By Jane Birch
“All grain is ordained for the use of man . . . to be the staff of life” (D&C 89:14).
What does “the staff of life mean”?
The “staff of life” means a “staple food.”[1] What is a staple? According to Merriam-Webster, the word staple used as a noun means “the sustaining or principal element.” When used as an adjective, it means “principal, chief” and “used, needed, or enjoyed constantly usually by many individuals.”[2] According to the Oxford English Dictionary, staple means “having the chief place among the articles of . . . consumption.”[3]
According to the Word of Wisdom, the principal or chief element of our diet should be grains. Grains include grasses like wheat and rice, but corn and legumes (like beans, lentils, peas, and other pulses) can also be classified as grains.
Isn’t a Staff a Crutch?
The “staff of life” is an English idiom. An idiom is “an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own” (Merriam-Webster). Some well-meaning Latter-day Saints have attempted to use one of the words in this idiom (“staff”) to interpret the idiom as a whole, thus misunderstanding how an idiom functions in our language. They point out that a staff is a support, a type of crutch, something used only in time of weakness and necessity, and they conclude that grain as the “staff of life” is to be used only as a support, in times of need, and not as a staple food. But as the definition of the word idiom explains, you can’t understand the meaning of an idiom by focusing on the separate words in the idiom, because the idiom as a whole has its own meaning, apart from the separate words. Think of other idioms in our language; they are unintelligible by simply studying the meaning of the individual words:
open a can of worms
strings attached
go postal
pulling your leg
had a cow
It does little good to simply define the individual words; you have to understand the idiom as a whole by studying how it is used.
The idiom “staff of life” is the same. It cannot be understood by simply defining what the word “staff” means and then hypothesizing the meaning of the idiom. We understand the idiom by seeing how it has been used. Scholarly research demonstrates that the idiom “staff of life” has had a well-defined, consistent meaning throughout the history of the English language. The first known use of this idiom was in 1638 and meant “a staple of diet” (Merriam-Webster) The meaning has not changed since that time. “Staff of life” refers to a “staple food” (Oxford English Dictionary). The word staple means “having the chief place among the articles of . . . consumption” (Oxford English Dictionary). The Oxford English Dictionary illustrates this with examples beginning in 1638, but you can search the phrase “staff of life” on-line and find the same results (be sure to place quote marks around the phrase when you search for it).
When the Lord ordained grain to be the “staff of life,” he declared that grains should hold the chief place among the foods we consume every day. Some people are persuaded that soaking, sprouting or fermenting grains is better, and that may be fine. As long as the bulk of calories are still are coming from grains, then grains are serving as the “staff of life” in the diet.
Again, grains include grasses like wheat and rice, but corn and legumes (like beans, lentils and other pulses) can technically also be classified as grains. Other high-starch foods like roots/tubers (potatoes, cassava, yams and taro) are also staple foods in various parts of the world.
See also:
Discovering the Word of Wisdom: All Grain Is Good
Discovering the Word of Wisdom: The Danger of Displacing Grain
Discovering the Word of Wisdom: Wheat for Man
Gluten, Wheat, Grain (and other food sensitivities)
Notes
[1] “staff, n.1” Oxford English Dictionary Online (Oxford University Press, June 2014). [2] “staple” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2013). [3] “staple, adj.” Oxford English Dictionary Online.See also: Discovering the Word of Wisdom: Surprising Insights from a Whole Food, Plant-based Perspective by Jane Birch
Last updated: July 12, 2020
How can I apply this to diabetics who are supposed to be on a carbohydrate restricted diet? We live in Samoa with limited grains available and the doctor said taro and other root crops readily available here should be limited because of the high carbohydrates. Now what? Any thoughts?
Emily: You ask an awesome question. Controlling carbohydrates is one way to address diabetes. It can help your manage diabetes, but it does not help you to cure yourself of diabetes. A whole food, plant-based approach can actually help you cure yourself of diabetes, if you adopt it fully. It is a very different way of thinking about diabetes, so I encourage you to do sufficient research to understand this approach. I believe it is the Word of Wisdom way to addressing our diet, nutrition, and disease. I’ve posted some information on this Google doc, but feel free to contact me if you have additional questions! See: Diabetes and a Whole Food, Plant-based Diet
If grain was not modified after that revelation, then you could make the same statements about grains as the scriptures. Bread is full of sugar and highly processed. Most flour is brominated, which is bad for your thyroid. In the 60’s scientists modified wheat to feed more people, so the chemical structure was modified with other grasses. That also increased the gluten protein from 5 to 50 percent.
Look up what corn looks like in nature before being modified. It is not even the same creature.
Next most of these products are packaged with sugar. Sugar is sucrose. 50 percent of sucrose is fructose. Fructose is 100 percent stored as glycogen or changed into triglycerides that get stored as fat.
If you want healthy carbs look to sweet potatoes, steel cut oats, some red potatoes….
Furthermore milk and eggs are not meat so you do not have to eat these sparingly.
Hi Eric: Thanks for leaving a comment! I certainly agree with you that we consume too much sugar. Better to use whole grain or 100% whole grain flour with no additives (including added fat and sugar). The Lord ordained grain to be the “staff of life.” I encourage you and all other readers to find grains that you feel comfortable eating. I also agree that sweet potatoes, steel cut oats, and red potatoes are wonderful starchy foods. All foods, including grains, have changed, but much of that has been in a positive, not negative direction.
Milk and eggs are not meat, but they have they same nutritional profile and negative health consequences. For more see: Dairy and Eggs and the Word of Wisdom
Hi Jane, considering that the very next verse says that these are only to be used in times of famine and excess hunger it seems like the definition of staff as a crutch would make more sense in this frame of reference. What do you think?
Hi Barbara! The pronoun “these” in verse 15 refers to all the animals mentioned in verse 14. In verse 13, the Lord has already stated that “flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air” should only be used in “times of winter, or of cold, or famine” (D&C 89:12–13). Verse 14 adds “wild animals” to the list of creatures to use only in times of need. See also: Does the pronoun “these” in D&C 89:15 refer to grains, wild animals, or all animals?
How are you sure ‘these’ refers to just the animals
Hi Steven: Here are my thoughts on that topic: “Does the pronoun ‘these’ in D&C 89:15 refer to grains, wild animals, or all animals?”
I was in an institute class when this teacher discussed this verse, which is miss interpreted all the time. He said, ” it is pleasing unto me that meat is used not just in times of cold and famine.” They spoke differently than we do but this is how it would read today. Boyd K Packed in his General conference talk, The Word of Wisdom, quoted D&C 49:18. It says, “whosoever forbideth to obstain from is not of God.” I eat a 90% plant based diet with 10% kosher pasture raised meat. I am 54 year old body builder and i have never felt better!
Hi Michelle! I love that you bring up D&C 49:18 because I think it is very important that we do not forbid others from eating whatever food they choose. I have to disagree with your Institute teacher, however. I love Institute teachers, but in this case his interpretation of the Word of Wisdom contradicts what every LDS prophet and Word of Wisdom scholar has said. They all agree that D&C 89:13 tells us that it is pleasing to the Lord that we not used meat, except in times of winter, cold and famine. We get to interpret what times of winter, cold and famine mean to us. To me, that means times of need. If you are interested in how some people, like your Institute teacher apparently, have misinterpreted this verse, you might find this article useful, “Questioning the Comma in Verse 13 of the Word of Wisdom.” Thanks for sharing!
Barbara,
I’ve thought the same thing considering the verse follows the information on grains. I think God wants us to consider how different bread and grains are produced today as opposed to orginally (sour dough) and how that has changed the nutrition. Real sour dough bread is a super food with almost no gluten in it, where as the bread we have today is far from a super food, gmo laden with pesticides, heavy metals, and high glycemic.
Colette: Thanks for sharing your opinions. Since this website is about a whole food, plant-based perspective on the Word of Wisdom, I thought I’d share that perspective. First, as I said to Barbara, the “these” in vs. 15 refers to animals and not grains. The context makes that clear. God restricts the use of animal flesh (see vs. 13) and tells us grains are “good” and “ordained to be the staff of life.” The “staff of life” is an idiom that means the staple of the diet. The Lord is asking us to make grain a major part of our diets. Since His counsel is for “all saints in the last days” (vs. 2), He must have a very different perspective on grains than those who are so critical of them today. Science shows whole grains are very healthy for our bodies. Most bread is made from wheat, and wheat is entirely non-GMO. You can easily also buy organic if you prefer. I really like to defend grains and bread and wheat because the Lord is so enthusiastic about them in the Word of Wisdom. I realize many people today are highly critical of them, but God has a very different view on this, and this can encourage us to look more carefully at the science. When we do, we find that whole grains really are a very healthy food and essential to supplying the needed calories for God’s children on this earth. Of course, sour dough is also wonderful! If you prefer that, that’s great too. I just encourage people to not dismiss a food that God counsels us to make the “staff of life” and that He declares as “good.” Thanks!
I 100% agree with you on this. If people stopped buying the mass-processed grains that is marketed to us, and bought unprocessed wheat berries directly from the growers, and made their own flour from that, or even eat the wheat berries as they are, all this gluten intolerance would be eliminated. God ordained bread, or wheat specifically as the “staff of life” because literally your body can get ALL the nutrients it needs from wheat berries alone, with nothing more than beans (or some other protein). That’s it. All this “gluten intolerance” is one of the ways Satan is trying to lead people away from God, in my opinion.
Side note: They found wheat berries in the Great Pyramids that they were still able to make bread with. It makes great survival food because it can keep indefinitely, if stored properly.
1. Carbohydrates are NOT a required macro-nutrient, only fat and protein are.
2. Carbohydrates are the ONLY foods that will rot your teeth and body, while fat and protein does not.
– If you eat plants/grains you MUST scrape it off your teeth every 24 hours or your teeth with rot, imagine the insides of your body after decades of use.
3. Carbohydrates produce less than half the ATP cell energy that fat does.
4. Carbohydrates come from plants that protect themselves with poisons and anti-nutrients
5. Scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency) is caused by the anti-nutrients in grains sucking that vitamin out of your body. If you do not eat any grains you cannot get scurvy.
6. If you cannot stop eating ALL carbohydrates for 1 month, then you are an addict of this plant drug.
Like Religion (not spirituality), the Agricultural civilization is one of enslavement: sugar, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin etc..
Similar to how so-called Christians today worship the Anti Christ (Matthew 27:22-25).
Hi Dan! I very much enjoyed reading your comments. I’m very familiar with the anti-carb line of thought, so none of this is surprising. In fact, I find your main points all true from in a very slated, technical sense. However, in a practical sense, however, they are irrelevant and highly misleading. From a whole food, plant-based perspective, this way of thinking could not be more dangerous to our health or the health of the planet (not to mention the animals). To each his own! If you are ever interested in looking at things from a different perspective, I hope you’ll take a fair look at the evidence for whole food, plant-based nutrition. If you have further thoughts you’d like to share, you can contact me directly. Take care! Jane
A more important concept is “10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.”
If you will look into recent research like ketogenic diet, you’ll learn that largely grain based diets are incompatible with the human digestive track. We’re not designed to ferment a lot of carbs. Not that grain can’t be eaten but we have gone way overboard. We need to eat more whole vegitables, that are safe because of the fiber. Meat that disappears in our small intestine without fermentation. We can enjoy a little fruit. Whole wheat bread if a processed carbohydrate. It triggers insulin that tells the body to store fat. Eggs, cheese, fermented milk (kefir), meat and green vegetables don’t trigger insulin.
Hi Dennis! In my opinion, your argument is with God not with me. Good luck there! I wish you well.
Dennis, consider that off-the-shelf yeast is a short-cut method to rising bread akin to chemical fertilizers and pesticides giving unnaturally uniform produce. When you use clean grain and a long fermentation (@40hours leavening time), the gluten is almost completely digested, and healthy by-products are introduced into the dough. Nobody outside of Euell Gibbons thinks just chewing on dry grain is a good plan – so the question becomes, what is the best way to process grains for healthy consumption? Here are a couple of interesting things to consider:
* http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/01/22/how-to-safely-bring-wheat-back-into-your-diet.aspx
* http://www.abigailsoven.com/order-bread/
This cultured-dough bread not only doesn’t impact my blood sugar negatively, it actually seems to lower it when included in a healthy meal (and I’m told I’m not the only one who has this account). (I am in no way affiliated with the folks at the end of either of those links, and gain no benefit from sharing them.)
I think this is more in keeping with the way wheat in particular would have been typically used by our ancestors. Just some food for thought.
Dan, I couldn’t agree with you more, I have been studying this for years and praying about it. The Ketogenic diet has helped me immensely, whole food and everything when I thought my life was over. It goes right along with the word of wisdom and other scriptures in the bible, as well as the Doctrine and Covenants. (D&C 49:19 for example) it speaks of earlier scriptures about meat being for our use and in the previous verse that anyone that forbiddeth to abstain….is not ordained of God. This leads me to completely understand the using of meats sparingly, Kind of like the indians would…. Don’t just eat and throw away treasure the blessings God has given us. That being said a true ketogenic person ends up not really eating that much meat anyway compared to the standard American Diet. I do not like how people just take one scripture and think that is gospel we need to look at the scriptures on the the whole, study it out in our mind and then move forward. I’m so grateful for my health that I now have now. with 7 kids I was in bed 3-4 if not more days of the week in horrible pain to now thriving and enjoying my grandchildren. we have been blessed in abundance by God in this world, but men are wicked as verse 4 in section 89 states and in these last days are taking advantage of our addictions to carbs etc. so please be wise people eat things in their most natural state and not by extortion. (D&C 59:18-19) Which is done with most of our food supply today. Including animals, grains, etc.
whole food is the way to go , but there is good, better and best.
You can survive off nothing more than wheat berries and a source of protein, indefinitely, with all the nutrients your body needs. In fact if you store a bucket of wheat berries and a bucket of dried beans, you have all the survival food your family needs in case of emergency.
I enjoyed your article. Your comment that sprouting “may be fine” prompted me to say that stacks of wheat in traditional cultures were left standing in the field after harvest. Most of the grains sprouted naturally under those conditions. Modern harvesting methods along with commercial yeast may be creating a product that is detrimental while traditional methods of harvesting and sourdough bread making may be much better for us. Thanks so much for your insights.
Thanks, Susan!
You are correct, it is the way they process the wheat that causes gluten intolerance. If you were to separate only the wheat berries and make your own bread or whatever out of those, any digestive problems from wheat would go away. But these days they stretch the volume and thus their profit, by including parts of the plant we are not meant to digest. The inedible parts of the grass they process with the wheat berries actually cause microscopic cuts in our intestines, causing all sorts of digestive problems.
Hi Jane. Just a note to say that I still follow the posts on your site — Great stuff!! Also, I’d like to brag to you and your readers that I haven’t been to a doctor since I went vegetarian (still can’t quite make it t vegan status) two and a half years ago, other than to get a prescription refill for a mild enlarged prostrate gland problem that I have, and as you might remember, I’ll be 86 years old next month–a year older than your father. Also, my cancer has been in full remission since going vegetarian. … In fact, if you know of a diet that would help my prostrate problem so that I can go 100% off pills, I’d love to hear it.
Our Post Office building is located next to our Medical Clinic and sometimes when I go to pick up my mail (we don’t have home delivery) I glance over to watch the activities at the Clinic. With only a population of a bit over 3,000, I’d take bets that our Clinic and our THREE drug stores are the busiest places in town!
To be fare, I should add that our town’s clinic and drug stores also service a large Indian Reserve bordering our town, plus two Hutterite colonies. Even so, it is so sad to watch all these “sick” people drag themselves in then out of the clinic, then patiently stand in line at the drug store to get their ‘medication’ that only masks, not cures, their problem.
You’re doing a great work, Jane, and I’m sure that many people, including myself, have/are being blessed by your work. I’ve even read several ‘prophecies’ by influential people in our society that 2017 is the start of a quite defined vegetarian revolution in the way we eat, and it goes without question that your efforts are part of this marvelous turning point in our more healthy lifestyle.
In many of my lifestyle discussions that I have with family and friends I like to ‘picturesquely’ describe our evolution as follows: “In the beginning, our forefathers practiced cannibalism. We then forsook such ‘barbaric’ practices of eating each other and ate only animal flesh. (I like to use the word “flesh” rather than the more customary polite word, “meat” because it better describes what we’re actually doing 🙂 — by the way, this is also the word that the spirit used during my “near-death” experience: “Man is not made to eat flesh” ). Now, this animal-only “meat” eating practice is also becoming gross, so we’re evolving to the point where we’re abandoning all use of “flesh” and going on a strict plant and grain based diet. Our next future evolutionary step will be to even abandon the eating of plants and grains and live on pure LOVE — The United Order! ”
Won’t that be wonderful?
Dear
Albert: this is amazing and thanks so much for sharing. I love your passion and dedication.
I do recommend you go fully plant-based (no dairy or eggs) as that should definitely help with the prostate! Dairy is especially associate with prostate cancer. Also eating whole foods is important, unprocessed and unrefined, especially avoiding all oils. This will also help with weight loss which is highly correlated with increased risk of cancer. I am happy to help in any way I can!
Thanks again for sharing my good friend!
Jane
Hi Jane
If I may add my 2 cents for what it;s worth a “Staff” in this instance is a support as in supporter of life. It aids helping us live but itself needs support from other staffs eg a.healthy diet and exercise, For as they say……we cannot survive on bread alone,
Cheers Dave
Hi Dave! Thanks for sharing. As I try to point out on this page, the Lord ordains grain not as a “staff,” but rather the “staff of life.” Big difference!
No, but you can survive on wheat berries alone, (whether you make bread or whatever), with nothing more than a source of protein. I think in that case it says you cannot survive off bread alone, either because you also need meat or beans, or because you also need faith in God. Your faith will sustain you, because God will provide what you need, be it wheat and meat…but you cannot survive with bread and no faith or no protein. I don’t mean that protein be interchangeable with faith, I just wanted to make the point that you only need one other thing than wheat bread to survive.
Did Moses staff mean a crutch for him to lean on? No, the staff had the power of God in it.
Hi, do you address somewhere on your website that “all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man”? “Constitution” meaning “made up of”. To me this says that our meals, and hence bodies, should be made up of vegs and fruit. I agree that grains should also be included regularly, but maybe not in such large amounts (more than vegs and fruit). The WoW doesn’t specify amounts. I also find it interesting the order of foods listed for us to consume. First he states all the things to stay away from, then he continues with the foods we should eat. First he says herbs (vegs) and fruits. Then meat sparingly, then grains. Clearly vegs and fruits are really important. Also I found your comment surprising that no wheat is GMOed. You really believe that? It has been changed so much in the last 75 years to increase its protein content, as encouraged by the gov’t. Store-bought bread is also highly processed and lots of junk added. WFPB eating would include making your own bread, with heirloom wheat if possible. Anyway, a bunch of random thoughts here. Just things that came to mind.
Hi! Thanks for visiting the site and for your great comments and questions. I’m happy to share my thoughts. I address the very important topic of “all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man” in my book, but I’ve also written an article for Meridian Magazine that covers much of the same material. My understanding is that “herbs” means “plants” (check the footnote in D&C 89) and thus includes grains, which are a type of plant food. In addition, God tells us specifically in vs. 14 that He ordained grains to be the “staff of life,” which means the staple, or foundation of the diet.
There is no GMO wheat sold commercially in the United States. It is not my opinion. That is just a fact (despite what some well-meaning people may say). There are many ways plants have changed. GMO is just one of these. Wheat (like ALL modern plants) have changed over time, but that does not make them GMO. “Changed” does not always mean made worse. We should all be grateful for many changes to plant foods over time. However, some changes are not good ones. GMO is not, in my opinion, a change that is beneficial for our health.
Yes, some store bought bread is very processed and refined! I agree we should skip that. Other breads at the store are better, and of course we can make it ourselves. Using heirloom wheat is great (though not necessarily for everyone in my opinion).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and inviting my comments!
I find it interesting that the Lord adds The explanation of V 13 after V12 to give additional guidance on how often and when to eat meat but V15’s further instructions following V14 about grain is ignored in in general discussion and that the footnote for “these” refers you back to meat. This make no sense for the lord to refer back to meat in the middle of the grain discussion.
The order makes perfect sense if you interpret staff of life more along the lines of a crutch or use in times of need than your interpretation of it being a staple food especially in these last days when gluten allergies and Celiac disease are off the charts. Why would it say it is to be used ONLY in times of famine and excess hunger and change V 13’s instructions in His restatement? He wouldn’t. I think the footnote for this is simply wrong.
Remember the WOW is written for us in the last days…we cannot compare how wheat was used in any other time frame for the purpose of interpreting this.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. If I understand you correctly, there are many others who agree with you! I do not for the reasons I outlined in this essay. I noticed you did not refute any of my arguments. You base your case on your belief that modern wheat is not healthy. I would point to the scientific evidence which indicates that even modern wheat has a great many health benefits and that in contrast meat does not and is best used sparingly, at most. Of course I’d agree with you that those with allergies or Celiac disease should avoid it, as anyone with an allergy to any food should avoid it nor matter how healthy that food is for others. Again, thanks for sharing!
Hi Jane! You’ve done some incredible research. It is definitely an interesting topic. It definitely makes sense in our day why there is so much confusion about grains because of the issues with gluten. I just read a few of your articles. Contrary to your conclusions I’m still in the group of those that believe the staff of life being a “life support” means rather than being a main staple food as you suggest. I don’t mean to go against the prophets or any previous revelation on this matter. In fact, there is a lot of debate over this topic probably because there isn’t much information given from leaders today to clarify. Here are a couple of issues I have with your argument that I felt you missed.
First, if verse fifteen is referring to animals, why the repetition of what is already said in verse thirteen? And also why the change? In verse thirteen it says it is pleasing that [animals] not be used but verse fifteen does not repeat that point.
The second issue I have is why grain is brought up at the end after the meat. If grain is the staple food that you suggest. Why is it not being brought up first on the list? It seems a bit odd does it not?
When you look at the Word of Wisdom from a scientific standpoint looking at how human beings have been eating for millions of years it appears that the order of food suggested is mirrored by the order of how the Word of Wisdom lays out the importance or hierarchy of food. First herbs, fruits, and vegetables, and second meat. Then at the bottom of the list, you have grains.
Grains are new to the human diet for that reason we have to grind them up or process them in some way to be able to eat them. Our bodies are not designed to eat grains even after eating them for the last 10 to 12 thousand years. Though they are great for storing and they are useful to eat processed when we cannot or are too lazy to get our nutrients elsewhere.
My mind is open. I could be wrong. I feel like the most important thing is to turn to God each day and pray and give thanks for whatever I do have. As 3 Nephi 13 says: “Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Maybe this is why the prophets and apostles don’t talk about this because if our thoughts are turned to God he’ll help us figure out how to stay healthy and what to eat.
Nevertheless, the Word of Wisdom is fascinating and fun to study. Thanks for providing your insights!
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint, Michael! You are certainly not alone in your perspective. I appreciate that you are doing your best to try to understand what is right for you. I feel like I’ve done my best to express my point of view, so I don’t feel I need to repeat that. I don’t find your interpretations to be persuasive, but I recognize that others do. I do wish you the best!
Hi, I agree with you in the context of wheat being a support rather than a staple. “Staff” in no way translates to “Staple”, although most of the internet bridges the 2 words without any explanation as to their connection. “Staff” in this case I believe refers to a “stick or rod”. And wheat grows on a stalk, which is a stick-like plant structure. It can also be a metaphor for support.
I only disagree with you in the fact that it not be considered a main food, (in antiquity, as well as now). Much of the world relies on grains, not just wheat, but they all come from stalks. And after thousands of years, we have indeed evolved to digest grains. We would need to have the stomach of a cow to digest grass in general, but you can bet we can digest wheat berries just fine. In fact, a human can survive indefinitely with all the nutrients a body needs, with nothing more than wheat berries and a source of protein. Which may be why meat is listed first in the Bible verses you referred to. Because we still do need protein. But then, and even now in some places, most people survived of little more than wheat, (or other grains) alone.
The issue with gluten intolerance today is I believe the way wheat is processed. It is mass produced and they stretch the supply by processing it incorrectly. They include parts of the plant that we are indeed incapable of digesting easily. Instead of separating only the wheat berries, they include parts of the grass (I can’t remember the correct part or name of the plant), that actually slice little microscopic cuts in our intestines, leading to all kinds of digestive issues. If you were to order unprocessed wheat berries from a farm, (you can get bags online) and ground them into flour yourself, or even sprinkled them on your cereal or whatever, I bet any gluten intolerance would go away. They also make a great survival food, because they can be stored (properly) indefinitely, and can keep you alive (and healthy) indefinitely, with nothing more than beans, (or other source of protein)!
I think the saying “Staff of Life” is no idiom at all, and can actually be translated quite literally. In fact I don’t understand how you got “staple” out of “staff”. Nowhere does staff mean staple. In any way. You didn’t even try to explain that. You could say that a staff acts as some kind of support like a rod or stick, but calling it a staple is a stretch. Staff in this case is literally referring to a rod or stick, (which can also be a metaphor for support). Bread is the “Staff of Life” because it is made from wheat, and a stalk of wheat is, or is like, a stick. Literally stick of life. That’s because in antiquity, and even today, many people survived of little more that wheat alone. Did you know that you could survive indefinitely, with all the nutrients your body needs, with only wheat berries and a source of protein? Rice also comes from a stalk (a stick-like supportive structure of a plant), if you want to be inclusive and apply the saying to the rest of the world. So “grains” in general, are the main food source for most of the world. Although it seems the first time we see the reference is in the Bible, so I think it technically refers to wheat.
Feel free to check what I wrote under the first subhead, ‘What does “the staff of life mean”?’ and check the dictionaries I cite. “Staff of life” is a quite common idiom in the English language.