Croutons may seem harmless enough. After all, they’re usually included in salads and salads are healthy, right?
Not always. Croutons are just bread that has been chopped up and dried out. It’s still bread and it can cause all of the problems normally associated with consuming wheat and gluten.
The Problems With Wheat
Those who are sensitive to gluten know that just a little bit of the stuff is enough to make them regret it. Even those of us who don’t have a reaction to the protein should still be wary of eating it. Wheat has been linked to all sorts of health risks, including obesity and increased cortisol (the hormone our bodies produce when under stress).
Wheat is also extremely inflammatory. Even low levels of inflammation, if allowed to become chronic, can cause all sorts of problems. It compromises the immune system (inflammation is a sign of the immune system at work, which means the immune system is too preoccupied to attack other invaders). It has been connected with everything from allergies to Crohn’s disease.
Mark Sisson gives a more complete explanation on why, exactly, we should be avoiding grains on his blog.
