Standing Firm on the Word of God: The Word of Wisdom

“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.” (2 Nephi 12:39)

Currently, there is heated debate over what constitutes a healthy diet. God has given us counsel to guide us in the midst of this confusion: Doctrine and Covenants, Section 86—the Word of Wisdom. One clear principle of the Word of Wisdom is that grain is to be the staff of life. It is good food for man, particularly wheat. However, a growing number of passionate voices claim that recent research proves eating grain, particularly wheat, is unhealthy! When the voice of science contradicts the Word of God, we have to choose which one we are going to believe. Are we going to trust man or God?

The anti-grain movement is spreading like wildfire. A few minutes using Google or a visit to Barnes and Noble will convince you of its width and depth. Fasten your seatbelts, because I am going to give you a blast of the passionate anti-grain crusade. Many books have hit the market in the past few years promoting the total elimination of grain from our diets. One is No-Grain Diet by Dr. Joseph Mercola, who states: “. . . avoiding grains is typically wise for over 75 percent of the U.S. population.” Another is Dangerous Grains by Braly and Hoggan: “The implication is that the heavily wheat-based western diet—bread, cereals, pastries, pasta—is actually making millions of people ill.” Or how about The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf, who claims that our bodies never evolved to be able to digest grain, especially wheat.

Many who insist that all grain is harmful for us are basing their claims on the body’s blood sugar response to refined grain products. And make no mistake, REFINED grain products are HARMFUL to your body and need to be eliminated from your diet! They are absorbed at almost the same rate as straight table sugar! There is no doubt that when God said grain is the staff of life, He meant WHOLE grain. Refined grain products are so far removed from what God originally created, I don’t think they should even be labeled “grain.” It is like removing the wheel from your car and then claiming that the wheel is an automobile.

Let’s look at what refined grain products do to our bodies. Our cells rely on insulin which, like a delivery truck, carries glucose (the sugar derived from the carbohydrates you eat) to our cells to be used for energy. Simple and refined carbohydrates—such as white potatoes, white bread, pasta and white rice—contain few nutrients and are low in fiber. These carbohydrates are rapidly converted into sugar, dramatically increasing the amount of glucose in your blood. Insulin cannot “pick up” all the sugar and deliver it to the cells fast enough. This causes blood-sugar levels to spike and to stay high for an abnormally long time.

If this high blood-sugar continues, your cells may become unable to respond to the insulin effectively. This is called insulin-resistance, because the cells no longer respond to insulin’s hormonal signals, thus hindering the delivery of the raw materials (glucose) your cells need to produce energy. The end result is often diabetes. Refined carbohydrates also contribute to obesity. Eating refined carbohydrates creates more glucose than your body can handle, and the excess glucose is stored as fat.

However, our bodies respond to complex carbohydrates (whole grain and legumes) in a totally different way. The high fiber content of whole grain slows the digestive process and result in a slow release of sugar into blood which allows our bodies to process and use it properly.

So, refined grain products (which constitute the overwhelming majority of our nation’s grain consumption) are dangerous to our health. But how can anyone claim that even WHOLE GRAINS are harmful and should be eliminated from our diets? Supposedly, research is discovering that grain, especially wheat, contains what have been labeled “anti-nutrients.” The main “anti-nutrients” targeted for criticism are phytates, lectins, and gluten.

Weston A. Price Foundation claims in the article “Be Kind to Your Grains”: “Phytic acid, for example, is an organic acid in which phosphorus is bound. It is mostly found in the bran or outer hull of seeds. 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. Other anti-nutrients in whole grains include enzyme inhibitors which can inhibit digestion and put stress on the pancreas; irritating tannins; complex sugars which the body cannot break down; and gluten and related hard-to-digest proteins which may cause allergies, digestive disorders and even mental illness.” How’s that for scare-tactics? Weston A. Price and his followers insist that grain must be soaked 12-24 hours in an acidic liquid to neutralize the phytates and other anti-nutrients before they are fit for human consumption.

It is easy to be swayed by such dramatic information which seems to be supported by scientific research, but when we walk by faith, we don’t require scientific evidence. We believe God’s Word, because He is God. And what does God say? “All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man, but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth . . . All grain is good for the food of man . . . Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls, and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals and for mild drinks and also other grain.” (D&C 86:2c, 3a-b, emphasis added)

What about the argument that wheat today is not the same food as it used to be? Even though genetically modified wheat has not been introduced into our food supply yet, hybridization has changed the composition of much of the wheat we consume. God knew wheat would be hybridized. He saw the “evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days,” yet He still said “wheat for man.”

We see the consequences of these evils and designs all around us: genetically modified foods, chemical ingredients in our foods, and the widespread contamination of our food and water supply. It seems that our bodies are assaulted with toxins on all sides. What are we to do? God knew what was coming. He told us: “Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you, In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation.” (Doctrine and Covenatns 86: 1a)

Instead of living in fear, we need to listen to God and implement His direction in our lives. I believe that God has made a way for us to be protected from the toxins of our modern world through obedience to the Word of Wisdom. For example, the very “anti-nutrient” which wheat’s foes are proclaiming dangerous, may instead be the very nutrient which God has provided to protect us in these last days. Phytic acid (called phytate when in salt form), which is found in the outer bran of grain— especially wheat—has a strong chelating ability to bind with minerals. Instead of a detriment, this may be its most powerful health benefit. Sara Shannon in her book, Diet for the Atomic Age, lists phytate as a nutrient which protects against heavy metal toxicity and radiation damage. Phytates bind with radioactive and toxic substances and carry them out of the body. After extensive research, Shannon found that as our environment becomes more toxic, grain is our best source of protection, particularly due to the phytate content. She believes that “for optimal health, at least half of every meal should be grains.”

Phytic acid is also an antioxidant (like vitamin C). Some research suggests that phytate has the ability to lower blood glucose, reduce cholesterol and triacylglycerols, and reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease, and it may play a part in reducing colon cancer through its absorption of iron and other minerals that cancer cells need for growth. In fact, because of its anti-tumor, anti-carcinogenic, and blood sugar regulating properties, supplement companies are actually isolating and selling this powerful antioxidant! (Remember, phytic acid is found in the outer bran of grain and is NOT abundant in refined grain products.) How many other unknown benefits are yet to be discovered in the nutrients of grain, particularly wheat?

The Word of Wisdom is not a commandment, but we are fooling ourselves if we think that it doesn’t matter if we obey it. God has said, “for, behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things, for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:6c) You can be sure there will be consequences to our health if we ignore God’s wisdom.

God has promised, “And all Saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow to their bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint; and I, the Lord, give unto them a promise that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.” (Doctrine and Covenants 86:3c-d)

It’s time to get serious about implementing the Word of Wisdom into our lives. Start by decreasing your consumption of refined grain products and adding more whole grain to your diet. Read the Word of Wisdom. Pray and meditate over its message, and God will lead you in the pathway of obedience to His Word.