Grain has been a staple in our diet for centuries, from bread and pasta to rice and oats. Almost every American’s diet contains some form of grain. There’s even the hype of “whole-grain” in promoting health.
But does something staple mean that it’s still good for us? Or can we do better for our body?
The dark side of grains
- Most grains like brown rice, wheat, and bread contain a type of molecule called lectins.
- Lectins are known to be harmful as they bind to nutrients and prevents your body absorbing these nutrients, which makes the body more prone to leaky gut.
- Lectins also can bind to the digestive tract, thereby disrupting digestion and absorption of important nutrients. For example, a type of lectins contained in undercooked kidney beans can cause red blood cells to clump together.
- Paleo diets emphasize grain-free foods, as they believe that Paleo-lithic people from hundreds of years ago never ate grains until humans decided to domesticate by growing grain-heavy foods.
The light side of grains
- Not all grains are made equal. Pseudo-grains like quinoa is gluten-free and high in protein & fiber, which is crucial for good pooping.
- Again, not all grains are made equal. White rice is much healthier than brown rice because brown rice has an outer shell that has high lectin content.
What to choose?
One thing that’s clear is that foods that are high in lectin content will destroy our gut over time. We want a healthy microbiome of gut bacteria, one that is free from lectin-deterioration.
When choosing foods with grain, be mindful of which grains have more vs. less lectin content.
