A recent paper from November 22, 2022, discusses the changes in our plaque as we transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers. They attribute the changes in our plaque to the addition of cereal grains to our diets. The researchers found that the dental plaque in the farmers was more virulent. 1 The paper is the latest in a long series that chronicles the start of tooth decay and other modern diseases to the addition of grains to our diets. Grains need processing before digestion. The typical processing results in flour. Flours are a novel food for humans. As such, we don't do well subsisting on them. I have written extensively on this site about the perils of ingesting them. This post says it all. 

Jared Diamond Spoke Out Against Cereal Grains Years Ago

I am one of many that recognize the problems flour can cause. Jared Diamond wrote a famous essay in 1999 called The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race. He was referring to the mistake of our transition to agriculture and the production of grain flours. He states, "Suppose that an archaeologist who had visited from outer space were trying to explain human history to his fellow spacelings. He might illustrate the results of his digs by a 24-hour clock on which one hour represents 100,000 years of real past time. If the history of the human race began at midnight, then we would now be almost at the end of our first day. We lived as hunter-gatherers for nearly the whole of that day, from midnight through dawn, noon, and sunset. Finally, at 11:54 p. m. we adopted agriculture... Skeletons from Greece and Turkey show that the average height of hunger gatherers toward the end of the ice ages was a generous 5' 9'' for men and 5' 5'' for women. With the adoption of agriculture, height crashed, and by 3000 B. C. had reached a low of only 5' 3'' for men and 5' for women. The farmers gained cheap calories at the cost of poor nutrition, (today just three high-carbohydrate plants — wheat, rice, and corn — provide the bulk of the calories consumed by the human species, yet each one is deficient in certain vitamins or amino acids essential to life.)."

The U.S. Government Discovers the Poor Nutritional Quality of Cereal Grains in the 1930s

Extensive nutritional studies by the U.S. government in the 1930s, as we were coming out of the Great Depression, indicated that broad population segments of Americans were seriously deficient in key nutrients. Additionally, we were gearing up for World War II and needed healthy soldiers.

Consequently, by 1941, the Committee on Food and Nutrition recommended that flour be fortified with nutrients to help combat widespread malnutrition. This led to white bread and flour, pasta, and rice being enriched with thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and iron. Calcium was optional. In 1943, enrichment of all bread was required as part of the War Food Administration's Food Distribution Order and codified in War Food Order No. 1. Folic acid was added in 1998. 2 The federal government did not mandate enrichment, but almost all flour manufacturers began enriching their products. By 1952, the enrichment of flour was mandatory in 26 states. Companies that did not enrich would lose business; hence the practice of enrichment became universal. 3

Governmental Dietary Advice

The government of the United States has been involved in providing dietary advice for over a century. The early guides focused on preventing food spoilage and included food groups that were supposed to prevent deficiency diseases, as I just discussed. Then, in the 1970s, the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs was formed and stated, "The government has a role to provide nutrition guidance to Americans and encourage the advancement of nutrition research and industry food reformulation." 4

Louise Light Tried to Save Us

Louise Light, Ed.D, a former U.S.D.A. nutritionist, was tasked to help formulate the guidelines. They are most popularly called the food pyramid, although they are no longer officially called by that name. 

She later stated, "...my nutritionist group had placed baked goods made with white flour -- including crackers, sweets and other low-nutrient foods laden with sugars and fats -- at the peak of the pyramid, recommending that they be eaten sparingly."  As a nutritionist, she knew more than the government about nutrition. However, the bureaucrats still proceeded to decrease the number of servings of vegetables from 5-7 per day to 2-3. Worse, they increase the servings of whole-grain bread and cereals from 3-4 per day to 6-11! She lamented, "And, in yet one more assault on dietary logic, changes were made to the wording of the dietary guidelines from 'eat less' to 'avoid too much', giving a nod to the processed-food industry interests by not limiting highly profitable 'fun foods' (junk foods by any other name) that might affect the bottom line of food companies."

Louise Light's Chilling 1999 Statement

"I vehemently protested that the changes, if followed, could lead to an epidemic of obesity and diabetes -- and couldn't be justified on either health or nutritional grounds. To my amazement, I was a lone voice on this issue, as my colleagues appeared to accept the 'policy level' decision. Over my objections, the Food Guide Pyramid was finalized, although it only saw the light of day 12 years later, in 1992. Yet it appears my warning has come to pass...In the 25 years since the initial Food Guide was developed, we face an unprecedented nutrition crisis. A majority of Americans have poor-quality diets and the rates of diet-related chronic diseases, from cancer, diabetes and heart disease to digestive diseases and arthritis, are soaring." 5,6

What We Can Do

Louise recognized the flawed role the government has played in producing our poor health. She and others tried to get thirteen board members with heavy ties to the food industry ousted. Additionally, Ms. Light suggested that the guide be taken out of the U.S.D.A.'s hands and given to the Department of Health, which never happened. Unfortunately, she still had hope that the government had some moral people at its core. Sadly, Louise is no longer with us.

I wonder what she would have thought about the government's handling the pandemic and forcing experimental medical treatments on U.S. citizens. She may have changed her mind about trusting anyone in the government. Given the steady governmental takeover by big business influence, she was correct to stand up against them. I say we do the same. When it comes to your health and nutrition, you should take matters into your own hands. It will require researching and finding advice you trust, hopefully not backed by profit motives. Perhaps this website can be a trusted source.