Guest guest Posted July 15, 2007 Report Share Posted July 15, 2007 Gluten intolerance Much has been made of 'gluten intolerance'. Some people are allergic to gluten ( it is more prevalent in women than men, and because it is genetically determined, it's prevalence varies between about 1 person in 300 in Western Ireland and 1 in 2,000 for Europe in general); but the gassiness, fatigue, depression, and stomach discomfort can be quickly eliminated by eating other grass seeds such as rice, or millet which contain no gluten. Gluten intolerance is primarily a genetic predisposition, probably involving several genes, and has persisted at a very low level, probably ever since a small portion of the human species inhabited South West Asia and the Eastern Mediterannean. The levels of gluten in the local perennial and annual wheat type grasses were low, and likely didn't provoke much of an auto-immune reaction in most new immigrants; and for those in whom it did, there was much likely to be malabsorbtion of food, poorer nutritional status overall, maybe diarrhoea, complications and either death or poor reproduction, hitting children especially hard. In other words, those indivduals whose genes caused them to react severely to the low levels of gluten in the grains tended to disappear from the local gene pool, leaving a population well adapted to wheat eating, but with a small number who reacted to gluten without showing symptoms, or who had relatively inconsequential symptoms, as the amount of gluten in wild grains was not high. But cultivated wheats have much higher gluten content than their wild parents. It may be that modern refined wheat is more likely to tip the immune system (of those already genetically pre-disposed) into a reaction. One estimate is around .5% overall in Europe - ( still a high actual number of people) exhibit symptoms of some degree, and maybe 5% being 'silent carriers' of the genes (not exhibiting symptoms, but demonstrating a biochemical reaction to gluten when tested, and perhaps a potential for reaction to triggered off at some stage in their life). So most of the European population of South East European descent show no bad effect from eating gluten containing grains; and those most recently introduced to glutens. The genes will live on at a low level within the European population, but with the mixing of various populations the level of the genes in the population may shift either higher or lower, depending on a variety of difficult to predict interplaying factors. Each individual is biochemically distinct. Some of us have to learn to listen to the intelligence of our our own biochemistry. The seeds we eat are chosen more for convenience and because of cultural norms, not because we 'have' to eat any one particular seed to have a healthy diet. Most people are tolerant of most foods, including grass seeds of all kinds. Some people have food allergies of greater or less importance (one estimate is 10% of the population). These allergies traverse virtually all foods, from beef to wheat, peanuts to oranges. The consequences range from mild gut disturbance, to, in a tiny minority of cases, anaphylactic allergy reaction. 90% or more of us have no food allergy (not all digestive effects are caused by allergy-because beans cause gas doesn't equate to allergy!). People in the west today have seeds from Mediterranean-like climates in both the new and old world - wheat, rye, barley, maize, flax, garbanzo/chickpeas, lentils, peas, sesame. We have seeds from tropical and subtropical climates - rice, sorghum, peanuts. We have temperate climate seeds - barley, oats. Some of these seeds are available only in health food stores. Some are preground, some whole, some pre-cooked and canned. We can easily mimic the diverse seed eating of our ancestors because the seeds are available. The main reasons for eating seeds are cultural (convenience) and very recent, not evolutionary. Tubers and roots could be substituted, or green bananas, or nuts. But for 90% or more of the population, there is no reason to. As always, to the extent we re-culturate to eat freshly ground whole seeds, or sprouted seeds, or biofoams with soaked whole seeds, or boiled whole seeds, freshly roasted /parched whole seeds, then we are eating the foods we evolved to eat; and we will obtain the oils, vitamins, minerals, fibres, phytochemicals the cells of our bodies unconditionally require. This natural way of eating creates the pre- conditions for a healthy life, all other lifestyle factors not limiting. Reading & notes Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains Board on Science and Technology for International Development, National Research Council 408 pages , 6 x 9, 1996. Available by mailorder at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/2305.html [1] Ofer Bar-Yosef, in an article in Evolutionary Anthropology, 1998:161, dates the Kebaran sickles somewhere between 18,000 and 14,500 years before present, and puts stone mortars for grinding wild grains at about 19,000 years before present Catassi C, Ratsch IM, Fabiani E, Rossini M, Bordicchia F, Candela F, Coppa GV, Giorgi PL: Coeliac Disease in the year 2000: exploring the iceberg. Lancet, 1994, 343: 200-203. Greco L, Maki M, Di Donato F, Visakorpi JK. Epidemiology of Coeliac Disease in Europe and the Mediterranean area. A summary report on the Multicentric study by the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. In " Common Food Intolerances 1: Epidemiology of Coeliac Disease " , Auricchio S, Visakorpi JK, editors, Karger, Basel, 1992, pp 14-24 Van Peer et al. 2003 'The Early to Middle Stone Age Transition and the Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour at site 8-B-11, Sai Island, Sudan'Journal of Human Evolution Vol 45. pp 187–193 http://www.foodforlife.com Kamut Kamut, an unhybridized strain of wheat, was originally cultivated in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs and is now grown in Montana, USA.Many people " allergic " to common wheat can *tolerate* kamut without any reaction. Kamut contains about 40% more protein, 65% more amino acids, and is more digestible than common wheat. Use kamut successfully in place of common wheat flour in most recipes. It is good for making pasta.] Rolled kamut (like rolled oats) is available in some natural foods stores. Kamut is low in gluten.Kamut berries sprout very easily and may be substituted for sprouted wheat berries. Protein, pantothenic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc are among the nutritional benefits of kamut. -------------------------------- http://www.edenfoods.com/glutenfree.html Oats were the first food permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be labeled as a benefit in helping to prevent heart disease by reducing cholesterol. In traditional medicine oats support the entire system to move from imbalance to a state of healthy balance. Oats are believed to restore the nervous and reproductive system, help stabilize blood sugar, regulate the thyroid and digestive systems, and reduce the craving for cigarettes. Because of their relatively high fat content oats can impart stamina and warmth, making them excellent cold weather fare. In Ayurvedic medicine pre-soaked cooked oats reduce kapha and pitta, and dry oats aggravate vatta. Oats contain the highest percentage of fat (unsaturated) of any grain, and also an antioxidant which delays rancidity. They are high in protein with an amino acid content similar to wheat. They also contain B vitamins, calcium and fiber. Only the outer husk is removed during milling, so oat products retain more of their original nutrients than do refined wheat products. Because of their antioxidant properties, oats have long been used to extend the shelf life of baked goods and to provide a delicate sweet flavor. Whole or steel cut oats are tasty in pilafs, stuffing, casseroles, and porridge. Steel cut oats are a flavorful substitute for bulgur, rice, couscous or pasta in a grain salad. Besides the obvious hot cereal dish, rolled oats thicken soups and add excellent texture to breads, cookies, muffins, pancakes and waffles. They are also the primary ingredient in muesli and granola. Unlike other grains, oats must be steamed before their two inedible outer hulls can be removed. As with other grains the more processed an oat is, the more its flavor and nutrients are compromised. -- Kamut (Triticum polonicum) Kamut is a large golden durum wheat relative with a rich delicious flavor. Due to several curious twists of fate, this ancient wheat was saved while thousands of irreplaceable wheat varieties were lost in the 1940s. Six thousand years ago kamut was an important grain in the Nile region. For three millennia it thrived until the conquering Greeks displaced it with their favorite wheat, a red durum. However in some isolated fields, generations of farmers so valued kamut's unique flavor that they continued to grow it. Thirty six kernels of this giant wheat were given to a Montana airman stationed in Portugal in 1949. He was told they had been " ... gathered from a stone box in an excavated tomb near Dahshur, Egypt. " The airman mailed the seed to his wheat farming father, who grew them out and showed them off at the county fair as `King Tut's wheat'. The grain was not as high a producer as modern hybrid wheat and so soon it went to cattle feed and was forgotten until 1977 when organic farmer Bob Quinn remembered seeing King Tut's wheat at the fair in his youth. Mr. Quinn ferreted out a single pint of the giant wheat, named the grain kamut, which means wheat in Egyptian, and it is available today as a whole grain flour and in products such as EDEN Pasta. Not known or grown in Egypt today, this priceless artifact survives in Montana fields unscathed by contemporary breeding techniques. Kamut is delicious cooked whole. When ground it makes rich flavored bread, pasta, and baked goods. Of the varieties of whole grain wheat, kamut is unique in that it is less chewy so it may be substituted for softer grains like brown rice in salads, pilafs and stuffing. Kamut is richer tasting than most grain. Because it is an " heirloom " food, many people with wheat allergies can enjoy it in good health. Basic Kamut Makes about 3 cups 1 cup kamut 1 3/4 cups water or unsalted stock Wash kamut and drain well. Heat a thin saucepan or wok over high heat. Add the kamut and after the first grain pops, stir constantly for 3 minutes or until it turns a darker shade. Set aside. Place water or stock in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. When boiling, add kamut. If the kamut is still hot, add slowly to prevent sputtering. Return to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 50 to 60 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender but still a bit chewy. Remove from heat and allow to steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve hot as a cereal or side dish or use in soup, stew, pilaf or salad. ----------------------- James F. Balch, M.D. Prescription for Nutritional Healing (second edition) Dietary Recommendations for Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) and High Blood Pressure pg. 307 Make sure your diet is high in fiber! Include in your diet almonds, brewers yeast, whole organic grains (i.e.steelcut oats,kamut, bulgur, millett, sesame seeds. Drink fresh vegetable juices Minimize your intake of vitamin D and do not obtain it from whole milk or any dairy product. Consumption of these contributes to clogged arteries. Do not eat red meat,highly spiced foods, salt, refined sugar or white flour. Eliminate fried foods, coffee, black tea, colas, and other stimulants from the diet. Do not smoke. Avoid secondhand smoke. Avoid cod liver oil. Refrain from alcohol use. Drink steam distilled water only Sip barley water throughout the day for its healing and fortifying properties. Fast three days a month to cleanse and fortify the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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