HWN Suggests

Why Refined Grains Are Harmful + 8 Gluten Free Whole Grain Alternatives

There is a jingle that goes: "The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead!"

Bread has been called the "staff of life." Unfortunately these days most folks consume grain in its refined state and this staple contains little to no nutritive properties and cannot support animal or human life. Wheat is the key ingredient in the American diet. But after being milled, it is seldom utilized in its whole form with its components intact. Invariably, when we eat wheat, we get it in the form of bread, pies, cakes, cookies, biscuits, spaghetti, cream of wheat, cereals, and other forms that have been treated, heated, fractioned, and fragmented until it is next to impossible to recognize it for what…

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 Should We Avoid Refined-Grain Foods?

After many years spent demonising fats Triglycerides that are either solid (e.g. in margarine, shortening, lard) or liquid (e.g. vegetable or fish oil) at room temperature. , the focus has shifted to carbohydrates Components of food containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The term carbohydrate includes simple sugars, monosaccharides (e.g. glucose) and disaccharides (e.g. sucrose), oligosaccharides (containing several monosaccharide units) and polysaccharides. Starch and simple sugars are the bodies preferred source of carbohydrates. Indigestible polysaccharides are the main components of dietary fibre. over the past couple of decades. However, in the same way, we eventually recognised that there are both healthy and unhealthy fats, we were bound to narrow down the argument against carbs too. Now it’s sugars and refined grains that are held accountable for metabolic syndromes and health problems. Today the word ‘refined’ has many negative connotations – it reminisces us of industrial and chemical processes, of something overly and unnaturally polished.

 The Truth About Refined Grains

When ground into flours, most grains act like sugar in the body, triggering weight gain, inflammation and blood-sugar imbalances. Here’s why whole kernels are a better option than processed grains.

 Whole Grains or Refined Grains?

Whole this, whole that. Before you get too tired of that "w" word, it helps to pay attention to the whole story. Our mantra has always been “whole everything” so you get 100% of the goodness nature has to offer. But did you know that most of the foods people eat contain refined grains - which are NOT whole by the way!

Articles of Interest

Differences Between Whole Grains and Refined Grains

Nutritional guidelines say to choose whole grains rather than refined grains, but what exactly is the difference between the two?1 Whole grains contain most of the original grain intact, as grown by the grain plant. Refined grains are processed—refined—to remove some of the outer casing or inner seed.

High intake of refined grains linked to higher risk of heart disease and death

Cereal grains, such as oats, rice, barley and wheat make up around 50% of daily caloric intake across the world and up to 70% in low and middle income countries, particularly in Africa and South Asia.

Multigrain, wholegrain, wholemeal: what’s the difference and which bread is best?

Wholemeal, wholegrain, multigrain, sourdough, rye, white, high fibre white, low GI, low FODMAP, gluten free. With so many choices of bread available, how are we to know which is best for our health?

Perspective: Refined Grains and Health: Genuine Risk, or Guilt by Association?

Refined grain intake is widely assumed to be associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and obesity.

Refined Grains: How Food Affects Health

Refined grains are missing fiber and key nutrients that their whole-grain counterparts retain. Don’t miss out on those good-for-you parts — go for the whole grains instead! White bread, regular pasta, and other products made with “enriched wheat flour” or “all-purpose flour” are wheat-based and therefore contain gluten, so they should be avoided by people with celiac disease. In fact, all versions (including healthy whole-grain varieties) of wheat, rye, and barley contain gluten and must be avoided by people with celiac.

Think Refined Grains are Bad for You? Think Again!

Most likely you’ve heard someone say, “I’ve cut all refined and processed foods, including white bread, from my diet.” Considering the definition of refined means “free from impurities, fastidious, or cultivated,” it’s curious that refined grains have taken on a negative connotation. What if removing refined grains was not necessary for good health and could contribute to having fewer healthful nutrients in your diet?