What?! I thought whole grains were good for me!

My mother-in-law introduced me to the wonder that is homemade bread.  Then, I started doing some research into why my health was not so good.  What I discovered was that baker's yeast is a rather new invention (1868, but not wildly popular until after WWII) and not the tried and true, safe ingredient we've been led to believe.  I mean after all the Better Homes and Garden cookbook and Betty Crocker use baker's yeast to make healthy homemade bread so it can't be bad right?!  Actually, if you can find a cookbook older than probably 100 years they would all contain sourdough recipes, not yeasted bread recipes.  I would love to get my hands on some of those recipes!  

Anti-nutrients in Whole Grains:

Phytic acid is found in whole grains that have not been soured, soaked (I'll explain this at a later date) or sprouted.  The article "Be Kind to Your Grains" which comes from the book Nourishing Traditons by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, explains the following about whole grains:  "untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption.  This is why a diet high in improperly prepared whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss."  

Gluten.  We've all probably heard about gluten allergies and celiac disease by now.  But, did you know that people who do not have serious gluten allergies probably could eat properly prepared bread?  Sourdough helps break down the gluten and makes digestion easier.  In fact, the rising rate of gluten allergies is being linked to the improper preparation of grains.  

Enzyme inhibitors also exist in whole grains that hamper the effectiveness of the pancreas. These exist because the part of the grain that we eat is the seed and seeds have enzyme inhibitors so that they can function properly (ie. not sprout until the conditions are ripe to grow).   These enzyme inhibitors put undo stress on our digestive tract making us more susceptible to infection later.  

Other benefits to sourdough:

Besides avoiding all of the anti-nutriets, sourdough actually increases the vitamin content of the bread.  Digestion of bread will be easier on the body and allergies are less likely to develop.  These are all wonderful things if you have a little one, like I do, who has a deep love for bread.  

For further research:

"Be kind to your grains"

"A Healing Protocol for Celiac Disease"

Scroll down to the middle of the page and read the findings on Sourdough bread.

"Wheaty Indiscretions"  

This article gives a lot of practical advice on what kind of flour to buy and if you don't make your own bread what kind of breads are acceptable to buy.

I'd love to hear your opinions on this matter.  When I first found out about this information it blew my mind, but made a lot of sense.  I hope everyone is enjoying their week.