The Hidden Dangers of Modern Wheat: Understanding Dr. Hyman’s Perspective
The Impact of Modern Wheat on Health
Dr. Mark Hyman, a practicing physician, bestselling author, and leading expert in functional medicine, identifies our love for bread as a key factor in the rising tide of chronic illness. He asserts, “Our tsunami of chronic illness is increasingly caused by eating our beloved diet staple… bread.” The evolution of wheat parallels the global rise in chronic disease and obesity.
The Transformation of Wheat
Today’s wheat differs significantly from the wheat your grandmother used. Dr. Hyman refers to it as “Franken Wheat,” a product of scientific engineering developed over the past 50 years. While modern wheat appears similar to old wheat, it has three notable differences that contribute to chronic health issues.
The Role of Super Starch
First and foremost, modern wheat contains what is known as Super Starch, or amylopectin A. This highly fattening starch results from genetic manipulation and hybridization designed to create a more robust wheat plant with higher yields. Modern wheat has increased starch and gluten levels, along with more DNA coding for unusual proteins.
Just two slices of today’s whole wheat bread can spike blood sugar more than two tablespoons of table sugar, making it very high-glycemic.
The Effects of Super Gluten and Inflammation
In addition to Super Starch, modern wheat also promotes weight gain and diabetes through Super Gluten, which triggers inflammation. Older Einkorn wheat, for example, contains only 14 DNA codes for gluten proteins, making it less likely to cause celiac disease and gut inflammation. In contrast, the new dwarf wheat contains 28 chromosomes—twice as much—and produces a diverse array of gluten proteins associated with celiac disease.
Dr. Hyman identifies five major ways gluten can lead to inflammation, obesity, and chronic disease:
- Celiac Disease: Super gluten can trigger celiac disease, leading to body-wide inflammation and insulin resistance. This inflammation can result in over 55 health conditions, including autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, reflux, cancer, and depression.
- Low-Level Inflammation: Even without full-blown celiac disease, low-level inflammation responses to gluten can still provoke similar health issues. Approximately 7% of the U.S. population, or about 21 million Americans, experience elevated antibodies to gluten.
- Adverse Immune Reactions: Recent research indicates that harmful immune reactions to gluten might stem from different areas of the immune system than those affected by celiac disease. Individuals can experience negative reactions without having celiac or gluten antibodies, yet still suffer from inflammation and other symptoms.
- Non-Gluten Lectins: Another concern is non-gluten lectins, which are sugar-protein combinations found in wheat and, to a lesser extent, beans and other grains. These lectins, particularly concentrated in whole wheat, can cause full-body inflammation and digestive distress.
Looking Ahead: The Connection Between Wheat and Chronic Disease
Next week, we will continue to explore how modern wheat can contribute to inflammation, leading to serious health issues such as heart disease, dementia, diabetes, and cancer. Understanding these connections will empower us to make better dietary choices for better health. Stay tuned!