From a discussion at Dr. Mercola’s site April 12, 2012
CEREALS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THEN SUGAR.
If you want to be healthy, eliminate cereals.
The global epidemiological pattern of varying prevalence of diseases of affluence such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes type 2, between agrarian and non-agrarian societies, suggests that some environmental factors specific to agrarian societies could initiate these diseases. There are many such candidates: environmental factors, and the clearest defining dietary difference between an agrarian and non-agrarian diet are cereals. Furthermore, there is evidence that leptins as a cereal constituent with sufficient properties to cause leptin resistance, either through effects on metabolism central to the proper functions of the leptin system, and/or directly through binding to human leptin or human leptin receptor, thereby affecting the function.
This hypothesis is also supported by the fact that absence of diseases of affluence is not only in HUNTER-GATHERER but also in non-agrarian HORTICULTURAL societies. Hunting and gathering is thought to represent the original mode of life common to all prehistoric humans during the Palaeolithic (i.e. the Old Stone Age 2.6 million-10, 000 years ago). In contrast, horticultural societies obtain the bulk of their food from gardening, which sometimes implies heavy dependence on a single starchy cultivar such as sweet potatoes or a root crop (e.g. manioc). One such traditional horticultural population are Trobriand and Kitavan islanders with a mortality from atherothrombotic circulatory diseases which apparently is close to zero, even though they have access to abundant sources of food and smoke heavily.
Dr. Wilson replies: Apr 11, 2012
Dear kolibakoliba: I agree that pre-agricultural eating is the healthiest way to go for most people. Some people seem to be less affected by grains and other agricultural foods based on their genetic makeup. In our current society I still believe that excessive fructose from sugar and HFCS is causing major health problems. In reality, it’s the combination of excessive fructose and high glycemic carbohydrates, especially from grains, that seems to be causing many of our current health problems.
Grains and legumes are definitely a problem for people with inflammatory and auto-immune disorders. For people that don’t want to go full Paleo for financial or other reasons, a good starting point is to eliminate sugar, HFCS and most grains–especially the high glycemic variety.