Why Unprocessed Grains Made Millions Sick — and What Chickens Still Know About Fermentation

There’s a tragic chapter in our history that began with good intentions: the spread of corn (maize) around the world. When European explorers brought corn back from South America in the 16th century, it was seen as a wonder crop. It was easy to grow, high in calories, and quickly became a staple food in many parts of the world — especially among poorer populations in Europe, Africa, and southern United States.

But something crucial was lost in translation.

Corn and the B3 Crisis: A Deadly Oversight

In pre-Columbian South America, traditional communities never consumed corn the way we do now. They used a process called nixtamalization — soaking and cooking the kernels in an alkaline solution, usually limewater. This ancient technique did more than just soften the corn; it made a critical nutrient — niacin (vitamin B3) — bioavailable to the human body.

Without this process, the niacin remains bound up in a form we cannot absorb.

So, when corn became a dominant food in regions that didn’t carry over this traditional wisdom, people began to suffer from a disease called pellagra.

The symptoms were devastating: Dermatitis, Diarrhoea, Dementia, and Death. The disease swept through populations in Italy, France, and especially the southern United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. At its peak, over 100,000 people died from pellagra in the U.S. alone.

The medical establishment at the time believed it was infectious. But one brave physician, Dr. Joseph Goldberger, began to suspect something radical: that pellagra wasn’t a disease at all — it was a nutritional deficiency.

Despite facing ridicule, threats, and professional rejection, Goldberger showed that simply improving people’s diets — adding meat, milk, and vegetables — could cure pellagra. His research laid the groundwork for later discoveries that identified niacin as the missing nutrient.

But instead of returning to traditional food preparation methods — or encouraging dietary diversity — the authorities chose the industrial route: add synthetic B3 to refined, processed foods. The disease faded, but the deeper lesson was ignored.

The Other Problem With Corn (and Grains)

Corn, when unprocessed, doesn’t just withhold niacin. It also contains anti-nutrients like phytates and lectins — natural plant compounds that bind minerals like zinc, calcium, and magnesium, making them hard to absorb. These compounds can irritate the gut lining and contribute to inflammation, especially in people with compromised digestion.

Our ancestors knew how to deal with these. They soaked, fermented, and sprouted their grains, seeds, and legumes — breaking down these anti-nutrients and making food truly nourishing.

But in our modern rush for convenience, we abandoned those traditions. We now eat grains and pulses that haven’t been properly prepared — often highly processed and stripped of nutrients, then “fortified” with synthetic replacements.

🐔 Chickens Haven’t Forgotten

And yet... some creatures never stopped preparing their food the right way.

Take chickens. These clever birds have a small pouch called a crop — a fermentation chamber of sorts — where grains are stored, moistened, and mixed with natural enzymes and bacteria before digestion even begins.

This mini fermentation process breaks down anti-nutrients and begins unlocking vital nutrients — much like what happens when we soak or ferment grains ourselves. It’s not just chickens. Ducks, geese, and swans do it too. Nature hasn’t forgotten what we have.

Rediscovering the Wisdom

We live in an age where we’re constantly being told that synthetic supplements, fortified cereals, and ultra-processed foods are “nutritionally complete.” But real nourishment comes not just from what we eat — but how we prepare it.

Traditional cultures — and even animals — instinctively understood this. Processing food through soaking, sprouting, fermenting and slow cooking isn’t a quirky trend. It’s essential. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We just have to remember.

Final Thoughts

The story of niacin deficiency is a sobering reminder of what happens when we ignore traditional food wisdom. But it’s also a reminder — to return to the old ways, to slow down, and to listen to what nature has been doing all along.

Maybe next time we think about how to nourish ourselves and our families, we can take a cue from chickens.

Yes — chickens.

Need help cutting through the confusion around what to eat?

I offer personalised nutrition support rooted in traditional wisdom and real food principles — including GAPS consultations for gut healing, chronic health conditions, and children's wellbeing.

Book a free 20-minute discovery call to chat about how I can support you or your family on the journey back to real nourishment.

👉 👉 Contact Me Here

Want more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox?

Fill in this form to receive articles, tips and inspiration on real food, gut health and ancestral nutrition.

Please share this post with someone who needs to hear this information