Are refined foods really bad for you? And if so, why do we eat so much of them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Refined foods are almost empty of nutritional value without fortification and lead to massive influxes of glucose and fructose in the body. And even though their damaging effects are pretty much common knowledge these days, we still eat them in abundance. Why? Part of the answer can be found in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read about the rise of refined foods and how they function in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The advent of refined foods is one of the most fundamental changes in the history of food and one of the most damaging to the human body. Refined grains, rice, and sugar have many benefits, but none of them involve health. So why do we eat so much of them? The answer lies in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the Industrial Revolution<\/a>, grains were stone ground in small batches<\/a> by mills run on water power. The flour was yellowish and pungent. The grinders could remove the bran from wheat but not the germ. When the germ was crushed, it released an oil, which created the color and smell. The oil also oxidized quickly, making the shelf life of the flour short. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When steel, iron, and porcelain rollers were invented, they were able to remove the germ and grind the rest into a fine white powder. This flour was more appealing and had a long shelf life without the oil. Because the rollers could be operated by steam engines, manufacturers could now grind flour year round and ship it distances without it spoiling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is that the germ in wheat holds most of the nutritional value, including B vitamins, protein, carotenes, and omega-3 fatty acids. Without the germ, refined flour is basically nutrient-free. The flour breaks down into glucose, which overwhelms the body\u2019s insulin processes without the mitigating nutrients. During this time, corn and rice were undergoing their own processes to strip the nutrients and make them more sustainable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n