Going Gluten-Free: All Hype or Legitimate Reasons to Fear Modern Grains?

Going gluten free isn’t for everyone: only a portion of the population actually has been legitimately diagnosed with celiac disease, but, with that being said, many people do have gluten sensitivities. Debates abound about why so many people are being diagnosed with gluten sensitivities, but one interesting theory that we’ll entertain here is that genetically modified wheat has more gluten in it than the human digestive system can handle. Yes, wheat is (was?) the stuff of life, but now it has been so altered from its natural state that humans really most likely should not eat it or should drastically reduce their consumption of it.

Currently, one out of every 133 people in the United States has celiac disease, and an estimated 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivities (formally nonceliac gluten sensitivity) or adverse reactions to the gluten protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. This article delineates gluten sensitivity symptoms, but generally they can range in severity from mild discomfort, such as gas and bloating, to celiac disease. If left untreated or undiagnosed, celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition, can result in a four-fold increase in death. This rapid rise in gluten sensitivities or disorders from malabsorption have led experts to believe that there is an environmental trigger involved; hence, the claim that hybrid wheat is to blame.

Recent scientific evidence indicates that the hybrid versions of grains consumed today contain significantly more gluten than traditional varieties of the same grains. Dr. Alessio Fasano, medical director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, believes that these hybrids have augmented the amount of gluten in the American diet, giving rise to more gluten related disorders, saying, “The prevalence of celiac disease in this country is soaring partly because changes in agricultural practices have increased gluten levels in crops.” These modern wheat varieties grow faster, produce higher yields, harvest more efficiently, and bake better bread, but they contain more gluten.

If you don’t have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, then you shouldn’t automatically go gluten-free because it’s trendy. There is anecdotal evidence that eliminating gluten yields a slew of dietary benefits including weight loss and clear skin, but some people see weight gain. Gluten free breads and pastas often contain excess ingredients to substitute in for the gluten-like tapioca starch and oils or eggs. Also, many vitamins inherit in enriched wheat are absent in gluten free products, so the gluten free product will often be nutritionally inferior, devoid of fiber and full of extra calories from added ingredients.

So what is the answer, then? If you simply have gluten sensitivity or just want to minimize gluten without buying gluten free products, then you may be able to make your own sprouted wheat bread — sprouting the grains before baking them does lower the gluten content a bit but not significantly, so you still should be wary about consuming a large quantity of the bread. Making sprouted bread by yourself at home is the ideal if you must consume bread. Alternatively, you could utilize a grain that’s lower in gluten like spelt and make bread out of that. Purchasing sprouted bread is your next best bet — look for the Food for Life (Ezekiel) brand as they use honest ingredients and make a quality product. Ultimately, consuming a little wheat from your own bread is not detrimental to your health if you properly sprout it and choose grains that are high quality. If you do want to opt for a full-on gluten free bread recipe, check out this awesome guide. 

Either way you slice it, consider these points about the gluten and the gluten free movement – and, as always, choosing to make your own products at home gives you more control over the ingredients of your food!

 Image source: How to Make Gluten Free Sandwich Bread