Wheat is bad for you.

[phorunner]

good points by everyone in this thread. I guess it is all about balance. Which is usually what I preach, but this one sounded really compelling and almost legit.

[babysteps]

I have celiac too and, yes, these articles do make things tougher. Also, since going wheat free (and gluten free beyond that) I find that I'm hungry more often than before I went GF and that's not because I've replaced wheat with other simple carbs. I eat hardly anything that is refined or processed (well, except for chocolate - but I'm not a saint!). With being GF I find I'm either really hungry or really full. My body doesn't seem to do anything in between anymore. Unfortunately, for me, this means I'm hungry a lot of the time. So I'm not sure how he would explain that. (but i didn't read the whole article, I'll admit)

[Jwolf]

Just read the article a bit more carefully.

He's blaming the problem with wheat on amylopectin, the polysaccharide that makes up most of the carbohydrates in wheat. A polysaccharide is essentially a long chain of glucose molecules strung together, and when we eat them, they very quickly get converted to glucose, or blood sugar. That's the whole basis behind what makes something "high glycemic" (that is, how quickly it gets converted to glucose). Depending on their "linking" structure, some polysacharrides are more quickly converted to glucose than others, and this is one of them. If the carbohydrates are refined, that is stripped away from other filling, non-glucose-producing parts of the grain, they get absorbed even more quickly. (In case you're wondering, the polysaccharide that animals make is called, you guessed it, glycogen which is stored in our livers and muscles until we need the glucose.)

Anyway, the point is that he's basically saying "refined wheat products are high glycemic index foods" and some people are more sensitive to high glycemic foods than others. And for the record, potatoes and rice are also high in amylopectin.

[CAW]

Just read the article a bit more carefully.

He's blaming the problem with wheat on amylopectin, the polysaccharide that makes up most of the carbohydrates in wheat. A polysaccharide is essentially a long chain of glucose molecules strung together, and when we eat them, they very quickly get converted to glucose, or blood sugar. That's the whole basis behind what makes something "high glycemic" (that is, how quickly it gets converted to glucose). Depending on their "linking" structure, some polysacharrides are more quickly converted to glucose than others, and this is one of them. If the carbohydrates are refined, that is stripped away from other filling, non-glucose-producing parts of the grain, they get absorbed even more quickly. (In case you're wondering, the polysaccharide that animals make is called, you guessed it, glycogen which is stored in our livers and muscles until we need the glucose.)

Anyway, the point is that he's basically saying "refined wheat products are high glycemic index foods" and some people are more sensitive to high glycemic foods than others. And for the record, potatoes and rice are also high in amylopectin.

Lemme guess....you used to teach Chemistry...

Am I right??

[Jwolf]

Just read the article a bit more carefully.

He's blaming the problem with wheat on amylopectin, the polysaccharide that makes up most of the carbohydrates in wheat. A polysaccharide is essentially a long chain of glucose molecules strung together, and when we eat them, they very quickly get converted to glucose, or blood sugar. That's the whole basis behind what makes something "high glycemic" (that is, how quickly it gets converted to glucose). Depending on their "linking" structure, some polysacharrides are more quickly converted to glucose than others, and this is one of them. If the carbohydrates are refined, that is stripped away from other filling, non-glucose-producing parts of the grain, they get absorbed even more quickly. (In case you're wondering, the polysaccharide that animals make is called, you guessed it, glycogen which is stored in our livers and muscles until we need the glucose.)

Anyway, the point is that he's basically saying "refined wheat products are high glycemic index foods" and some people are more sensitive to high glycemic foods than others. And for the record, potatoes and rice are also high in amylopectin.

Lemme guess....you used to teach Chemistry...

Am I right??

Nope. Still do.

[CAW]

Just read the article a bit more carefully.

He's blaming the problem with wheat on amylopectin, the polysaccharide that makes up most of the carbohydrates in wheat. A polysaccharide is essentially a long chain of glucose molecules strung together, and when we eat them, they very quickly get converted to glucose, or blood sugar. That's the whole basis behind what makes something "high glycemic" (that is, how quickly it gets converted to glucose). Depending on their "linking" structure, some polysacharrides are more quickly converted to glucose than others, and this is one of them. If the carbohydrates are refined, that is stripped away from other filling, non-glucose-producing parts of the grain, they get absorbed even more quickly. (In case you're wondering, the polysaccharide that animals make is called, you guessed it, glycogen which is stored in our livers and muscles until we need the glucose.)

Anyway, the point is that he's basically saying "refined wheat products are high glycemic index foods" and some people are more sensitive to high glycemic foods than others. And for the record, potatoes and rice are also high in amylopectin.

Lemme guess....you used to teach Chemistry...

Am I right??

Nope. Still do.

Bazinga!

[Jwolf]

Disclaimer- I am by no means a medical expert or an expert on diet/nutrition/glycemic index/etc. But I hate it when people distort the facts to make it sound like it's scientific.

[CAW]

I just like that you made it make sense to me.

[Jwolf]

What's also annoying in this whole thing is how people confuse "wheat" with "gluten." Gluten is a protein in wheat. The problems it causes in people with celiac disease has NOTHING to do with the carbohydrates.

[kab]

I have celiac disease so wheat IS actually poison for me. Wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt triticale, and kamut. It's like a mantra. Celiacs eats rice, corn, arrowroot, quinoa, potatoes, and other weird types of flour.

Kab,

As someone with celiac, I would think that articles like this would make life more difficult for you. I find that these articles, and articles that hype a gluten free diet (without an actual medical need) cause great confusion. The confusion may cause people (family members, friends, waiters) to take your need for gluten free less seriously than they should.

Any thoughts?

Quack, quack, quack. Another wacko who wants to come up with a single food theory for obesity. He probably just wants to explain away his beer gut on wheat rather than lack of exercise!
Yes it does cause confusion. I have had restaurants refuse to allow me to eat my own bread because it is from "outside". I walk out when they will not allow me to state my case, I don't pay and I don't apologize. When a lot of people jump on the bandwagon with their "special bread" (like when the low carb bread was in) it makes it all the more difficult.
It's funny that this guy thinks that eating wheat makes you crave more wheat and it will go away if you stop eating wheat.. I haven't eaten wheat for many many years and I still crave a nice soft slice of bread or pizza. I do cheat with the rare beer, it's like heaven.
One potential good outcome is that people start to make their own gluten free food and eat much more simply. I think that would cause a detectable improvement in health for most.
Thanks to the initiator for posting this thread, the discussion has been interesting to read.

[Hammie]

I do cheat with the rare beer, it's like heaven.

There is gluten free beer available, and apparently it's not bad. I'm not sure if it would really replace the real thing, though.

[kab]

I drink gluten free beer but it's not that good. There was a realy good local one called frio but it isn't made anymore.

[Hammie]

I drink gluten free beer but it's not that good. There was a realy good local one called frio but it isn't made anymore.

That's too bad .

[Futureisnow]

Off hand I can see a couple of dietary trends that are in play, that leave wheat and other refined carbs in the crossfire:

* Low-fat backfire: over the past 20 years, despite the low-fat movement, calorie consumption has increased something like 300 per day. WHat happened is that the
percentage of carbs has increased while the percentage of at has gone down.
Obesity has gone up. So there is this smoking gun that carb consumption has increased obesity.
Sugar is the main culprit but it is true that white bread behaves much like sugar, and is now used instead of pure glucose in nutritional studies.

* Paleo: this movement has gained traction. They recommend that only non-refined foods be eaten in an attempt to mimic the dietary patterns of paleolithic mankind. The good old days, right? When we lived a simple care free life, and didnt' die of heart disease and cancer. Mainly because we were eaten for dessert first, or starved. And never mind that grain was consumed then, the myth persists.

* Celiac diease: As mentioned, if eating grain is bad for celiacs, then it is also bad for everyone, right? There is a toxic aspect to gluten, which is a lectin. Lectins can be a bit destructive, however the body in non-celiacs can handle it. The mucus layer in the intestine is a protector. Cooking disarms the lectins in most grains. In fact, there are a large percentage of celiacs who can enjoy cooked oats. But if you are highly lacking the bodily defences, the lectins can destroy the cillia.

I agree that in healthy, active people eating wheat or carbs or sugar is not a concern. Personally, I do cook my spagetti fully, and not "al dente". Likewise beans.
But if you have symptoms after eating grains, such as excessive gas, weakness, anemia ect you should be checked for a sensitivity. Carbs of any type in althletic people will tend be used to replenish glycogen levels in the muscles, and not be stored as fat, at least for every long, nor impact weight or health.

[babysteps]

I drink gluten free beer but it's not that good. There was a realy good local one called frio but it isn't made anymore.

That's too bad .

Cider is my new beer (but I never really enjoyed beer that much anyway...)