Those with mild sensitivities to gluten may have luck eating this ancient grain as berries or ground into flour because it contains a different genome of
gluten than modern wheat, and it has not been much changed by selective breeding over the millennia (note: spelt is not genetically engineered — a completely different process from selective breeding).
It's high in protein, fiber and iron, and is also naturally lower in
gluten than modern wheat, making it more tolerable to those with gluten sensitivities.
Einkorn is an ancient grain and is actually lower in
gluten than modern wheat and is much much better (read a great explanation here as to why einkorn is better).
Not exact matches
The
gluten in Einkorn is said to have a completely different effect on the body
than the
gluten found in our
modern - day
wheat, possibly the reason why many people with
gluten sensitivities can enjoy products made with Einkorn
wheat.
The grain is not lower in
gluten; in fact it has comparable or even higher levels
than modern wheat.
And like einkorn, it's lower in
gluten than modern varieties of
wheat, though please note, not
gluten - free.
Those with
gluten sensitivity can often tolerate einkorn better
than modern wheat.
Although it has
gluten, the
gluten has a different composition and molecular size
than that of
modern day
wheat.
While this success may not be possible for everyone, this should certainly offer a more sensible direction for us to pursue what may be more sensible
than going through the challenging exercise of making
gluten - free baked goods from substances like almond, potato, tapioca, and bean flours, which may or may not be necessary for a short period of time while you re-introduce your digestive tract to the high - vitamin, mineral, and fiber - endowed heritage grains such as einkorn, emmer, spelt and even some heritage organic whole
wheat or one of our more
modern organic whole
wheat breeds that are grown without chemical treatments.
Researchers have also found evidence supporting the claim that spelt may be easier for humans to digest
than wheat.4
Modern wheat has been altered over the years through breeding to simplify its growth and harvesting, increase its yield and raise its gluten content for the production of commercial baked goods — all of which has rendered modern wheat more difficult to d
Modern wheat has been altered over the years through breeding to simplify its growth and harvesting, increase its yield and raise its
gluten content for the production of commercial baked goods — all of which has rendered
modern wheat more difficult to d
modern wheat more difficult to digest.
Like rye, einkorn is lower in phytic acid and contains an easier to digest form of
gluten than modern hybrid
wheat.
However, a study published in 2013 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry cast doubt on part of Davis» hypothesis when it reported that there's not really any more
gluten in
modern wheat than there was in 1920s - era
wheat.
No, spelt does contain
gluten, although it is much easier to digest
than most
modern kinds of
wheat.