much better when placed in environments in which they are not normally found. There's no reason to believe that humans aren't better suited to a diet other than what was locally available 10,000+ years ago (even ignoring the reality that food sources varied wildly from location to location). Couple that notion with the empirical evidence of a human population explosion timed with the introduction of grains and the rationale for paleo diets looks even more silly.

That said, the paleo diet looks pretty good because it's a clean diet that is relatively low on carbs and is simple to follow. That seems to work for a lot of people. I am unswayed by the evolutionary reasoning behind it though.

[Rene Forestier]

Originally Posted by Ægir Valsson

I've bin surfing online for some time now looking up why grains are bad and cant seem to find a decent source. I know the philosophy of paleo is that grains are new to us humans but surely we can evolve, I mean grains are nr. 1 food source to most of people on earth. Do f.x. asians who eat olmost only wheat and rice any serius health problems?

Thank you

We CAN evolve, but not that quickly.

I would throw out there that ANY people eating the amount of grain (incl. corn) that North Americans do would have health problems. Traditional diets are lower in grains than we think, and any grains that are used are prepared properly ie. soaked, fermented, etc.

[Greg Pieris]

Lactose intolerance is much more common outside of Europe/Middle East where dairy farming has been practised for thousands of years. African tribes that have commenced dairy farming have developed lactose tolerance within a few generations.

I've often wondered whether the fact that, empirically speaking, indigenous populations appear to be genetically more prone to problems with diabetes, obesity and alcoholism (even leaving aside the socioeconomic factors) when exposed to Western culture suggests that 10,000 years of agriculture might be enough to allow some adaptions to grain consumption.

[Scott Allen Hanson]

Originally Posted by Kevin Thomas

Also, the idea that an organism is found in the environment in which the organism is best suited is false. An organism is found in the environment in which it best competes. Sometimes that may be the "ideal" environment, but plenty of times it is not. Many organisms do much better when placed in environments in which they are not normally found.

This is sometimes true, but has little to do with diet. Its primarily a result of reduced competition, absent or reduced predation, and/or absent or reduced pathogens. Adaptation is driven by environmental factors.

[Alexander Kornishev]

This is pretty much everything you wanted to know:
Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword f/w safe
it is 55 pages long but very much worth reading.