Grains and their effects

But whole grains? They're healthy for you, right? Absolutely not! Are you shocked? I was when I found out. We've been told whole grains are one of the healthiest things you can eat, so why and how are they unhealthy?

Grains contain gut irritating proteins, protease inhibitors, antinutrients, and they can increasingly irritate autoimmune diseases. One grain protein is called lectin. These proteins are not broken down in digestion and can attach themselves to hormone receptors to gain access to our body through the intestinal wall by looking like all the other essential proteins in our body.

Why is this bad? These proteins can be mistaken by our immune system as foreign and our body will attack the lectins like they are a virus. Well, when our immune system attacks these lectins, that look like our other essential proteins, they also attack our essential proteins. Uh-oh!

 Not only that, but lectins can cause problems with our transglutaminase. Transglutaminase enzymes in our bodies bind and modify all proteins in our body. So if lectins can look-like our essential proteins and cause damage to them; then, in turn, it can damage our transgluatminase enzymes which can damage all of our organs because transgluatminase modifies and sends proteins out to every part of our body. Ouch!

So all that scientific research mumbo jumbo aside, the take away is grains contain some harmful proteins that can actually damage your entire body! Gut irritations include ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. After I learned this I can't look at grains the same again. Why would you eat grains if you have this knowledge of what it can do to your body?

Lectin is also found in legumes and dairy. I challenge you to delve more into this. Do your own research and see what you come up with! (Check out the Toxicity portion of this Lectin definition for a simpler break down. You can also get plenty of links to more scientific research links from Robb Wolf.)