| I am going to go into great detail here about grains, however, the takeaway here is that if grains are the number one cause of a person’s mental health issues, they are definitely exacerbating the damaging effects of any other contributors you have going into your mouth, onto your skin, or into your lungs. The cause a serious chronic inflammatory condition in the brain which chokes off hydration, oxygen, hydrogen and nutrients and blocks toxins from getting out creating accelerated oxidative stress = brain cell death; ergo, neurodegenerative disease and “brian fog”. and mental health issues are definitely a symptom of its development. Grains are a type of carbohydrate that not only come with their own mold and fungal problems, but feed harmful bacteria, while providing little nutrition compared to live fermented foods and vegetables. In fact, grains are an anti-‐nutrient food source and actually block the absorption of nutrients. Grains are a Neolithic food source that humans have not adapted to. One of the reasons why grains cause allergies in so many people is that they are hard to digest and utilize, and as such their indigestible products build up in the blood until it sets the immune system’s alarms off. Vegetables and fruits are meant to be eaten (they do not have inherent protection mechanisms), as the seed is indigestible and will be deposited in the ground somewhere where it can grow. Grains, on the other hand, developed anti-‐nutrients to become unappealing to grazing animals, as a means of survival. As such, grains contain a set of toxic anti-‐nutrients: lectins, gluten, and phytates. Nature is fascinating. Phytate is a salt or ester of phytic acid that forms insoluble complexes with calcium, zinc, iron and other nutrients, which block absorption of those nutrients. A high phytate content can induce bone mineral pathologies, because it derails the all-‐important calcium-‐phosphorous ratio, upsetting many biological pathways. Your calcium-‐phosphorous ratio is your baseline biochemistry that determines if you are operating a “wasting” system or a “depositing” system. When you can’t absorb calcium, you will go into high phosphorous or “wasting” mode, which indicates muscle loss, bone loss, kidney disease and more. Grain-‐styled diets can induce deficiencies in energy, protein, zinc, iron, copper, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and vitamin A. The lectins in cereal grain are wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). WGA interferes with digestive and absorptive activities and causes bacterial dysbiosis in the GUT bacterial flora. This is known to be the root cause of many health problems in the GUT, such as poor digestion, inflammation and numerous GUT diseases; weight issues; mental health problems such as anxiety and depression; and loss of energy. Lectins bind to insulin receptors, attack the stomach lining and can cause leptin resistance. Leptin resistance is directly linked to metabolic syndrome and weight issues. Gluten found in wheat, rye and barley is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. It causes extreme discomfort for those sensitive to it and is linked to low calcium and vitamin D3, hyperthyroidism, compromised bone health and celiac disease. In addition, the inflammation it causes links it to many GUT diseases and to weight gain. In one study, 29% of asymptomatic non-‐celiacs tested positive for anti-‐gliadin IgA in their stool. Anti-‐gliadin IgA is an antibody produced by the GUT. It remains there until it senses a gliadin threat and is dispatched to subdue and eliminate it. This is nature telling you that you’re not supposed to eat gluten. If gluten posed no threat, the anti-‐gliadin IgA would not be dispatched and found in the stool. Eating gluten goes against the nature of your multi-‐million year support system! Grains are also low in protein and are considered “filler foods”. They fill you up with little substance, while causing many nutrients, even from other foods on your plate, to be indigestible. So while eating a low protein food stuff, you are neglecting other foods that are much higher in this essential nutrient, especially for children. This is why vegetarian children do not develop as well in growth rate and development as Paleo children do. Grains are low in omega 3 fats and cause an unhealthy ratio of omega 6 to 3, which is an established link to inflammation and the way to weight problems, if not full-‐blown obesity. An unhealthy ratio of 6’s to 3’s is also linked to autoimmune disease. On the flipside, a healthy intake and absorption of omega 3’s is linked to reducing tendencies toward GUT disease and thrombosis, and reduces symptoms of many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. To summarize, grain-‐styled diets are linked to nutritional deficiencies, insulin-‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), rheumatoid arthritis, nephropathy, aphthous stomatitis (canker sores) and even multiple sclerosis (MS). A myelin basic protein (MBP) is a suspected target antigen in MS. There are epidemiological reports that link both wheat and milk consumption to the incidence of MS. And there are also reports showing remission of MS on gluten-‐free diets. A healthy microbiome requires variety of fruits, vegetables and meat to ensure a robust amount of bacteria species in your GUT. When you eat grain, you tend to dismiss that healthy dietary requirement while adding pathogenic fungal species known to grow on grains. So the practice of eating grains actually lowers your total nutrient intake while causing the pathogenesis of weight issues, loss of energy, nutritional deficiencies, GUT and many other body and brain-‐centric diseases. In service we shine, Shine! Genita M. Mason LMP, HHP, NC Medical Director The Biosasnctuary mason@thebiosanctuary.com www.thebiosanctuary.com 866.820.0369 | 
