Discussion
Whole grains are not necessary for a healthy diet.
They are probably better than refined grains.
Very few if any food groups are essential to health - otherwise we wouldn't be here. Some are better than others - surely it's the vitamins and minerals that are more important?
Were whole grains necessary, how did groups like Eskimos survive and even thrive? We are capable of surviving and even thriving on a life long restricted/limited diet - it's the sudden increase in refined carbs and sugars that's screwing with us now. Even they probably wouldn't be so deleterious in moderation.
They are probably better than refined grains.
Very few if any food groups are essential to health - otherwise we wouldn't be here. Some are better than others - surely it's the vitamins and minerals that are more important?
Were whole grains necessary, how did groups like Eskimos survive and even thrive? We are capable of surviving and even thriving on a life long restricted/limited diet - it's the sudden increase in refined carbs and sugars that's screwing with us now. Even they probably wouldn't be so deleterious in moderation.
I suspect the 'whole grains' push is more to encourage people to eat what would otherwise be a waste product.
I also suspect more people are wheat intolerant than realise it. I should get myself tested for the antibodies, really, but I stopped eating flour months ago.
I also suspect more people are wheat intolerant than realise it. I should get myself tested for the antibodies, really, but I stopped eating flour months ago.
Edited by grumbledoak on Monday 17th November 08:41
LordGrover said:
how did groups like Eskimos survive and even thrive?
Oh honestly LG! The Eskimo have evolved to live in the Arctic whereas we've evolved to live in a warm climate. Their vitamin requirements are different (especially vit. D, obviously). The Eskimo carb free diet isn't one of choice - it's too f'kin cold for vegetables etc to grow so they've had to adapt. They eat fats instead of carbs to convert to energy but this is not the human body's most efficient method of energy production as we all know. Like it or not we have evolved from cavemen - we have year round stable environments providing both heating and safety and when we exercise we do it mainly for fun. Our brains are bigger (in some cases) and we have more diseases to cope with. Things that used to kill us don't and we have adapted to live three or four times longer than our ancestors. Hoofy said:
LordGrover said:
Hoofy said:
I blame Kelloggs. Every morning, they send a representative round and force Cornflakes down my throat.
Many a true word... 
How on Earth 'we' have been duped into consuming cereal for breakfast I'll never know.
goldblum said:
LordGrover said:
how did groups like Eskimos survive and even thrive?
Oh honestly LG! The Eskimo have evolved to live in the Arctic whereas we've evolved to live in a warm climate. Their vitamin requirements are different (especially vit. D, obviously). The Eskimo carb free diet isn't one of choice - it's too f'kin cold for vegetables etc to grow so they've had to adapt. They eat fats instead of carbs to convert to energy but this is not the human body's most efficient method of energy production as we all know. Like it or not we have evolved from cavemen - we have year round stable environments providing both heating and safety and when we exercise we do it mainly for fun. Our brains are bigger (in some cases) and we have more diseases to cope with. Things that used to kill us don't and we have adapted to live three or four times longer than our ancestors. We are capable of surviving on many and varied diets and no 'one' is the right one, though there are plenty of poor choices to make.
LordGrover said:
Erm... isn't that what I said?
We are capable of surviving on many and varied diets and no 'one' is the right one, though there are plenty of poor choices to make.
Oh did I misunderstand? I thought you were citing the Eskimos as exemplar of a people that don't need wholegrains.We are capable of surviving on many and varied diets and no 'one' is the right one, though there are plenty of poor choices to make.
goldblum said:
And it worked. The surprise is that Brit parents allowed themselves to fall for this kind of unsubtle marketing. Mind you it was an earlier age when everyone was a little more naive (and some say better off) to Yank ways.
I had lots of fun little toys as a kid but was always underweight.goldblum said:
Oh did I misunderstand? I thought you were citing the Eskimos as exemplar of a people that don't need wholegrains.
Probably more I wasn't clear. I was hoping to say that Eskimos are an example of how humans can become able to survive on pretty much anything so long as genuine 'essentials' are present - we are an adaptable species, given time.
We've been consuming grains, legumes and dairy (for example) for so long that most of us can thrive consuming them. They weren't part of our diet on the plains or jungles of Africa - meat, fish, insects, roots, leaves, nuts, etc. were our primary food source for millennia.
I'm more wary of very recent, modern 'foods' that are processed to within an inch of its life and then vitamins, minerals and nutrients added to make them marketable/acceptable.
We evolve to cope with new diets pretty quickly (this is in part why humans are so successful as a species). For instance around 95% of people of northern European descent are lactose tolerant due to high dairy consumption, while areas without dairy rich diet tend to have a much higher prevalence of lactose intolerance.
Amylase production is similarly higher in humans where large amounts of starch have been present in the typical diet for a while.
I expect given enough time and selection pressure we would evolve to be more tolerant of a high sugar diet, but we've basically ramped sugar consumption up so fast that evolution cannot keep up.
Amylase production is similarly higher in humans where large amounts of starch have been present in the typical diet for a while.
I expect given enough time and selection pressure we would evolve to be more tolerant of a high sugar diet, but we've basically ramped sugar consumption up so fast that evolution cannot keep up.
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