To Wheat or Not To Wheat...

 

I belong to a few fitness-related Facebook groups and there was a topic of conversation yesterday that kind of lit a fire under me.  The topic came up of whether wheat really is bad for you.  I had started to post a comment in regard to that and when I realized I was getting up on my soapbox in said comment, I deleted it and decided to blog about it instead.  In the almost 24 hours since, I have given it more thought so I can post a relatively rational/logical post. 

If you have read any health or nutrition-related articles or watched TV reports lately regarding wheat, there continues to be a debate over whether wheat (or gluten) is good for you.  This debate really gained momentum several years ago when more and more people were diagnosed with gluten allergy, sensitivity or intolerance.  That’s when we really started to see a push toward “gluten free."

Recently, though, there has been a lot of buzz in the fitness world that wheat really isn’t good for anyone.  The doctors, researchers, fitness professionals’ main argument is that the wheat we eat today is not in the same form that it was when our ancestors (read cavemen) were dependent upon it all those years ago.  According to William Davis, MD (the author of Wheat Belly), “over the years, wheat has been genetically modified in order for American farmers to produce a high-yield crop of dwarf-size plants that was never tested to see if it was healthy for human consumption.” Folks on this side of the fence also say that wheat has a higher glycemic index than table sugar. 

If you are not familiar with the glycemic index (GI), it is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels (blood sugar) rise after eating a particular type of food.  Essentially, it estimate how much each gram of available carbohydrate (minus fiber) raises a person’s blood glucose following the consumption of said food relative to pure glucose.  Glucose is the standard by which all foods are compared in the Index and has a glycemic index of 100.  So if a food has a glycemic index of 90, that food raises your blood sugar almost as much as pure glucose whereas a food with a GI of 20 has significantly lower impact on your blood sugar.

 

Why does the glycemic index matter?  Well, higher glycemic loads enter into the blood stream very quickly upon consumption and are available for use both during and after exercise when the body is trying to replenish the spent glucose quickly.  However, if your body is at rest and you consume higher glycemic loads, the body is not using that glucose as quickly and what isn't used is stored as fat.  So it’s important to eat foods low on the glycemic index when your body is at rest.  Additionally, foods with lower glycemic load also have higher fiber content which slows the glycemic response.  To determine the GI of your favorite food, click here Glycemic Index.

On the flip side of the wheat argument are those who state that wheat is only bad for people with celiac disease (aka gluten allergy or sensitivity).  This group of folks also says that wheat does not, in fact, have a higher glycemic index than sugar (see above link to GI) and that wheat provides a higher amount of fiber than any other food.  As we all know (or should know), fiber is needed in everyone’s diet to help with digestion and regulation.  Then there’s the argument that whole wheat is better for you because it’s not over processed and contain less calories than processed grains.  People who eat whole wheat or whole grains typically have less weight issues than those who don’t.  Additionally, a study out of Wake Forest University showed that “consuming an average of 2.5 servings of whole grains each day is associated with a 21% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to consuming only 0.2 servings.” However, it is important to note the words “whole grains”.  This means foods that indicate 100% whole grain on them; not 90% or 70% or any other percent.  Additionally, it is important here to note that most people who eat 100% whole grain foods are also fairly physically active and have healthy diets so is it fair to say that whole grains are good for you? 

Ultimately, my opinion (please remember that’s all it is: an opinion) is that it depends on the person.  I know people that are gluten-free because they feel better physically if they steer clear of wheat/gluten.  I also know people who include wheat/gluten in their diets and are more physically fit than a lot of people their age.  I will admit that I do try to avoid gluten in large quantities but I’m not one to turn down a sandwich!  The key to all of it is that ridding your diet of gluten alone without physical activity is not going to impact your weight all that much.  Sure you might see a pound or two lost (depending on if everything else you eat is healthy) but are you going to see dramatic weight loss?  Probably not.  Those people mentioned above that are gluten-free because they feel better are also VERY physically active and physically fit. 

It’s also important to note that while wheat does provide a significant number of vitamins and minerals and fiber, it is possible to get all the necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber through other foods such as fruits and vegetables and even meat. 

So ultimately, it’s up to you.  You can always eliminate wheat from your diet for a week or two and see if  you feel any different.  If you decide to do this, I recommend keeping a journal each day detailing how you feel.  After a week or two of no wheat (that means anything that has wheat in it as well not just bread!), add it back into your diet and continue to journal how you feel.  If you really notice a different without wheat in your diet, then maybe that is what’s best for your body.  At the end of the day, you are the only one that can determine what’s good for you and what’s not. 

BE BOLD! BE YOU!