| Gluten allergy sufferers may have an advantage | | | | few hours) than the farmers that succeeded |
| over the rest of the population. | | | | them (pretty much all daylight hours). |
| By following a gluten-free diet, those with a gluten | | | | Most people with a gluten allergy or celiac disease |
| allergy or celiac are reducing the intake of grains | | | | switch to alternative grains. This makes live easier, |
| that may in fact be harmful to the general | | | | but not necessarily better. Still, it looks as if wheat |
| population. | | | | may be the worst of the lot. |
| According to the book The Gluten Connection the | | | | Corn is not necessarily all that much better. There |
| shift in diet when our ancestors switched from | | | | is a relatively high incidence of corn allergies, and it |
| hunter-gatherer to farmer did not have a positive | | | | is certainly responsible for its fair share of obesity |
| effect on our health, even as it boosted the | | | | and diabetes. |
| population. | | | | So what is the answer to this dietary problem? |
| In a 2004 paper by O'Keef and Cordain, the | | | | Completely avoiding grains is difficult and probably |
| effects of a grain-based diet on the population | | | | not practical, but you can do a lot to reduce your |
| include: | | | | grain intake. |
| * Reduced stature | | | | Try replacing at least some of your grain intake |
| * Increased cases of osteoporosis, rickets and | | | | with an increased consumption of vegetables |
| other diseases caused by vitamin and mineral | | | | (especially fresh vegetables) and protein. |
| deficiencies. | | | | Depending on your blood type, meat and fish may |
| * Increased childhood mortality | | | | be the most appropriate source of protein. For |
| * More cases of obesity and diabetes | | | | others, vegetarian-based protein such as beans |
| * Shorter life spans | | | | and pulses are preferable. |
| That should really give you something to think | | | | Maintaining a constant source of fresh fruit in your |
| about. Our modern life is not nearly as healthy as | | | | diet is also important. |
| we might think. | | | | When you do consume grain products, avoid |
| It is also interesting to note that hunter-gatherers | | | | processed foods completely. Whole grains are |
| spent far less time feeding themselves per day (a | | | | better than processed grains such as flour. |