century to the discovery of the vitamins
whose deficiencies cause them. Today, even
though most people in Asia eat refined rice,
and polenta and grits are still not cooked in
alkaline water, more balanced diets have
made these deficiency diseases far less
common.
Valuable Phytochemicals
From Seeds
Toward the end of the 20th century, we came
to realize that seeds have more to offer us
than the basic machinery of life.
Epidemiological studies have found a general
association between the consumption of whole
grains, legumes, and nuts and a reduced risk
of various cancers, heart disease, and diabetes.
What do these foods provide that refined
grains do not? Hundreds or even thousands of
chemicals that are concentrated in the outer
protective and active layers of the seeds, and