The Shocking Truth about Grain, Nutrition and Healthy Eating

Introduction

In the United States, conventional wisdom champions low-fat, whole grain diets for optimal health. However, recent revelations challenge this narrative, linking such diets to the alarming rise of Alzheimer’s disease, affecting millions. This article unveils the unexpected role of gluten and suggests crucial dietary shifts for brain health.

Key Takeaways:

• Contrary to popular belief, reducing fat intake and increasing whole grains may not promote optimal brain health.
• Gluten found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye can trigger inflammation, potentially leading to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
• Removing gluten and reducing carbohydrate intake may lower the risk of autoimmune disorders and chronic inflammation.

What is the impact of gluten from grains on brain health and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

Gluten, primarily found in wheat, barley, and rye, triggers inflammation in the intestines, leading to increased permeability and the passage of harmful proteins into the bloodstream. Prolonged inflammation, especially in the brain, can result in conditions like Alzheimer’s. Removing gluten and reducing carbohydrate intake can mitigate this risk, emphasizing the importance of tailored dietary choices for overall wellness.

Here in the United States, we’ve been conditioned for years to perceive that reducing fat intake and increasing the amount of wholegrain-based food we eat is the right path to effective nutrition and healthy eating habits. However recent research shows us that the perception is actually incorrect and could well be the reason why there are nearly five and a half million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable killer and it’s reaching epidemic proportions, affecting one in eight people over the age of 65. While there is as yet no known cure for this debilitating, degenerative condition, it is largely preventable.Reducing the chances of contracting Alzheimer’s disease may require nothing more complicated than avoiding many of the food types we have been led to associate with good health.

The Culprit – Gluten from Grains 

Compelling evidence, such as that put forward by natural medicine neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, suggests that nutrition and healthy eating has a more powerful impact on brain health than we are generally aware of. Furthermore, it appears that grain, something we have long been led to believe is good for us, can actually increase the chance of us suffering from chronic inflammation and conditions which arise as a result.

Gluten is a protein found in many foods, but predominantly in wheat, barley and rye – Those whole-grains which have long been believed to be so good for us. Therefore, while such foods are low in fat and can help with weight loss, they are at the same time the cause of inflammation and autoimmune conditions, including brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Previously thought only to be problematic for those with an intolerance to gluten, it’s now believed that rather than a source of nutrition and healthy eating, grains can cause harmful reactions in the immune system of anyone who eats them.

How can Grains Harm You:

When you eat a product which contains gluten, your intestine reacts by creating a substance called zonulin. This substance causes permeability to increase in the intestine, allowing proteins into your bloodstream which would otherwise be excluded. These proteins then sensitize your immune system, causing inflammation as a response. When the inflammation takes place in your brain (which is incapable of feeling pain) on a long-term basis, serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease can develop.

Essentially, your intestine acts as a barrier to harmful proteins and blocks them from entering your bloodstream and ultimately gaining access to your brain. Gluten reduces the resistance of this barrier, allowing damaging proteins through. What’s certainly true is that the human digestive system is not designed to deal with the consumption of grain, which has only been available to us for the last 10,000 years or so: a very short time in our evolutionary history. Therefore it’s totally conceivable that something we think of as healthy and nutritious is actually doing more harm than good inside our bodies.

So What Sources of Nutrition and Healthy Eating are Left?:

If you are, quite rightly, one of those people concerned about wellness care, you’re probably wondering what’s left to eat that isn’t either going to cause you to be obese or become senile. Fortunately the picture is not that bleak. Contrary to popular belief, humans are programmed to digest fatty foods. The key to eating healthily is in the type of fats which are consumed.

As part of a wellness care program which caters for the health of your brain as well as the rest of your body, fats and indeed cholesterol are essential components. Research has shown that elderly people with low cholesterol levels are actually at the highest risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Conversely, to reduce the risk of autoimmune disorders, chronic inflammation and Alzheimer’s, removing gluten from your diet and lowering your carbohydrate intake is the right way to go.

Of course this probably still sounds very confusing and contradictory to the widely held belief that nutrition and healthy eating is all about lowering cholesterol and staying away from things like red meat. If you are in doubt about what constitutes a good wellness care diet to promote weight loss as well as a healthy brain, the best advice I can give you, without producing a long list of good and bad foods is to recommend you join a weight loss program focused on gluten-free nutrition.

Weight Loss in Garden Grove, Westminster and Huntington Beach:

At OC Wellness Physicians Medical Center, we offer professional lifestyle and nutritional counseling for anyone wishing to lose weight and/or begin or improve a wellness care program. Our unique program is administered by a team with more than 100 years of combined knowledge in weight loss, nutrition and healthy eating for wellness.

If you would like to find out more about removing grains from your diet to keep your brain and your body healthy, we invite you to book an initial consultation online or contact our reception on 657-837-2657.