More Nutritional Deficiencies

While there are a number of nutritional deficiencies in white flour when compared to its stone ground counterpart, here are a few of the less technical ones:

• Zinc, which naturally occurs in the outer portions of the grain, is milled away in the production of white flour. This disrupts the natural ratio of zinc to cadmium so that the zinc-cadmium ratio is reversed. Any cause of a zinc shortage in the body is a cause for concern because this very important mineral is a catalyst to numerous enzymatic and hormonal functions, not to mention being essential to protein synthesis and reproduction, the importance of which will become evident below.
  

• White flour contains only 13 percent of the chromium, 9 percent of the manganese and 19 percent of the iron that is contained in whole wheat. Due to the fact that many of the B vitamins are concentrated in the outer parts of the grain, white flour is deficient in B vitamins.⁶
  

• White flour does not contain the germ of the wheat, which is a potent source of vitamin E, resulting in a high potential for vitamin E deficiency in those whose diet is inadequate for vitamin E sources and/or comparatively high in bread-stuffs.⁷
  

• Research shows that since as long ago as the 1950s, conventionally farmed American grains have been low in protein quality and quantity. So much so, that whenever the United States tried to give its surplus grains away to countries with starving populations, they would not accept our grains if any other country was offering theirs. They had found that the deficient U.S. grains did little to maintain or improve the health of the starving.⁸
  

After 130 years of consuming highly processed grains in the form of breads, pastries and cereals, chronic disease states are rampant among most industrialized nations, with the greatest prevalence in England, which has the greatest consumption of white flour, white sugar and tea per capita. Unfortunately, the United States is a strong second!

Infertility Strikes

Not surprisingly, we appear to be continuing another trend that began with the introduction of the steel roller mill -- a declining birth rate.

The more bran and germ millers extracted from flour, the lower the birth rate per 1,000 people in England between 1872-1945.⁷ Today, things are not much better. Artificial insemination is a big business and, if not for advanced medical technologies, we would be losing a huge amount of babies who wouldn't have survived even 100 years ago.

Additionally, there are significant reductions in sperm counts among males, which may well be the result of both over-consumption of highly processed foods and toxicity in our food supply and our ecosystem.

According to a recent analysis by University of Missouri epidemiologist Shanna Swan⁹, the average sperm count of men in the United States and Europe has plummeted by more than 50 percent since the late 1930s. This finding fuels ongoing concerns that male reproductive health may be deteriorating.

Based on 61 studies published since 1938, involving a total of nearly 15,000 subjects, Swan found that average sperm counts among healthy American men have dropped from 120 million sperm per milliliter (million/ml) of semen in 1938 to just over 50 million/ml in 1988, a decline of 1.5 percent per year. In Europe, sperm counts have fallen to roughly the same level, though twice as fast, at 3.1 percent each year between 1971-1990.

While environmental chemical exposure is suspected, there is very likely that malnutrition, secondary to consuming too many processed foods, is a real possibility. Francis Marion Pottenger Jr., MD demonstrated that feeding cats processed foods led to numerous disease processes, infertility and eventually extinction!

The Feedlot Pyramid

Over the past 21 years that I have been consulting people with physical and dietary complications and challenges, I have seen a distinct pattern: The over-consumption of processed carbohydrates! Most people get their dietary education from watching TV commercials and reading magazines. These are the two worst places in the world to acquire nutritional information because this is exactly where big industry plants its hooks into you.

Figure 1

Another problem was the boom in running and triathlons, which resulted in the production of numerous popular books on how to eat for success in these sports. The diet plans in these books commonly resemble the USDA Food Pyramid (Figure 1), which is commonly referred to as the USDA Feedlot Pyramid by nutritional experts such as Dr. Barry Sears (author of "The Zone Diet") because such dietary proportions are far better suited to fattening animals than they are to health and vitality!

Unfortunately, the USDA food pyramid is used as a guideline by most school cafeterias preparing food for your children!

An additional problem that has come part and parcel with increased mechanization of food processing and the desire to increase shelf life of foods has been the addition of sugar to what was originally a potentially good food -- natural unprocessed cereal grains.

When ground to the particle size used to make white flour, the flour covers 10,000 times the surface area of the grain itself. The result is that when you eat a processed food product like white bread, cookies, donuts or classic boxed cereals, you are eating a high starch (high sugar) food that will be absorbed at almost the same rate as straight table sugar! While considering that, review these statistics from the book "Crazy Makers" by Carol Simontacchi, who compares the sugar content of 1 ounce of Pepsi (1.2 teaspoons of sugar) to common breakfast cereals:

• Lucky Charms = 2.8 teaspoons per ounce
• Froot Loops = 3.3 teaspoons per ounce
• Cinnamon and Spice flavored Quaker Instant Oatmeal = 4.3 teaspoons per ounce

Additionally, in his book "Beating the Food Giants," Paul Stitt shows us the average breakfast cereal today ranges between 46-53 percent sugar! With this knowledge, watch how much sugar people add to their cereals before eating them and how much soda pop is consumed in concert with many of these non-foods!

An Insulin Epidemic

We have an epidemic on our hands with insulin insensitivity (Syndrome X), adult onset diabetes and obesity! We have children consuming massive quantities of sugar and food additives, most of which, like sugar are stimulants. White flour is literally a sugar in itself, and where it is mixed with fats in processed foods, the fats are commonly hydrogenated and rancid, increasing your susceptibility to a number of disease processes.

I suggest the following CHEK Points to improve your health and vitality:

1. Before entertaining consumption of grain foods, always exclude all grains except corn, rice, buckwheat and millet for two weeks. If you feel a noticeable improvement in your health and well being, you are probably gluten-intolerant. When you start eating grain foods again after two weeks off, start slowly and eat only one grain food to minimize the possibility of a potentially uncomfortable reaction by the body; diarrhea and stomach pain is common among those that are gluten-intolerant!
   

2. Minimize all consumption of commercial and processed grains and grain-based products.
   

3. If you plan to eat any grains at all, restrict yourself to organic, unprocessed corn, rice, buckwheat or millet, rotating them on a four-day cycle. Only eat them after they have been presoaked for at least 12 hours to break down the phytic acid.
   

4. If you enjoy grain-based breakfast cereals, purchase only whole organic grains, soak or sprout and make your own breakfast cereals. There are a few companies that make reasonable boxed breakfast cereals, although my suggestion is to stay away from any processed, cooked grain products whatsoever!
   

5. If you enjoy bread, buy only sprouted whole-grain breads that contain no additives or preservatives. Use the above cereal guidelines to choose your breads and determine if you are gluten intolerant.
   

6. Avoid any conventionally prepared pasta. Purchase only organic rice pasta or gluten-free pasta if you are gluten-intolerant. Pasta is considered to be one of the foods most heavily laden with pesticide residues!
   

7. Apply the soaking principle to all seeds and nuts. Pour the water off the nuts and replace it each day. Keep refrigerated while storing once soaked.
   

8. Never eat more grain-based foods than ideal for your metabolic type with regard to how much carbohydrates you should be eating.

   Paul Chek, Corrective, Holistic Exercise Kinesiologist and certified Neuromuscular Therapist, is the founder of the C.H.E.K Institute in Vista, Calif. A sought-after consultant to sporting organizations, his services have benefited numerous professional sports teams and athletes.

   Paul has produced over 60 videos, 17 correspondence courses and is the author of several books, audio programs and articles. For more information on Paul's recent book "How To Eat, Move and Be Healthy!" or his popular "Equal But Not The Same" correspondence course, or for any of Paul Chek's other courses, videos and books call 1-800-552-8789 or 760-477-2620 or visit online at www.chekinstitute.com. Feel free to request a catalog of CHEK Institute products.

Related Articles:

Dangerous Grains

The Awful Truth About Eating Grains

Cardio Training - Paul Chek's Perspective

Jane's Jungle Workout

How to Choose and Use Swiss Balls Correctly

How to Activate "Survival Reflexes" for Improved Strength and Function

References

1. McArdle, W, Katch, F, Katch, J. Essentials of exercise physiology. Lea & Febiger, 1998.

2. Crowe, I. The Quest for Food: Its Role in Human Evolution and Migration. Tempus, 2000.

3. Fallon, S. and Enig M. "Nourishing Traditions." 2nd ed. Washington DC: New Trends Publishing, 1999.

4. Cordain, L. "Cereal grains: Humanity's double-edged sword." World Rev Nutr Diet; 84:20-73. 1999.

5. DiCyan, E. "Beginners Introduction to Trace Minerals" McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 1984.

6. Ballentine, R, "Diet and Nutrition, A Holistic Approach." Himalayan International Institute. 1997.

7. Picton, L.J. "Thoughts on Feeding". London: Faber and Faber LTD, Mcmxlvi

8. Pfieffer, E. "Ehrenfried Pfieffer Himsel", audiocassette series. Acres USA, www.acresusa.com

9. Halwell, Brian. The Worldwatch Report: Sperm counts are dropping. Monday, February 22, 1999. Online. www.enn.com.