Wheat is the most widely grown and consumed staple in the world. It is being cultivated for the last 12,000 years.
In India, wheat farming is believed to have originated approximately 7,000 years ago. Despite being one of the most widely consumed grains in the world, wheat has recently been linked to problems not only in the digestive tract but also in other bodily systems for many individuals.
Doctors across the world are increasingly reporting a range of issues, from minor rashes and high blood sugar to unattractive stomach bulges, the so-called ‘wheat bellies’.
A renowned cardiologist, William Davis, has claimed in his book ‘Wheat Belly’, that eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges and reverse several health problems.
According to him, body fat has nothing to do with excessive eating, lack of exercise or too much butter. He has concluded this after over 2,000 of his patients regained their health after giving up wheat.
How could a worldwide food staple that’s been consumed since time immemorial be such a problem?
That is because the wheat consumed today is not the same wheat our earlier generations ate, even until just before India got Independence.
For starters, the wheat which we are consuming today has been genetically modified through a series of cross-breeding and genetic engineering.
The idea behind this, in the beginning, was to make a form of wheat that grows fast and takes up less space. What seemed like an efficient farming move turned out to be a bad one for our health.
Health Issues Associated with Modern Wheat Consumption
Genetic alterations in modern wheat has led to increased gluten content and certain other changes.
Gluten is a protein that lends elasticity to the dough and taste to the bread and roti. But it is highly immunogenic and can activate pro-inflammatory pathways, potentially contributing to various inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
Several disorders like celiac disease, a skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis, imbalanced gait (ataxia), and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) have been attributed to gluten.
NCGS, characterised by troublesome bloating and other symptoms, is probably one of the most common manifestations reported by doctors across the world and is likely caused by some of the protein components including gluten and amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATIs).
Chronic inflammation caused by these wheat components is linked to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and multiple sclerosis.
Then there are some other substances in the modern wheat which affect human health.
Amylopectin A is a carbohydrate known to raise blood sugar levels more than table sugar, potentially leading to insulin resistance.
Lectins found in wheat, such as wheat germ agglutinin, may damage the gut lining and contribute to conditions like "leaky gut", which can trigger immune response.
Brain fog and certain mood disorders are some other conditions which have been linked to exorphins, opioid-like compounds found in the modern wheat.
Ancient wheat was processed in our friendly neighbourhood atta chakki in a way that maintained all three parts of the wheat kernel—Bran that contains fiber and nutrients, Germ that can grow into a new wheat plant and has high nutritional value, and Endosperm, the starchy part of wheat with the least nutritional value.
Modern wheat processing, especially to enhance taste, removes the more nutritional components of wheat, leaving just the starchy part, for example, maida.
Since modern-refined wheat and other grains lack fibre and nutrition, it triggers blood sugar to spike. Unstable blood sugar and insulin levels (causing insulin resistance) are at the root of the increased incidence of many chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even Alzheimer’s.
What Can Be Done?
If possible, try switching to ancient wheat varieties, for example, Khapli wheat, that may be better tolerated.
Reduce or eliminate processed wheat products made out of refined flours (maida) like bread, pasta, noodles pizza, samosa, bhature etc.
Whole, unprocessed foods have a lower glycemic impact and should be preferred. Other healthy alternatives include quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, and millets such as ragi, barley, jowar, amaranth, and cassava. These foods are rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants, and they also have a low glycemic index.
Benefits of replacing wheat with these alternatives include,
Substantial weight loss
Correction of cholesterol abnormalities
Relief from arthritis
Mood benefits
Prevention of heart disease
(Dr (Prof) Ashwini Kumar Setya, MD DM PGDMLE, is a Senior Consultant at Medanta Institute of Digestive & Hepatobiliary Sciences and Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)