Are there any HEALTHY breakfast cereals?
Simple answer: No.
Let’s consider the most common ingredients in breakfast cereals: wheat flour, corn, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar. In effect, they therefore contain sugar, sugar, sugar, and sugar. That ain’t good. It explains why the glycemic index of breakfast cereals are all exceptionally high, usually 70 and above. (Sucrose is 59-65, depending on which study you look at.)
How about those coarser cereals with whole grains like oats, millet, buckwheat, etc., such as muesli? Same issues. Followers of the Wheat Belly conversation understand that whole grains are wrongly called “low” glycemic index; they should really be called “less-high” glycemic index. If, for instance, a bowl of sugary cornflakes raises blood sugar from 90 mg/dl to 190 mg/dl, but a bowl of muesli raises blood sugar to 170 mg/dl–it’s not low, just less high. This is true even if there is no added sugar.
The wheat component of cereals, of course, carries all the excess baggage unique to this grain, including appetite stimulation by the gliadin protein via binding to the brain’s opiate receptors, direct small bowel destruction by wheat germ agglutinin, abnormal bowel permeability from gliadin that initiates autoimmune diseases, and unique allergens such as alpha amylase inhibitors and omega-gliadins.
Breakfast cereals are big business. They have come to dominate breakfast (and snacking) habits. They dominate entire supermarket aisles, floor to ceiling, and generate some $11 billion in annual sales. Incredibly, the industry has even managed to persuade the public that breakfast cereals are an essential part of breakfast every day for good nutrition and weight management. They have also co-opted the science demonstrating that fibers from vegetables, fruit, legumes, and nuts can somehow be replaced by the inert bulk of cellulose through bran cereals for bowel health.
Breakfast cereals by definition, in all their various shapes, varieties, flavors, colors, and marketing angles, are all grains with optional sugar. It should therefore come as no surprise that there is no such thing as a healthy breakfast cereal. After all, the whole notion of breakfast cereal originated with William and John Kellogg who, in the late 19th century, operated a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, where you would stay for a month or two and receive four enemas per day, along with three meals of gruel to “cure” your lumbago, rheumatism, or cancer. One day, while preparing gruel, William was called away, only to return hours later to find his gruel on the table, dry. Being frugal, he wondered if there was a way to salvage it; putting it through a roller, a light bulb of inspiration went off: thus was flaked cereal invented. So the notion of breakfast cereal started with two men who believed that four enemas a day cured cancer.
For anyone missing the crunchiness of a breakfast “cereal” without the health issues, see the Coconut Almond “Granola” recipe here in this blog, the Grainless Granola recipe in the Wheat Belly Cookbook, or the grain-free Classic Granola and Slow Toasted Flakes from Wheat-Free Market. No grains here!
If nothing else this post proves that some of the “best” inventions happen by accident.
I eat a “Dr. Davis” version of breakfast cereal. Organic flaxseed meal with unsweetened almond milk, a few chopped walnuts and a couple of frozen strawberries, plus a bit of pure organic stevia powder to sweeten it.
I heat it up slowly on the stove and it tastes great.
It’s all wheat-free and with less than 5 net grams of carbs, it won’t raise blood sugar like most conventional cereals do.
Here is the irony for me. Being a firm believer in Gerson Therapy, I think the Kellogg’s were keen to have the enema protocol for healing. This is one of Max Gerson’s therapies. However, they royally screwed up any hopes of a lasting healing practice by introducing cereal to the mix. Mocking the “4 enemas a day to cure cancer” is not helpful, perhaps hurtful, to acquiring sound health. We can agree on the cereal though.
Patricia wrote: «Being a firm believer in Gerson Therapy,…»
Any particular reason why?
Let me preface my further remarks by noting that Wheat Belly does not advocate any particular cancer theory or therapy, but all aspects of the program have been selected to lower credibly known cancer risks.
I have a passing interest in cancer theory and therapies, and what I was able to learn about Gerson didn’t motivate me to add it to the list of things I would consider if I had a diagnosis.
The underlying cancer theory in Gerson strikes me as weak and vague. His original clinical data is problematic. The excess juicing is a going to be high glycemic and exacerbate Warburg Effect, and being vegetarian is going to raise all the micronutrient deficiencies of such diets (of which only B12 seems to get any attention). The alkaline pH bias is interesting, and might be a factor in any containment or remission actually achieved.
«…I think the Kellogg’s were keen to have the enema protocol for healing.»
Was it the same enema protocol?
«Mocking the “4 enemas a day to cure cancer” is not helpful, perhaps hurtful, to acquiring sound health.»
What is it conjectured that the enemas do, that the Wheat Belly focus on an optimized microbiome does not do?
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
Dr. Davis,
As a new grandmother to a infant granddaughter what would you recommend feeding her to replace the typical infant rice/oatmeal cereal? Do you recommend a Wheat Belly life style for infants and children?
Thank you,
Bev
Bev Scott wrote: «…what would you recommend feeding her to replace the typical infant rice/oatmeal cereal?»
Human breast milk, for at least the first 6 months, unless unavailable for medical reasons. The mother would be on the WB diet.
«Do you recommend a Wheat Belly life style for infants and children?»
Those are two separate questions, really, and some anthropological research might be useful here.
For infants, I’ve not seen any discussion of the topic in WB publications. I suspect that ancestrally infants were on breast milk for a lot longer than is currently trendy, and that when weaned, they transitioned to whatever elements of the adult diet they could manage. There were of course no cardboard tubes loaded with linoleic acid, sugars and bewildering chemicals (sold today as “infant formula”).
For older children, I don’t know that Wheat Belly has a published posture on this topic, nor does it have any cautions. There’s no reason to suppose that the WB dietary recommendations pose any risk to children, and they are infinitely safer than what passes for kid’s food in the modern market.
If I were a parent, I might look to biasing the macro- and micronutrient balance of the weaning diet more towards that of breast milk, particularly if weaning early. Matching the fatty acid profile might be crucial, as would NOT replacing the lactose with random other simple sugars (including bovine lactose).
Standard commercial childhood fare is a disaster, and can easily be beat. Something is causing the explosion in childhood T1D, T2D, ASD, obesity and other metabolic and neurologic derangements, and they are gaining on us. It’s not the kids that have changed.
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
Bev Scott wrote: «…the typical infant rice/oatmeal cereal?»
Parents really need to rethink feeding rice to children, due to the arsenic problem. An on-going study just released a paper on this:
JAMA Ped.: Association of Rice and Rice-Product Consumption With Arsenic Exposure Early in Life
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2514074
There is as yet no FDA standard for As contamination in rice. If someone insists on eating it, about the most you can do is look for a grower claim of low/no-As (and some provide that, as the problem is specific to local geology and farm soil history).
The wheat germ agglutinin in rice (an adverse lectin), will always be present, and of course only portion size can moderate the fact that it’s a high glycemic carb.
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
Here it is Mother’s Day & I want to apologize to my daughter for feeding her rice, cereals, jarred fruit, veggies, and ground meats with stuff (sugar? wheat?) added, and so forth. I knew a bit more when my son was born & didn’t feed him “bad” foods until he was older. Still thought there was such a thing as hearthealthywholegrains. :(
My son has fewer health problems than my daughter. Real food is suitable for babies over 6 months (IMO, 8 months is better) and young children.
This pretty much proves the extent of carbohydrate’s damage potential……
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3563033/First-drug-stop-Alzheimer-s-tracks-available-five-years-medical-breakthrough-medication-normally-used-treat-diabetes.html
————————————————————————————————-
First drug that can stop Alzheimer’s in its tracks ‘could be available within five years’ after medical breakthrough with medication normally used to treat diabetes
A new breakthrough study shows a drug can stop the progression of Alazheimer’s disease – and it could be available within five years.
Tests have shown that a cheap drug commonly used to treat diabetes called Liraglutide stopped the brain disease from advancing and in some cases even gave sufferers a cognitive boost.
No study has ever before shows such dramatic results…..
‘We are eagerly waiting the results of larger studies but this would suggest we are on the right track.’
The drug is commonly used to treat diabetes and scientists recognise a link between type 2 of the disease and Alzheimer’s, as the brain being unable to utilise sugar is a symptom of dementia.
A 26-week test on 38 patients resulted in ‘proof in principle’ that the drug halted the progression of the disease, with patients [maintaining] their brain metabolism.
Experts say the drug could hold the key to what causes the disease and help them find a cure…..
————————————————————————————————-
Uncle Roscoe wrote: «First drug that can stop Alzheimer’s in its tracks ‘could be available within five years’ after medical breakthrough with medication normally used to treat diabetes»
There’s nothing on the Aarthus University site so far.
If it works (any better than the more obvious forms of BG correction) it would be expected to see wide use in the US long before 5 years, as an off-label indication of an already-approved drug. Off-label rules may be different in the UK, where, by the way, a similar trial is underway at the Imperial College in London.
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
While following the 10 Day grain detox, I noticed my blood glucose was higher, is this supposed to happen initially?
Diane wrote: «While following the 10 Day grain detox, I noticed my blood glucose was higher,…»
Fasting or postprandial, and by how much?
«…is this supposed to happen initially?»
If you are losing weight, yes, it’s expected.
See: https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/06/i-lost-weight-and-my-cholesterol-went-up/
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
You had me in the very first sentence. I grew up eating Count Chocula and Cap’n Crunch. Kids would come to my house just to graze on our cereal. I thought I had cool parents….but I could never figure out why I felt dizzy and exhausted by 10:45 a.m. every day.
As an adult I was programmed to eat the cereal with 2 scoops of raisins in every box. Weight gain, weight gain. Now I’m nearly 50 and in better shape than at 25 in part thanks to a breakfast of 3 eggs sunny side up with 4 cups of sauted spinach and an avocado.
Thanks Dr. Davis for everything you do for the health of the world!
David
I have been using organic catsup lately with all the ingredients saying
they are organic, including sugar. Should I discontinue using this product? Also was frying my eggs in lard from Walmart. Didnt say if it was hydrogenated or not. Should I be using this? Thanks in advance!
Greg wrote: «I have been using organic catsup lately with all the ingredients saying they are organic, including sugar. Should I discontinue using this product?»
Organic sugar is still sugar. Think of it like organic tobacco. Tomatoes contain an unavoidable amount of sugar, so most tomato products, such as ketchup, cannot claim “sugar-free”. The goal then is to avoid any added sugar, or adverse artificial sweeteners.
My family uses:
http://www.natureshollow.com/ecommerce/category/2:4/Sugar-Free-Ketchup
It’s still 4 grams net carb per 20 gram serving, so mind the portion size. Also, it can be much cheaper to buy directly from the NH site than on Amazon. If Natural Grocers carries it, that might be your best deal.
«Also was frying my eggs in lard from Walmart. Didnt say if it was hydrogenated or not.»
Then it’s probably not hydrogenated. Just looking at the WM pages for lards, those that are hydrogenated appear to say so (Armour, La Preferrida). Field brand does not, but has BHA and BHT.
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
Are there going to be anymore blog posts?
DH keeps asking me if I saw the WB this or that(on FB….of which I am NOT a member). It makes me feel sad and old to be left out, but I have no desire to get caught up in the FB mayhem.
Thanks, Dr. Davis, for all you do….and Bob for helping keep us informed!
Greentree wrote: «Are there going to be anymore blog posts?»
I have no specific insight on that, but the rate of articles does vary over time. There was actually one point where it went two weeks with nothing new, which meant that no threads were open for comments. Should that happen, I’ll do what I did then, which was to alert Dr. Davis, who indicated that it wasn’t an intentional situation.
«…but I have no desire to get caught up in the FB mayhem.»
Concur, but I’ll probably get an account anyway. Is the user name Curmudgeon already taken?
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
Thanks, Bob. I will NOT be part of FB. I just do not need anything else to track me, or vice versa…..
Hi Greentree,
You can’t post comments without joining but you can *view* the content. Click on the “f” icon at the top of this page and see what happens. It looks like Bob has dibs on “Curmudgeon.” Oh well, I really didn’t need a FB account anyway. :-)
Well ….. a message does at some point tell you to register or sign in to continue viewing. But it’s a simple matter to close Facebook and immediately re-enter. It gives you somewhere around 30 minutes of viewing time before the message pops up … a good reminder that I have other stuff that I need to get done! :-)
The only breakfast cereal I consider healthy is oatmeal. That’s the cereal I switched to when I found out I had an increasingly more allergic reaction to wheat with incessant fully-body skin itching, hallucinations, and possibly schizophrenic effects. Whole, unsweetened oatmeal has none of those effects (despite being a grain) and has an unusual ability to fill me up for a day to a day and a half without experiencing any hunger whatsoever.
DM wrote: «The only breakfast cereal I consider healthy is oatmeal.»
And Wheat Belly does not consider it healthy. The issues were summarized most recently at:
https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2015/10/be-better-than-gluten-free-be-grain-free/comment-page-1/#comment-62438
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
It puts me in a negative energy balance, so I have a bowl sometimes. It seems to have a lower GL than all other cereals and a particular effect to keep me full longer than anything else I eat.
DM wrote: «It puts me in a negative energy balance, so I have a bowl sometimes.»
Your reply got disconnected, so for other readers, I presume we are still discussing oatmeal.
«It seems to have a lower GL than all other cereals…»
What are you basing that GL on? The important ways to assess what it’s doing are:
☤ Fasting BG compared to some postprandials
You want the former under 90 mg/dL, and the latter peak to ideally be no rise – but that’s not going to happen with oats, so look for under 100. A US$25 glucometer is a great investment here.
I’m going to conjecture that what you’ll see is a nasty spike into the mid-100s during the first hour after the start of the meal.
☤ Triglycerides under 60 mg/dL
This is reported on a standard lipid panel, and home test kits are available, even as combos with BG. Test at 1 hour intervals for 6 hours or so.
Anyone consuming oatmeal daily probably never sees a reading as low as 60.
☤ HbA1c at or below 5.0%
Home testers for this are also available. No need to test more than monthly.
Anyone eating oatmeal regularly is probably going to be in the mid-5s, or perhaps 6s.
If you’ve checked all of the above, and are within WB targets, then oats work for you, and I’m happy to be mistaken.
«… and a particular effect to keep me full longer than anything else I eat.»
When choosing a way of eating, appetite matters. If oats are curbing yours, that’s a benefit, but one that may not outweigh the hazards, which can be measured.
When my schedule calls for a quicker breakfast, I rely on the Wheat Free Market granola or toasted flakes, with some inulin or raw potato starch mixed in, served in goat milk or heavy cream.
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
Bob Niland
April 20, 2016 at 3:22 pm
D wrote: «500mcg for 3 days so far.»
My understanding is that an increase in iodine intake can distort TSH readings for 3 to 6 months, if you were iodine deficient to begin with.
You might want to belay the iodine supplementation, wait for a couple of weeks, then get that baseline thyroid assessment. I’ll post a follow-up if learn more about this.
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
I couldn’t post on that page, it looks like comments have been cut-off. Have been taking the iodine for about two weeks but unable to lose weight and suspect hypothyroidism. I’ve gained a couple pounds since. Should I drop the iodine supplementation, wait two weeks and get a thyroid test?
D wrote: «I couldn’t post on that page, it looks like comments have been cut-off.»
Threads have been closing for comments after 14 days for some time. For more tips on using the blog, see: http://wheatfreeforum.com/index.php/topic,126.0.html
«Should I drop the iodine supplementation, wait two weeks and get a thyroid test?»
I’ve made an inquiry on that, and I’ll post a follow-up if I learn anything. Meanwhile, are you just getting a TSH, or also getting the suggested fT3, fT4, rT4 and TA?
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
re: suggested fT3, fT4, rT4 and TA?
Make that suggested fT3, fT4, rT3 and TA?
D wrote: «Should I drop the iodine supplementation, wait two weeks and get a thyroid test?»
Word from above is that it’s not that important either way. So given that you’ll probably continue the iodine supplementation, there’s likely no point in suspending it between now and the test.
________
Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
It’s ft3, ft4, TSH and anti-TP0 is what I will apparently be getting tested as per the naturopath’s requisition. I’m guessing (but don’t know for sure) that the rt3 would cost extra.
She mentioned that the TA testing would cost extra and that it’s not as useful as anti-TPO for detecting autoimmune thyroid conditions