Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Thirty-Three (Studies Recommend Spelt as Part of Healthy Diet)

Recently, an on-line customer informed me she eats Spelt Right products because diet change, which includes spelt, has helped her reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome which is related to insulin resistance.  She said that, on the recommendation of her endocrinologist, she went off of white starchy flours and on to ancient grains like spelt and quinoa.  As a result, she lost 30 pounds.

I have heard similar stories, but this piqued my curiosity. 

I started researching and found an interesting article in the Annals of the New York Academy of Science, entitled Adjuvant Diet to Improve Hormonal and Metabolic Factors Affecting Breast Cancer Prognosis.   This article contains some incredible information based upon various studies.

It a nutshell, it states what we many of us know, but hate to admit.  Americans (and others adopting the "Western Diet") eat a lot of junk, don't exercise much, and are getting sick as a result.  The good news is that there are ways to turn this around.  One is to eat better, and one of the recommendations is to eat spelt.

The abstract of this relatively lengthy article states that “western lifestyle, characterized by reduced physical activity and a diet rich in fat, refined carbohydrates, and animal protein is associated with high prevalence of overweight, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and high plasma levels of several growth factors and sex hormones….[T]hese factors are associated with breast cancer risk and, in breast cancer patients, with increased risk of recurrences.  Recent trials have proven that such metabolic and endocrine imbalance can be favorably modified through comprehensive dietary modification, shifting from Western to Mediterranean and macrobiotic diet.”  (emphasis added)

Among the other dietary recommendations, the article suggests that breast cancer patients “reduce high glycemic index and high insulinemic index foods, such as refined flours, potatoes, white rice, corn flakes, sugar, and milk, using instead whole grain cereals (unrefined rice, barley, millet, oat, spelt, quinoa)

So, yes, I can say with confidence (and based upon experience) spelt is good for you.

And, if you want some great tasting spelt, try Spelt Right.