1 'Well on Wheat?' Detailed Backgrounds of All Grains, Wheat Is

 

‘WellonWheat?’Detailedbackgrounds  Ofallgrains,wheatismostwidelycultivatedworldwide.Withover700 milliontonsannuallywheatisthirdamongallcerealsintotalglobalfood production,behindmaizeandrice.Thedemandforwheatforhuman consumptionisalsoincreasingglobally,includingincountries,whichare climaticallyunsuitedforwheatproduction,duetotheadoptionof western-stylediets.Wheatisrelativelyrichinmicronutrients,including mineralsandvitamins,andsuppliesupto20%oftheenergyintakeof theglobalpopulation(1).Nevertheless,anever-increasingdemandfor gluten-freeandwheat-freeproductshasdevelopedinrecentyears. Apparently,socialmediastatementsthatglutenandwheatcause overweightandhealthproblems,aswellthenewconsumer‘Freefrom’ trendplayƒmajorroleinthisdevelopment.  About95%ofthewheatthatisgrownandconsumedgloballyismodern breadwheat(Triticumaestivum),ƒrelativelynewspecies,havingarisen insoutheastTurkeyabout11.000yearsago(2).Cereal(includingwheat) proteinsthatmaycauseallergiesandintolerances(includingcoeliac disease)havebeenreviewedinthecontextofreducingtheincidenceof suchdiseases(22).Basedontherecentanalysisofalphaamylasetrypsin inhibitors(ATIs)genesithasbeensuggestedǡthatATIsincerealsmaybe loworevenabsentinancientEinkornwheat(19,20),comparedwith modernbreadwheat.IthasadditionallybeensuggestedthatATI’smaybe involvedintheetiologyofceliacdisease.However,celiacdiseaseaffects only1-2%ofthepopulationandwheatallergyisveryrare,affectingonly <0.2%ofthepopulation.  Accordingly,thequestionariseswhysomanyindividuals(>30%inthe USA,>15%inAustralia,increasingnumbersinotherregions)saytofeel morecomfortableonƒgluten-freeorwheatfreediet.Severalpopular nutritionaldietssuchasthePaleolithicdiet(6-9)anddietsmorerecently proposedbyDavis,in“WheatBelly”(10)andPerlmutterin“GrainBrain (21),havesuggestedthatwheatconsumptionhasadversehealtheffects leadingtonumerouschronicdiseases.Suchsuggestionsarebasedon differenthypothesesrelatingadversehealtheffectstowheatgluten, wheatlectinsandwheatproteindigestion-derivedopioidlikepeptides, includingimpactsoneatingbehavior.Withthis,theauthorsofthese booksfollowƒrecenttrendtorelatethecauseofWesternchronic diseasestoonespecifictypeoffoodorfoodcomponent,ratherthanto multi-factorialcausesincludingfoodoverconsumptionandinactive lifestyleingeneral(11,12).Inthiscontext,IrritableBowelSyndrome (IBS)isoftenassociatedwithwheatintake.IBSisƒprevalent(a10%of thegeneralpopulation)functionalGIdisorder,with70%ofIBSsubjects indicatingtheirsymptomstobefood-relatedwithwheatconsideredtobe themajorplayer.Theevidenceandpotentialunderlyingmechanism

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supportingƒclearwheatintoleranceishoweverlimited.Still,many patientslimittheirwheatintake.  Thewheatgraincontainsmanyhundredsofindividualproteins,which mayhavestructural,metabolic,protectiveorstoragefunctions(as reviewedbyShewryetal.,(3)).Theyincludetheglutenproteins,which arethemajorstoragecomponentsandmayaccountforupto80%ofthe totalgrainprotein(4).Higherintakesofwholegrainproducts,whichin theU.S.andEuropearemainlybasedonwheat,areassociatedwith reducedrisksoftypeʹdiabetes,cardiovasculardisease,sometypesof canceraswellasƒmorefavorableweightmanagement(5).Forthe generalpopulationwholegrainconsumptioningeneralshouldbe consideredashealthy,helpingtoreducechronicdiseaserisksignificantly (24).  Asreviewedrecently(13,14)harddataaboutadversehumanhealth effectsofwheatcomponentssuchasglutenandlectins(beyondcoeliac diseaseandwheatallergy;22),includingaspectsofweightmanagement andinsulinresistancearenotavailable.Ontheotherhand,thereare currentlynogroundstoadvisethegeneralpublictonotconsumethis commondietarystaple.Thisconclusionisfurthersupportedbythe outcomeofrecentworkinwhichitwasobservedthatindividualswho consumedrecommendedamountsof(whole)-wheathadtheleastamount ofabdominalfataccumulation(15).Incontrast,authorsofƒfewrecent scientificpublicationsinanimalsandhumansdoraisepotentialconcerns aboutwheatconsumption.Forexample,inonestudyinrats,excluding glutenfromthedietshowedƒfavorablyimpactonreducingfattissue increase(16).Theauthorsconcludedthatglutenexclusionmayhelpto reducebodyweightandcanbeƒnewdietaryapproach(inhumans)to preventthedevelopmentofobesityandrelatedsickness.Thelatter howeverisƒconclusion,which,lackinganysupportinghumandata, seemsratherpremature.  OtherworkaimedtostudytheeffectinhumansofKhorasanwheat (Kamut,ƒputativeancientgrainrelatedto“ancient”tetraploiddurum wheat),replacing“modernwheatinthediet”,oncardiovascularrisk parameters(17).Basedontheobtaineddataitwasconcludedthatƒ replacementdietwithancientwheatproductscouldbeeffectivein reducingdiseaserisks.Thepublicationgavenoinformationontherecipe oftheproductsandthewaytheywereprocessedbeforeconsumption, givingrisetomanyquestions.Inƒmorerecentstudythesameresearch group,(18)studiedtheeffectsofconsumingorganic,semi-whole-grain productsderivedfromTriticumturgidum-subsp.turanicum(ancient wheat),replacingƒmodernwheatbaseddiet,onirritablebowel syndrome(IBS)associatedsymptomsandinflammatory/biochemical responses.Theauthorsreportedƒsignificantimprovementof gastrointestinalsymptomsaftertheancientwheatinterventionperiod.In addition,ƒsignificantreductionwasobservedininflammationmarkers. Alsointhisstudynodatawerepresentedabouttheproductrecipesand

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theprocessingandfinalcompositionoftheproducts.Althoughthe authorsstatedthatancientwheatresultedinimprovements,itcannotbe excludedthatcompositionalchangesasƒresultoffoodprocessingmay haveplayedƒrole.Thelatterexamplesareexplicitlytakeninto considerationbyantiwheatandanti-breadproponentsinthesocial media.  Moreorlesssimultaneously,ithasbeensuggestedthatƒhighcontentof FODMaPs(fermentableoligo-,di-,monosaccharidesandpolyols)playsƒ roleinintestinalintolerance(23).HOWEVER,thesecarbohydrate compoundsarenotspecifictobreadwheat,andalsooccurinmanyother foods.Roughly6%ofthegeneralpopulationseemstobenefitfromƒ gluten-freeorwheat-free(readalso:low-FODMaP)diet,althoughthe degreeofthebenefit(aswellastheseverityoftheoriginalsymptoms)is notwelldescribed.Basedonthefindingslistedabove,thecerealsupply chainisbeingblamedtofeedtheworldwithsickmakingcerealproducts, muchbasedonflawedinterpretationsofresearchdataand/orstatements ofbloggingactivists.  ThusfarNOSOLIDCOMPARATIVEDATAareavailableonancientvs. moderngrainsandtheeffectsoftheirspecificprocessinge.g.inbread making,letaloneontheinfluenceofconsumptionongastrointestinaland generalwellbeing.Inthelightoftheinformationgivenabovewehave madeƒCALLforACTIONtoaddressrelatedquestionsandresearchgaps. Thiscallconcernstheentirecereals/grainssupplychain. 

 

Webelievethatstudiesaddressingtheeffectofwheat-basedfoods,“as consumedpartofƒtypicaldailyhumandiet”,istheonlywaytoobtain reliabledatathatareusefulforoptimizingappropriatefoodprocessingand productdevelopmentaswellasfordietaryrecommendations.Relatedtothe mattersaddressedinthesectionabove,weconsiderthatthereisAN

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URGENTNEEDtoperformCOMBINEDLINESOFRESEARCHaddressingthe followingprimeandsecondaryresearchquestions:

1. Studyanddefinethecompositionalchangesthattakeplaceduringthe processingstepsfromGrainkernelsÎflourÎdoughȀÎproductready forconsumption,aswellascompositionalchangesduringtheprocessing ofvitalwheatglutenandwhenrequiredeffectsofusingspecificproteases to“detoxifygluten” 2. Studyanddefinetheimpactoftheconsumptionofwheatfoodsoffully knowncompositiononmetabolism,gutintegrityandwellbeingin individualswithsensitivebowels(IBSpatients) 3. Studyanddefinetheimpactofpersonalconsumerbeliefsofwheat– glutenavoidanceontheperceptionofgastrointestinalsymptomsand wellbeing.  

References  1. CumminsAG,Roberts-ThomsonIC.Prevalenceofceliacdiseaseinthe Asia–Pacificregion.JournalofGastroenterologyandHepatology 2009;24(8):1347-51.doi:10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.05932.x. 2. FeldmanM,MilletE.Thecontributionofthediscoveryofwildemmerto anunderstandingofwheatevolutionanddomesticationandtowheat improvement.IsraelJournalofPlantSciences2001;49:25. 3. ShewryP.Wheat.Journalofexperimentalbotany2009;60(6):1537-53. 4. WrigleyC,BietzJ,PomeranzY.Proteinsandaminoacids.Wheat: chemistryandtechnologyVolume 1988(Ed.3):159-275. 5. YeEQ,ChackoSA,ChouEL,KugizakiM,LiuS.Greaterwhole-grainintake isassociatedwithlowerriskoftypeʹdiabetes,cardiovasculardisease, andweightgain.Journalofnutrition2012;142(7):1304-13. 6. CBS.Internet:http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162- 57505149/modern-wheat-a-perfect-chronic-poison-doctor-says/ (accessedDecember212012). 7. JönssonT,AhrénB,PaciniG,etal.Paleolithicdietconfershigherinsulin sensitivity,lowerC-reactiveproteinandlowerbloodpressurethanƒ cereal-baseddietindomesticpigs.NutritionƬMetabolsim2006;3(1):39. 8. JönssonT,OlssonS,AhrénB,Bøg-HansenTC,DoleA,LindebergS. Agrariandietanddiseasesofaffluence–Doevolutionarynoveldietary lectinscauseleptinresistance?BMCEndocrineDisorders2005;5(1):10. 9. RoseM.Internet:http://trulyglutenfree.co.uk/2011/08/10/gluten- depression-and-brainneuro-problems/(accessedNovember,112012). 10. DavisWR.WheatBelly:LosetheWheat,LosetheWeight,andFindYour PathBacktoHealth:RodaleBooks,2011. 11. KeithSW,ReddenDT,KatzmarzykP,etal.Putativecontributorstothe secularincreaseinobesity:exploringtheroadslesstraveled. Internationaljournalofobesity2006;30(11):1585-94. 12. GrundySM.Multifactorialcausationofobesity:implicationsfor prevention.TheAmericanjournalofclinicalnutrition1998;67(3):563S- 72S.

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13. BrounsFJPH,vanBuulVJ,ShewryPR.Doeswheatmakeusfatandsick? JournalofCerealScience(0).doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2013.06.002. 14. vanBuulVJ,BrounsFJPH.Dowheatlectinshaveadversehealtheffects? PlantfoodsforhumannutritionSubmitted. 15. MolenaarEA,MassaroJM,JacquesPF,etal.Associationoflifestylefactors withabdominalsubcutaneousandvisceraladipositytheframingham heartstudy.DiabetesCare2009;32(3):505-10. 16. SoaresFLP,deOliveiraMatosoR,TeixeiraLG,etal.Gluten-freediet reducesadiposity,inflammationandinsulinresistanceassociatedwith theinductionofPPAR-alphaandPPAR-gammaexpression.Journalof nutritionalbiochemistry2013;24(6):1105-11. 17. Sofi,Whittaker, Cesari,Gori,Fiorillo,Becatti, Marotti,  Dinelli,Casini,Abbate,  GensiniandBenedettelli. CharacterizationofKhorasanwheat(Kamut)andimpactofƒreplacement dietoncardiovascularriskfactors:cross-overdietaryintervention studyEuropeanJournalofClinicalNutrition67,190-195(February2013)ȁ doi:10.1038/ejcn.2012.206 18 SofiF,etal2014EffectofTriticumturgidumsubsp.turanicumwheaton irritablebowelsyndrome:ƒdouble-blindedrandomiseddietary interventiontrial.Br Nutr.2014Jun14;111(11):1992-9.doi: 10.1017/S000711451400018X.Epub2014Feb13. 19 DupontFM,VenselWH,TanakaCK,etal.Decipheringthecomplexitiesof thewheatflourproteomeusingquantitativetwo-dimensional electrophoresis,threeproteasesandtandemmassspectrometry. ProteomeSci.2011;9:10. 20 AltenbachSB,VenselWH,DupontFM.Thespectrumoflowmolecular weightalpha-amylase/proteaseinhibitorgenesexpressedintheUSbread wheatcultivarButte86.BMCRes.Notes2011;4:242. 21 Pearlmutter.GrainBrain,2014LittleBrownandCompanyNewYork, 2013 22 GilissenLJWJ,vanderMeerIM,SmuldersMJM.Reducingtheincidenceof allergyandintolerancetocereals.JournalofCerealSciences 2014;59(3):337-353 23 BiesiekierskiJR,RosellaO,RoseR,LielsK,BarrettJS,ShephardSJ,Gibson PR,MuirJG.Quantificationoffructans,galacto-oligosaccharidesandother short-chaincarbohydratesinprocessedgrainandcereals.Journalof HumanNutritionandDietics2011;24:154-176 24 Wuetal.,AssociationBetweenDietaryWholeGrainIntakeandRiskof MortalityTwoLargeProspectiveStudiesinUSMenandWomen.JAMA InternMed.2015;175(3):373-384. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6283. 

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