jenk

from JunkFoodScience:

Many Americans don’t remember that during World War II, when Dublin went to 100% whole grain bread, it resulted in an epidemic of rickets, with half of the children suffering from it. It’s why you’ll see commercial wholegrain breads supplemented with calcium carbonate today. “Food additives” aren’t there to poison you, but to offer some benefit.

Since 1943, white flours in the United States have been fortified, enriched with five nutrients added back at higher levels than naturally occur in whole grains. Before that, in the 1930s, beri-beri, pellagra, riboflavin deficiency and iron deficiency anemia were widespread in the United States. Pellagra and beri-beri were virtually eliminated within the first five year of enriched flours. We’ve also seen how the folic acid added to enriched grain products was followed by marked decline in babies born with birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Enriched white flour is nothing to fear amd can be part of a perfectly healthful diet.