We’ve all heard it before: that a diet rich in whole grains is good for your health and your waistline. Grains like wheat and corn are supposed to provide vital nutrients, curb the appetite and help the digestive tract. But it seems like more and more evidence is showing there may only be a grain of truth in all that hype. The rise of grain may very well be the fall of Man.

Enter ‘FrankenGrains‘–GMO seeds bred for yield, not health.

Although there is a wide variety of whole grains like amaranth, rye, teff, millet, bulgur, buckwheat and barley that can offer a diverse assortment of nutrients, people around the globe are primarily chowing down on highly processed wheat and corn products. According to Cardiologist and Wheat Belly author William Davis, M.D. years of plant hybridization along with genetic modification have created wheat that no longer comes close to resembling the wheat consumed by our forefathers.

Many foods now have wheat, corn and other highly refined foodstuffs blended in. Unless you’re carefully reading food labels, most of us don’t even realize that wheat flour, wheat gluten, corn or high fructose corn syrup have been slipped in. Take a look through your cupboard. You may be shocked at what you will discover.

These “FrankenGrains” are now wreaking havoc in our bodies by causing an upward trend in obesity, diabetes, increased inflammatory response, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease. Davis also contends that the wheat we now eat in our bread, bagels, muffins and cupcakes creates a fat-storing insulin response that causes metabolic dysfunction, causing you crave even more food.

There’s also been an upswing in celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that is triggered by consuming gluten products. In 2010 The Mayo Clinic reported that celiac disease was on the rise. Studies are showing the incidence of celiac disease is four times greater than in 1950. “Many of the processed foods we eat were not in existence 50 years ago,” says Mayo Clinic physician and celiac disease research Dr. Joseph Murray. Murray speculates that wheat-growing methods may also play a role in the rise of celiac disease. That’s why he’s hoping to someday compare legacy wheat to modern strains to see if there may be a firm connection.

Corn is King

Los Angeles Time journalist Jerry Hirsch wrote that “corn is king.” Hirsch points out that while you may not be eating corn on the cob every night, the beef, pork and chicken on your table were all derived from corn-fed animals. Jennifer K. Nelson, a registered dietician with the Mayo Clinic says that high fructose corn syrup is the most commonly added sweetener to processed foods and drinks. Like wheat, corn and its by-products are creating an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart problems, dental woes and other illnesses.

Walking Corn Chips

University of California-Berkley plant biologist Todd Dawson told CNN that for some of us, more than half of our diet is corn-based. “We’re like corn chips walking because we really have a very, very large fraction of corn in our diets,” he said. “We actually can’t help it because it’s an additive in so many of the foods we find on the market shelves,” he added.

The problem? Energy-dense foods like super-sweet sodas and snacks are making it more and more difficult to tighten our belts. And its not just a problem in affluent countries. Developing nations are also seeing alarming trends in obesity and food-related diseases. Processed snack foods, instant meals and sugary sodas are fattening up the earth’s population.

Sowing the Seeds of Illness

The Barcelona-based nonprofit GRAIN says that grains problems start with the seeds. They accuse Trans-national corporations with tinkering seeds so that small, independent farmers are weeded out. GRAIN says that only 10 major corporations control fifty percent of the global seed market. This lack of diversity is one of the contributing factors to increased illness and bulging bellies seen around the world. Companies like Monsanto and Cargill are all fiddling with world-wide grains to reap profits instead of nutritious food.

So what’s the answer? We need to be more vigilant when it comes to our food choices, especially when it comes to grains. Start reviewing food labels and discover what’s really in the products that you eat. Do some research to determine which products are genetically modified and which are virgin. Once you start looking you may not like what you see, but at least you’ll be able to make an informed decision when it comes down to what’s on your plate.