Whole Wheat Hoax

The value of traditional diet for preventative healthcare.

Did you know that physiological differences between men and women arise from ploughing?!

Ploughing is more strenuous and labour intensive than hunting and since males would partake in these farming activities in early human civilizations, it maintained their bone density while female bone density decreased due to reduced participation in strenuous activities.

A key cultivation venture was the cultivation of wheat. This is an essential part of diet for humans cross culturally. Farming, though of critical benefit for human societies and economies, is no easy feat! It takes an incredible amount of labour, patience, and perseverance to not only grow crop but then prepare it for consumption. Processing wheat into flour requires extra tools, resources, and labour.

Every culture has developed their own methods of food preparation. Though I found it very interesting that universally, more refined flour, white flour, has always been the most popular. In South Asia, maida is the traditional flour for making any kind of flat bread. In Somalia, bur is the flour used for making injera. These are more refined flours. Even in Europe, pumpernickel bread, which is made with whole grains was considered the peasant food and not considered nutritious for the upper class.

Learning how whole grains has never really been eaten or positively perceived by cultures for many generations, made me consider, what even are the benefits of whole grains?

In my nutrition class, whole grains are perceived to be the holy grail grain of health. Numerous studies show the correlation between eating whole grains and decreased risk of disease. But the people who eat whole grains also tend to exercise and are more health conscious overall. These additional healthy lifestyle factors could contribute more strongly to positive health outcomes as opposed to whole grains themselves. Whereas people who didn't eat whole grains, ate fast food, processed foods, and didn't have any healthy lifestyle habits.

The main biochemical advantage in whole grains is the increased amount of fibre. This aids in digestion and sustaining the gut microbiome which supports overall health. But there many other plant sources of fibre other than wheats. So why is it critically essential to derive fibre from this source?

"Nutritionism is the ideology, not science, that the way to understand food is through its constituents. This reductionist view has severe limitations. Western science is ideally suited to examine one variable at a time - so it does. However, food, diet and culture are extremely complicated processes that can't possibly be isolated into single variables to be studied."

Known metabolic pathways in biochemistry and molecular biology.

I think it's naïve to say that we know everything there is to know about whole grains and its interactions with all the pathways involved in metabolism considering the pathways are so complex and interrelated. The possibility that there could be some downsides to whole grains is very much possible. By deductive reasoning, there must me a valid reason for which the practice of eating refined grain has been so sustained across time and cultures.

That being said, refined grain is not the same as ultra-processed foods. Any food that has been shifted from its raw form such as creating flour from wheat grains is called processed, but ultra-processed foods are formed using some raw materials with added synthetic chemical compounds and have severe implications for health. Eating a baguette sandwich with real meat and veggies is not the same as eating a McDonalds burger.

Food and health is complicated and we cannot scientifically curate an objectively healthy, universally applicable dietary plan. Health is subjective to your age, sex, ethnicity, genetics, and socioeconomic status. My main take away from my health and biology related courses over the course of my degree, was that there is no such thing as perfect health. Ultimately our bodies are designed to die and no one amount of preventative care can prevent that. No amount of healthy eating and life style habits can prevent illness of a late onset genetic diseases, communicable diseases, or accident relate health deteriorations. The point of taking care of our health is because it’s an amanah from Allah and an expression of gratitude for the bodies we've been given. Ultimately, the outcomes of good health lie only with Ash-Shaafi, the healer.

The best way to support our health is to follow guidelines outlines by the Quran and sunnah.

Eat a variation of balanced diet to acquire the varied nutrients from different plants and animals. They also contain innumerous benefits for health.

"And there is certainly a lesson for you in cattle: We give you to drink of what is in their bellies, from between digested food and blood: pure milk, pleasant to drink." (Quran, 16:66)

"and feed from ˹the flower of˺ any fruit ˹you please˺ and follow the ways your Lord has made easy for you.” From their bellies comes forth liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. Surely in this is a sign for those who reflect." (Quran, 16:69)

Eat in moderation to prevent diseases from overeating.

‘Eat and drink but avoid excess’ (Quran, 20:81). 

Eating is more than food, but also the environment. Research suggests the benefits of communal eating for physical and mental health.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: ‘Eat together and do not separate, for the blessing is in the company.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah 3287)

Eating during the day time and not through the night. Research suggests late night eating is associated with obesity due to hormonal fluctuations between the day and night.

 "made your sleep for rest. And made the night as a cover. And made the day for livelihood" (Quran, 78: 9-11)

Overall, traditional ways of eating and food preparation contain more holistic benefits for our health and are a valuable source for healthy eating. Health is multifaceted and cannot be reduced to a fit-for-all perfect diet guide. And ultimately, we're meant to die and the purpose of maintaining health is to improve our own quality of life.

I’d love to know, what’s your favourite baked good? Mine is toast!