HEALTHY FOOD · OCTOBER 2018
GRAIN BRAIN
For years we ’ ve been told to choose healthier food options , and for good reason . Studies have determined that many of the ingredients in our everyday foods aren ’ t good for us . Experts have long touted the benefits of removing white carbladen foods from our diets ( white breads , white rice , potatoes , and sweets ), but now a new book written by neurologist David Perlmutter , MD goes a step further by arguing that we should also reconsider grains altogether in favor of healthy fats .
In Grain Brain , Perlmutter states that , contrary to what we ’ ve been told for years , our bodies don ’ t require dietary carbohydrates to function properly . Conversely , consuming them may actually be harmful to us or , as he puts it , “ killing us .” His contention is that carbohydrates are “ the brain ’ s silent killers .”
After years in private practice in Florida and extensive research on the topic , hoping against hope that he ’ d find a way to help patients who suffered from cognitive impairment , his frustration mounted and spurred him to explore unconventional options for treatment . Those options led him to conclude that modern medicine focuses on the wrong aspect of diseases . Instead of focusing on the underlying causes of the conditions his patients suffered from , modern medicine focused on treating the symptoms .
In an attempt to find a solution for his patients ’ ailments , Dr . Perlmutter decided to try something radically different from anything he ’ d ever attempted before . He created a diet plan that was high fat , low protein , and nearly void of carbohydrates , and monitored to see if the radical new diet would slow down or prevent the onset of illness .
Early results indicated that he might have been on the right track . He recorded his findings and eventually decided it was time to share his findings and unique plan in a new book . Its main focus is on how the human body evolved and adapted to this new way of eating . What he discovered is that
“ THE BRAIN THRIVES ON A FAT-RICH , LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET .”
This diet , unfortunately , isn ’ t prevalent in the human population . He points to the number of people who suffer from celiac disease and the number of who have been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity . It ’ s been reported that up to 30 % of the population suffers from these conditions . It ’ s his belief that one hundred percent of humans suffer from a reaction to gluten because of a compound called zonulin , which is activated when it ’ s exposed to gluten , making the gut more permeable , causing any number of health issues that range from mild inflammation to debilitating digestive disorders to autoimmune problems to dementia .
Although Perlmutter ’ s theories continue to gain popularity , that doesn ’ t shield him from scrutiny . Many experts have publicly disagreed with him and his idea of what constitutes a healthy diet . One notable detractor is Cynthia Harriman , Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies for the Whole Grains Council . She says that the number of people with a known gluten intolerance is closer to 7 to 10 percent of the population and even they can enjoy safe and healthy non-gluten alternatives like amaranth , buckwheat , corn , and oats , provided they ’ ve been certified gluten-free .
By Ava Mallory
34 HEALTHY MAGAZINE