From Lauren Cordain's "Cereal Grains: Humanity's Double-Edged Sword"

"For the vast majority of mankind's presence on this planet, he rarely if 
ever consumed cereal grains."

"?in most parts of the world, whenever cereal-based diets were first 
adopted as a staple food replacing the primarily animal-based diets of 
hunter-gatherers, there was a characteristic reduction in stature, an 
increase in infant mortality, a reduction in lifespan, an increased 
incidence of infectious diseases, an increase in iron deficiency anemia, 
an increased incidence of osteomalacia, porotic hyperostosis and other 
bone mineral disorders, and an increase in the number of dental caries and 
enamel defects."

"All cereal grains have significant nutritional shortcomings?"

"?humans, like all other primates have had little evolutionary experience 
in developing resistance to [cereal grains'] secondary and antinutritional 
compounds."

"Dietary cereal grains are the known environmental causative agent for at 
least two autoimmune diseases: celiac disease and dermatitis 
herpetiformis.  Withdrawal of gluten-containing cereals from the diet 
ameliorates all symptoms of both diseases.  Further, evidence from 
clinical, epidemiological and animal studies implicate cereal grains in 
the etiology of other autoimmune diseases."

"?it has been suggested that [a gluten-free diet] may result in 
stabilization or even improvement of neurological dysfunction."

"?there is a significant body of evidence which suggests that cereal 
grains are less than optimal foods for humans and that the human genetic 
makeup and physiology may not be fully adapted to high levels of cereal grain consumption." (italics added)

"?cereal grain consumption?disrupt[s] health and well being in virtually 
all people when consumed in excessive quantities." (italics added)

An excellent paper.  Thanks to Jens for the recommendation.  I had one 
problem with it, the same issue I had with "the Paleo Diet."

If the italics come through in this post, I've highlighted part of the 
last two quotes.  How does Dr. Cordain define "excessive quantities?" 
Although I've not seen it yet in any of his writings, I would suggest that 
at least some humans are not adapted to even low levels of grain 
consumption ? particularly gluten-containing grains.  In other words, for 
at least some folks ? and I'm included in this group -- "excessive 
quantities" means "any quantity."  One pretzel and I can count on bad 
things.  Ditto to one slice of bread or a couple of bites of oatmeal.  And 
I'm sure I'm not alone.

Given all the bad, bad things grains can do to us, wouldn't it make sense 
to recommend complete abstention?  At the very least, beginners to the 
diet should give up the stuff for a period of say eight weeks before 
gradually adding them back into the diet.

Thoughts?