nutrition

“The herbicides we have available today are, in my opinion, the safest and most effective we’ve ever had,” said Ian Burke, professor of Weed Science at Washington State University.

The wheat grown around the world today came from three grassy weed species that naturally hybridized around 10,000 years ago. The past 70 years of wheat breeding have essentially capitalized on the variation provided by wheat’s hybridization thousands of years ago.

Lately, wheat and products produced from wheat have become the center of attention as anti-nutritive or even pathogenic. These publications cherry-pick anecdotal reports that are modified to suit the author’s current theories, without testing.

There are a variety of tasty whole grains that pack dollops of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Unlike most nutrients, fiber is not absorbed into the body. Instead, it passes through the digestive tract performing a variety of functions. Fiber is also renowned for helping people to maintain a healthy weight, lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and reduce certain types of cancer.

When athletes are consuming refined grains, including other whole foods can help create enhanced energy levels.

In the late 1990’s the B-vitamin folic acid was added to staple grain products like white flour, crackers, white bread, energy bars, and white rice - to name a few; good folic acid intake in early pregnancy is proven to reduce birth defects called neural tube defects. Ironically, processed gluten-free grains are not enriched with B-vitamins and iron that refined staple grains contain.

Gluten has been part of the human food chain for thousands of years and is now being used in many vegetarian meat alternatives. It’s the “muscle of flour” and the cornerstone of baked goods and bread from the Far East to the west coast.

Wheat contributes more total protein to humans than any other food source, and the World Resource Institute awarded wheat the highest scorecard rating for the lowest carbon footprint per gram of protein, outscoring rice, soy, corn, nuts, and all meat sources.