Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains May Be Hazardous To Your Health Paperback – August 26, 2002

This is a book worth your time and health. I found it illuminated my understanding just how grains, whole and other,aren't the wonder food we've been sold. Rather just the opposite. I've also come to conclude the "health epidemic" has beeninduced by our food industry with its numerous ingredients, modified and processed, that our bodies are rejecting. Like most living thingsthe effects of consumption play out over time, often with damaging results. After eating "healthy" whole grains forthe past several years I came to realize I didn't feel as good as all the medical experts and nutritionists claimed one would.Curious as to why I eliminated gluten/wheat products from my diet and could feel the difference within days. I use to think the"full feeling" felt the same for everybody. It doesn't. Mine was like a brick weight in my gut after eating a pasta dinner, orpizza, followed quickly by a bloating abdomen. Now I know being full after a meal shouldn't be painfully uncomfortable.Or that breakfast grain cereal's plus whole grain breads for lunch, and more whole grains for dinner shouldn't send yourunning to the bathroom after each meal.Now when I make my gluten free pizza's orpasta dishes I no longer have the weighted sensation. I'm just satisfied, not compromised. After reading this book I too believethere are a high % of the population undiagnosed that have a gluten sensitivity without being Celiac. Get this book and Help yourselfunderstand why gluten may be causing so many of your health symptoms and illness. The information that enlightened meof why wheat/gluten is causing so much trouble is the discussion of the transition from our hunter/gathereridentities to that of agriculture of grains. The evolution of grain cultivation from "the east-west spread of cereal farmingfrom the MIddle East to Southern Europe occurred quickly, requiring little or no genetic changes to the grains..." The climateproved ideal with the day length,climate, etc.. But once the cultivation moved toward the northern latitudes of Europegenetically modified grains took shape. This was further continued when agriculture moved to Cananda and North America'scold climate, and short growing season. The protein in the Wheat grains had to be super powered to produce theneeded yield. So a protein that was already in its natural state hard for our digestive system became evenmore taxing. Canada has world recognition for producing the "hard wheat berry" a real performer and suppliedto major food manufacturers. I encourage you to read this book, it guides one through the appropriate medicaltests for diagnosis, resources, and offers a layman's text of the dangers of grains to our health.

I loved reading this book, but it was AFTER I had kicked wheat/barley/rye out of my diet. I have referred others to it, and especially the long list of suspected chronic ailments detailed at the back of the book.Several extra points to consider:1): Not a great book to take in to a standard medical doctor. Integrative or functional medicine doctors are the ones in the states who work with these ailments, as they often require Sherlock Holmes-type sleuthing to find the best answers, each of us differ. Need way more than 10 minutes and a prescription.2): There is a fair amount of overlap between celiac types (small number of people have this condition) and the much larger (est as high as 90 million Americans?) group with non-celiac type gluten sensitivity. Had I not read about the non-celiac condition first elsewhere, I would not have clearly pulled out those differences from this book.3): Discussion is seriously lacking what to do if you happened to figure this out after the age of say, 35? If one has a lifetime of depleted nutrient absorption, turn-around time can be much longer than that of the younger set. With a close relationship between lack of nutrients being absorbed from foods, including most vitamins and minerals...so when is the last time you found a standard medicine doctor handing out vitamin and mineral prescriptions? 25 years ago or earlier?4): Some comments appear tangential: Consider the China Study is no longer valid (if it ever was), as western fast food has invaded China in force. Veganism may be no more than a fad, it is helpful for a few years, and most people revert back to some other eating style. US-raised cattle is a mess of antibiotics and drugs used to fatten, these are getting into our bodies, so seek grass-fed options. And we need to watch out for fish containing high loads of mercury. Eating properly can be a challenge with these pitfalls, add the gluten-free requirement and anyone may go in circles for a time.5) The best part is few to no Americans are obtaining enough trace and essential minerals from foods grown in depleted soils since the 1930's (this is not a typo). Therefore, special attention to mineralization is needed in US than may be required in Australia. This is why it is suggested to work with a Naturopath or an integrative doctor.Well worthwhile, this is a life-enhancing challenge for many people, just not as simple...

I read this book because my Dr recommended I read it. I was resistant because "gluten-free" is such a "cure de Jour", but I did read it. I did not find much of myself in it, but I did clearly see how some of the people around me, family and friends, might benefit from trying a gluten-free diet. I did come away feeling that Dr. Braly was a bit strident. According to him none of us should be eating any wheat at all. I, personally, just can't deal with that. BUT what I found most interesting is how wheat has changed since the end of the Second World War and clearly we are NOT eating the same wheat our grandparents ate. In fact, I'd guess that little of the food we eat is the same food our grandparents ate. In this age of genetically modified food, Dr. Braly's exploration of what today's wheat (specifically the concentrated protein in the wheat gluten) might be doing to our bodies does bear reading. On some levels this is a cautionary tale. Even if you don't change the way you eat, you might do well to read this book and give some pause to think, really think, about your food.