In This Article
Is European Bread Better Than American Bread?
Why do some people seem to digest European wheat better than American wheat?
I work with many patients to reintroduce wheat into their diets. Many of them report that when they go to Europe, they can eat bread without difficulties, but when they consume bread stateside, they have digestive-related symptoms.
Of course, it’s logical to immediately blame the quality of American wheat, but the science actually doesn’t support that theory. In Europe, they have been eating domesticated wheat species the same way Americans do.
In fact, domestication, or intentional hybridization, of wheat has been happening for some 10,000 years, according to the seminal scholarly book on wheat cultivation, Wheat Breeding. The reality is that every food we consume has gone through major transformations as a result of hybridization, which makes eating a true ancestral diet difficult, if not impossible!
Take potatoes for example. Wild potatoes have a deadly natural pesticide called solanine, as do eggplants, apples, bell peppers, cherries, and sugar beets. These toxins are not a problem today because of hybridization.
In an exhaustive 19-year study in Canada, published in the journal Cereal Chemistry, researchers evaluated hundreds of ancient and modern strains of wheat and found no genetic differences other than slight variations of protein versus starch content, which is an expected and natural finding.
So, if it’s not the wheat, why do so many feel fine eating the bread in Europe, but not the bread here?
See also Podcast Episode 83: Eat Wheat + Grain Brain Debate Round 2
The Benefits of Going to the Bakery
Most of the bread consumed by vacationers in Europe is made in local bakeries, the old fashioned way—without preservatives or additives.
These local bakeries make artisan bread that can take up to three days to make from start to finish, and it may have a shelf life of just one or two days. By the end of day two, the bread is typically hard as rock—which is why, traditionally, bakers were up very early each morning baking the daily bread.
In the US and in a growing number of large supermarkets in Europe, you can purchase highly processed bread that takes only two hours to bake and can sit on the shelf for weeks or even months before going bad or getting stiff.
Look at the ingredients of your favorite whole wheat bread and see how many chemicals are added to so-called “healthy” bread.
The only ingredients needed to make a loaf of bread are wheat, salt, and water—that’s it!
While the laundry list of unpronounceable ingredients in more pre-packaged grocery store bread is bad enough, the killer (literally) is cooked vegetable oil.
Vegetable oils are added to preserve the squishiness and so-called “freshness” of bread. In their natural state, these oils are very prone to rancidity, so manufacturers bleach, boil, deodorize, and refine them to preserve them. They are so highly processed and refined that they cannot go rancid—which means that no bug, bacteria, or microbe will eat them.
Since the large majority of all the cells in our bodies are microbes, and microbes do the heavy lifting for nearly every physiological function, it makes sense that we should choose foods that they can actually consume.
See also Did You Break Up with Bread? Make Up Now
Why Preservatives are Destroying Your Digestion
That’s right, no bacteria can or will consume a preservative, which is not a good thing.
Also, when vegetable oils are baked or boiled in the process of making bread or pasta, they oxidize and trigger the production of other dangerous oxidizing agents.
The science here is clear. In one study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, processed foods were linked to 141% increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a combination of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low good (HDL) cholesterol, and increased belly fat. In the same study, when whole foods were eaten, including whole wheat, a 38% reduction of these symptoms was seen.
In other studies, and there are many, when eating whole wheat is compared to eating refined or processed wheat, there are significant reductions in:
- Type 2 diabetes risk
- IBS-related symptoms
- Obesity and weight gain
- Cognitive decline or brain fog
- Intestinal inflammation
See also Why, How, and When to Eat Wheat
The Importance of a Rest and Digest Response
When we’re on vacation, we are typically in relaxation mode. Our daily hustle and bustle and high-stress lifestyle are replaced with the exact opposite. There are no alarm clocks, beds to make, meals to cook, or deadlines to meet. We are on vacation time!
Over the years, in addition to folks being able to digest better in Europe, I have had numerous reports from patients that their blood pressure, anxiety, and depression were dramatically reduced while in Europe.
Eating on the run or while stressed out has a powerful effect of literally turning off the digestive process. When stressed, the degenerative fight-or-flight nervous system predominates, which is more concerned about saving your life than engaging in a digestive process.
On the other hand, when you sit down, relax, and enjoy a meal European-style (which is also an important Ayurvedic principle), the rest-and-digest, or parasympathetic, nervous system engages, and we have all hands on the digestive deck!
In Europe, all meals are, in general, freshly prepared and served in an environment that forces us Americans to sit, relax, and enjoy the simple process of eating.
The biggest meal of the day in Europe is lunch. Just after noon, many shops close down and the restaurants fill up with locals stopping in for their two-hour midday meal break.
Circadian science now supports this idea, as studies show that we are meant to eat our largest meal when the sun is high. When the sun goes down, so does our digestive strength.
Bottom line: Eating while stressed or in a hurry is like attempting to paddle a canoe upstream. It is unsustainable!
4 Steps to Digesting Wheat Better
Make no mistake, gluten sensitivity is as big of a problem in Europe as it is here. In fact, my book Eat Wheat has been translated for a handful of European countries.
The digestive difference is not the wheat, but how the pasta or bread is prepared or processed.
Most Americans have been consuming excessive amounts of highly processed, pesticide-laden foods for decades. This has made it more and more difficult for us to properly break down and digest dense proteins, like those found in wheat, dairy, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and beans.
Taking all of these foods out of your diet is not the solution—it simply offers temporary symptomatic relief. The key to digesting more easily is to accomplish the following:
- Avoid processed foods.
- Eat organic seasonal foods. (Sign up for my free monthly seasonal lifestyle guide here.)
- Relax when you eat.
- Troubleshoot your digestive system for weakness. This is one of the main premises of my book Eat Wheat. I take you through a step-by-step process of finding your digestive weak link and then teach you how to repair with whole foods and plant medicines.
Best article EVER!!!! Thank you, makes total and complete sense. More reason to bake my own.
This article is rediculous, it has nothing to do with being on vacation and being relaxed… how silly. It has everything to do with the quality of the ingredients used, no GMO’s, no corn syrups, preservatives, etc… the quality of the food and ingredients are superior in Europe. People look better, you don’t see grossly obese people, and I feel so good when living in Europe and I can eat anything with no issues. We have got to face it, ingredients matter. In italy you can get healthy food anywhere. Here you have to go out of your way to eat well. This is not rocket science. The standard of eating and quality of food matters to Europeans. It is not a high priority here people generally will accept crappy food.
There is plenty of science to back up the effect of stress on every part of our bodies. Rediculous? Not even ridiculous. Read more. Experiment with your own body!!
Whenever I go to Europe, the food tastes amazing. I just got back. I eat all the bread I want. NO ISSUES. Here in the US, I really have to watch what I eat. Americans need to wake up! They need to get their fat asses off the couch and go see the world and see what they’re missing.
that is what he said…no processed foods…no preservatives….eat organic…but there is evidence that stress kills so this article is NOT silly!!!!!!
… I believe you are correct … but I also believe the stress levels are also a factor, because they create hormonal imbalances that affect our gut as well … I live in Switzerland half the year and the US the other half … and while, unfortunately, the Europeans have adapted some bad US food habits, it still predominantly respects meal time at a much slower pace, which aides the digestive system …
You brought up Swizerland and I just want to add that country to the list of places where the food seems safe. I was having bad GI reactions to wheat, dairy and several other foods for about a decade- after the first meal in Switzerland all of my allergies vanished and stayed away for a year after I returned home. They are back now 🙁 I am wondering if others had their food allergies stay away for a while when they came back.
Interesting but do these people who can eat bread in Europe ever eat artisan bread in the US? I can’t believe all the bread made in Europe is the right way and all the bread made here is the wrong way. Something doesn’t quite make sense.
Fda gets pay for play money to put presearvitives and pesticides in our food.it has nothing to with gluten,it’s how it is processed.really
I can’t eat wheat in the U.S. It makes me throw up. When I discovered I can hope the pond and eat bread products there… just another reason to see more of Europe.
You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. I can’t eat gluten or I become very ill. I bought flour from France and can make all kinds of things without ever having even one symptom. It’s NOT just how it’s made!!
Went to Mexico for 16 days and could eat EVERYTHING. It’s NOT just how it’s made, you are SO correct! The bread I ate in Mexico was NOT artisan. I ate food in the EU and had ZERO issues. I am MOVING THERE this fall so myself and my children can EAT again! The US has gotten SO toxic there just simply aren’t words to describe it.
Same here. I don’t know what it is they are doing to wheat but it’s TOXIC!
Roundup! Glycophosphates also is a desicant or drying agent and the result is that you are not only eating poison, you are eating an unripened food.
Because in France and italy, they don’t spray the wheat fields with chemicals. They don’t preserve bread, they bake it, sell it and eat it daily. I make pasta with only Italian wheat and never have an issue. Our food and ingredients are tainted.
Where do you buy your wheat and what brands? I hear many are made with US wheat! Probably what they sell to Americans. Oye!
Where do you buy your Italian wheat?
How right you are,!! The chemicals sprayed to kill the bugs in wheat end up having holes in their system, imagine what that does to humans when we eat wheat sprayed with that chemical?
It is the same here in Australia whereas Europe has forbidden this type of chemical to be sprayed on their wheat field.
You’ve hit the nail on the spot.
This is true. Wheat grown in Canada is legally and routinely sprayed with Roundup. I have an anaphalactic reaction to pesticides and have no food allergies. Every now and again, I’ll hit a piece or whole loaf of bread that makes my soft palate swell and sting. We. Are. Eating. Pesticides.
The real issue of European vs American wheat, as I have understood it after researching this is that American wheat is sprayed with Roundup at the end of its growth just prior to harvesting. This is a toxic compound that kills the wheat making it easier to harvest.
That is a good question. I bake at home, I can’t say I trust our local bakeries that much either. And even though I bake at home I still feel the effects of gluten intolerance and can’t eat what I make. Then I read that it’s the glyphosphates, and tested it out by buying some euro wheat. Made a loaf, had a big hunk, no cramps, a day later, no migraines, no bloat to upset stomach, no lethargy. Hmmmmm
MTHFR gene defective people cannot digest Folic acid (man made B9) Folate is nature made B9. Folic acid has been added to almost all flour, cereal, etc…. anything that says,”enriched”..Starting back in the 1990’s it became more widespread to prevent spina bifida.
Where did you buy your euro wheat? Thanks.
I have had exactly the same experience. I’ve been a baker for decades and prepare 80% of my meals at home with fresh ingredients. Gluten intolerance, or what I thought was gluten intolerance began for me about 6 years ago. Last month I tried baking bread with flour from France- voila! – no negative GI results. So I tried 2 more days of my own French bread and still no cramps, no repeat trips to their bathroom. . . amazing. Then as a test, I ate half a slice of an American brand of white bread and 6 hours later I was suffering all the painful indignities associated with gluten intolerance. That’s quite enough proof for me that something indigestible has been done to American wheat.
Ed, most wheat (99% or more) is NOT sprayed with roundup just prior to harvest. This is a falsehood that anti GMO people are spreading. Wheat just before harvest is mature and at a growth stage where it can not absorb the Roundup. That wheat that is sprayed has late maturing (green) stalks that would not thrash and add too much moisture to the ripe grain. The Roundup kills those green stalks and they do not produce seed which can be saved by the combine harvester. They go back to the ground. Don’t believe anything Dr. Senneff or Sarah Pope write, they lie about wheat. I have grown nothing except wheat for 40 years, over 2 milllion bushels or 75,000,000 loafs of bread. Most wheat is not sprayed with Roundup , it is a healthy produce. Ask a real expert, a farmer! Thanks, Roger
So why can’t I or my kids eat wheat in the US but we can in the EU and Mexico? Just spent 10 days in Mex and did not have artisan bread. It was cheapo bread there, nothing fancy. It’s a sad day when our food is so contaminated – and we eat mostly organic here in the US – like 85% organic but in Mexico and the EU I can eat their conventionally grown foods with ZERO problems! Help!
This article is rediculous, it has nothing to do with being on vacation and being relaxed… how silly. It has everything to do with the quality of the ingredients used, no GMO’s, no corn syrups, preservatives, etc… the quality of the food and ingredients are superior in Europe. People look better, you don’t see grossly obese people, and I feel so good when living in Europe and I can eat anything with no issues. We have got to face it, ingredients matter. In italy you can get healthy food anywhere. Here you have to go out of your way to eat well. This is not rocket science. The standard of eating and quality of food matters to Europeans. It is not a high priority here people generally will accept crappy food.
Roger,
With all due respect, you JUST admitted that wheat IS SPRAYED WITH ROUNDUP. Regardless that folks are a bit fuzzy on the details as to when in the crop cycle it is sprayed, you JUST ADMITTED that it is sprayed and then the SEEDS of that sprayed plant go in the GROUND and grow into MORE WHEAT!?!? Also, you don’t supposed that *maybe* that Roundup is getting into the soil? I have no doubt that you’re a fine farmer, with many years of success, you are the one that has been brainwashed by Monsanto: https://usrtk.org/monsanto-roundup-trial-tracker-index/
I went on a farmers blog once and they were going on and on about how safe it is to spray the fields.
I lived in Germany for 1 1/2 years. I definitely found the pace much slower. If you eat at a restaurant, you will sit for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours. If you eat at home, you stop by the bread place on the way there. Pick up a loaf and it’s true, it will be hard and inedible within two days. That’s why the bread shops are all in neighborhoods. Get off the bus and walk to the bread store. Two blocks later, you’re home. Since you have to carry most of everything, you rarely do a ‘big shopping trip’. You shop for what you need for a few days only. Your fridge is a mini fridge, so it stores only what you’ll be eating right away. And, you don’t have a ton of leftovers – doesn’t make sense – no place to store. Every day you’re eating fresh food.
Also, to get around, even though many people have cars, primarily, you walk, use public transportation, and bicycle. So, your body is getting movement as you digest.
I’ve always wondered why I could eat bread in Europe and lose weight, but in America, eat a slice and gain five pounds. Now, I think I know.
Thanks!!! – Loved your book, by the way. Even got family members to purchase and read.
I always wondered why I throw up bread in America but can eat bread in Europe just fine. I sit down and relax longer over there. That’s IT!!! Dumb.
What about the fact that Canada sells wheat to Europe, especially Italy?
Would that have the same effect? How can you know what wheat they use?
You seem to have ignored the thesis promoted a few years ago, that the way wheat is harvested in the US is central to the problem. Use of Round-Up to maximize the yield at harvesting, resulting in glyphosate entering out food chain, has increased generally in the US. Since the stuff interferes with bacteria, it hurts digestion, and may well be the problem that people are reacting to with the no-gluten fad. Not eating wheat helps them; the question remains, why? This could be it, and Monsanto would be certainly interested in having the thesis drowned out by any number of other ideas, like gluten and celiac sensitivity.
Peter, roundup in not sprayed on most wheat (99% or more) ever. Not just before harvest or ever! As a wheat farmer for over forty years I know what is done and I read the lies which so called experts spread. Shame on them, thanks Roger
The wheat looks very different than the ones we grew up with. I am over 70 years old, and the wheat used to be sooo tall. It looks like a different species now, shorter, perhaps stronger. I make my own bread now with either Red Fife, Einkorn or Emmer flours. More work but much safter for my digestive system.
Yeah not buying it. Can’t believe it’s just about stress and preservatives.
Never eat bread with preservatives and stress level can be high even on vacation. So many people can eat bread in France. Also I never get gastrointestinal problems as gluten manifests other problems for me, like joint pain.
Clearly people that don’t use or eat American wheat report no health issues so of course it makes sense that there is something wrong with American wheat. We need to demand higher standards like the European do. The issue is money and profit is more important here than health and well being. Be more careful with what you put in your mouth. Search doe quality and cook at home so you can control what you eat. Buy imported ingredients. Cheese, olive oil, flour and stick to basics.
It’s not just people on relaxing vacations who enjoy wheat products in Europe, but not he US. I know a handful of Service (Army) people (and family members) who fit that profile. A couple of them have said that, while still in Europe, they started regretting having to move back to the US, because that meant “no more bread or pasta”
Also, it’s not just yeast breads. I spent a very busy, somewhat stressful, two weeks in Greece and enjoyed a turopita (or something similar) for breakfast every day and pitas almost every lunch, with not discomfort… But then, maybe it was the fabulous feta.
It’s been stated by farmers that wheat in the USA has being sprayed with something so that it can be yield faster. This is why people can eat wheat in European Countries.
Sorry, but I don’t think relaxing on vacation has anything to do with it. Neither does Roundup, or preservatives, or the time it takes to make bread. Don’t get me wrong – I’m no fan of Roundup or preservatives, but I really don’t think these are the reason some people can’t eat wheat here in the US. I get horrible indigestion eating wheat and my son gets headaches so bad they make him vomit. My father in law has had digestive issues for decades. We all switched to a gluten free diet and the symptoms went away, but then we discovered something even better… Einkorn wheat. It’s not cheap, but it’s real wheat and doesn’t bother us at all. It’s an ancient wheat variety that literally has a different number of genes than modern wheat. If modern wheat has been bred so much that it has a different number of genes than its parent, it’s hard to say that it is even the same plant! As for vacationing in Europe, I don’t know what variety they grow over there, but this past summer found us hiking through wheat fields in Tuscany and I can tell you the wheat in those fields was a lot shorter than any wheat I have seen grown here in the US. It was only about 18 inches high – I’m certainly no wheat farmer, but I’m pretty sure that most US wheat is twice that high (or more). Granted, this is only circumstantial evidence, but it would seem to point to the idea that European wheat is in fact genetically different. And yeah, my son and I can eat wheat over there!
I just bought some cookies that are products from Germany and Italy. I’m am gluten free and cannot digest American wheat. I had a sweet roll from Japan and I was able to eat that just fine-no problems-. Should I roll the dice with eating these cookies? My only worry is that they bought the wheat from america/Canada and used the tainted wheat.
Here is an interesting read… http://vitalityandhappiness.com/low-quality-bread-make-you-depressed/
I’ve caught wind of the ‘drying agent’ useage of glyphosate only recently. been going on since the eighties! i like to buy imported italian pasta rather than organic pasta. i figure the chances it’s organic because of their laws there [banning these united states/ canada farming practices] are pretty high. could they be importing u.s. wheat? sure! but imported italian pasta is quite a bit cheaper than organic pasta. so i’ll take my chances…
I have thought the same way and started buying Italian flour over organic. I hope this thought is correct and the flour is grown, harvested and packaged proper.
I’m convinced glyphosate is the culprit. My daughter, diagnosed with Myothenias Gravis an auto immune disorder suggested to be triggered by gluten intolerance. She dropped wheat and products with gluten, and enjoys considerably reduced symptoms.
I make pizza at home from scratch, and only use flour from Italy. I buy it from Amazon. When she was first diagnosed I invited her over for pizza, but I forgot about her diagnosis. She was too polite to say anything, but called the next day to ask what kind of flour I used. She said she was symptom-free after eating the pizza, which she said was very strange.
I did some research and finally discovered that many Western European countries have banned Monsanto products from their agricultural industry. There is no legitimate system for organic certification, and while using Monsanto is obviously not acceptable for organic-labeled agriculture I don’t feel seeking this factor results in the same level of contaminate elimination. Who knows?
Since the pizza flour discovery, she’s been strictly using Italian flour and has since become “cured.”
I’m grateful for this article! And I’m also grateful someone mentioned glysophate and Monsanto and gmos. I personally feel that is a Huge factor in Europe wheat and US.
Yes! There is something different about Italian flour. I have serious gluten sensitivity in the US and am experiencing it now. But just returned from Italy where I was able to eat bread products the whole time with no problems. Oddly the reason I ate bread was often because I was “on the go” with my kids and was grabbing a quick sandwich as we dashed off to the next museum. I felt better than I have in years. And it wasn’t because we were “eating slowly” Italian style or were relaxing as the author of the book suggests. That had absolutely nothing to do with my improved ability to eat wheat in Italy.
I’m in Italy now, and thought I’d try a croissant with my morning coffee. Nope, my body still doesn’t love it. Not seeing a difference in how I react to wheat foods here sadly.
I have made my own bread for decades, usually with butter but sometimes with vegetable or olive oil. Gluten sensitivity entered my life about 12 years ago and 3 years ago I adopted a gluten free diet, eating strange “breads” occasionally but forgoing all products made with flour as just one saltine cracker would result in painful intestinal cramps and a morning spent within 10 feet of the bathroom. 4 months ago someone told me that, although they also had a life-altering sensitivity to gluten, they indulged repeatedly in breads and pastries in France, Holland, and Germany during a recent trip to Europe and they had no – NONE – NADA – gluten sensitivity! So I found organic French flour at Amazon and made my own bread. Voila – no cramps etc. I made cookies, YEA! Cake – also YEA! So I now believe I do NOT have a gluten sensitivity but rather my gut is sensitive to something that’s done to wheat grown in the US that is not done to wheat grown in France. I’ve also tried the Einkhorn wheat and have no reaction to that either. I prefer my bread made with the French flour.
I agree. I have had similar experiences. Starting with eating organic bread when visiting the U.S. and I live in Canada, so the bread is virtually the same. The wheat in north america puts me in bed for 3 days with bowel spasms and diarhhea, fever etc.and takes 6 weeks before I feel well again. No problem eating the breads in Portugal, Spain. When travelling I ask where the restaurant gets its wheat and if they say Canada or U.S. I know I am doomed.
What brand of flour from Italy do you buy on Amazon?
I live in Ontario, Canada and I can buy Italian flour at my local Grocer (Metro). It is called Vita Sana, Tipo “00”, Italian Soft Wheat Flour. Check you local grocer, they too may carry this brand or similar. It’s a great flour that I use for bread and baked goods.1 kg sells for under $3.00 CA. Hope this may help. Amazon will likely be more expensive for similar flours.
do you mind sharing the name of the flour that u purchase?
Is Subway wheat bread ok?
I would love to know the name of the French and Italy flour you all use.
Einkorn flour is from Italy.
Francine is a soft wheat grown in France. You can purchase it at Amazon.
Not 100% sure it is the preservatives. I can eat organic bread, or any bread with I bleached flour. For me the triggering agent is that it is enriched bleached flour. For folks that can eat European bread just fine try King Arthur Flour in your goods and see if that makes a difference.
What about South America and Puerto Rico? I can eat gluten all day long in Europe/Middle East but not a chance in the US.
Thanks!
I’m from Europe (Austria) and I’ve never noticed that the European bread would last less than North-American breads. Tbh I often have rather the opposite experience. I’m really sorry, but this explanation is just not right with the European vacation and the artisan bakeries. There are many superstore bread in Europe as well, and those don’t trigger my Crohn disease like the pastry and breads here in Canada.
The difference is known … it’s glyphosate that is used on US wheat at harvest time. Check out Dr. Zach Bush to learn all about it.
Agreed. Great resource! I should have him back on my podcast to discuss that!
Also Dr. Perlmutter and I discuss this in our more recent interview here:
https://lifespa.com/eat-wheat-grain-brain-david-perlmutter/
While he is overall against grains, we discussed consuming non-gmo, non-pescticide-laden, minimally-processed, natural sources of grains being fine in moderation and in season.
There is just so much awful stuff done to our food here in the states, it barely resembles real food anymore.
This article doesn’t even mention that THERE ARE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF WHEAT. Yes, all have been hybridized over the decades and centuries but there are still very distinct and different varieties being grown with very different levels of gluten and even “strength” of the gluten protein.
Most of the wheat produced in the U.S. is hard red wheat. It is favored in the U.S. because, ironically, it produces softer, lighter bread with a softer crust. Hard red wheat has much more gluten than soft wheat and the gluten it does have is a stronger protein and doesn’t break down as easily as the gluten in soft wheat. While Europe does import some U.S. wheat and you will probably find several different varieties grown, most of the wheat grown and used in Europe is of the soft variety.
Other things that could be a factor: TRACE MINERALS; U.S. wheat tends to be higher in many minerals than Europe because of different fertilizer regulations. U.S. wheat has 10 times more selenium than European wheat. FOLIC ACID; The U.S., Canada and Australia (and just recently the UK) all add folic acid to ALL wheat flour to prevent birth defects caused by low folate. Many people who think they are gluten intolerant may have a MTHFR gene mutation and can not process folic acid. It acts as a poison in those people and leads to high levels of homocysteine and intestinal inflammation and permeability.
So does that mean if you buy the whole grain and grind it yourself that the folic acid will not be in the flour? Just trying to learn!
Nevertheless, GF foods, breads, etc… are HUGE in Europe. I spend half the year living there, and travel
ALOT to other countries (I’m in France mostly) and personally, don’t find that I can eat the wheat products any more easily than I do in the US. I simply feel better not eating the stuff. And many Europeans are also experiencing gluten-related sensitivity and health issues.
Additionally, we are located in central France, where various staple crops are grown. I speak often with local residents and farmers, and they have all said that the quality of wheat isn’t what it used to be, and farming methods aren’t either. Many farmers are growing GMO strains, and many use pesticides. So not sure I really believe that wheat is generally better throughout Europe.
Yes, it’s much easier to find artisanal breads, pastries, etc…. And they are delicious. I don’t find I feel any better eating those.
Just sayin’ ……
So I’m wondering if it would be better to buy European whole grains and grind your own flour? Anyone?
Einkorn makes a flour which is from Italy. It is ancient grain. I make sourdough bread with it and it is delicious. And I can tolerate it better than U.S. sourdough commercially made sourdough.
One word explains all this its called Frankeinwheat.
I think the article misses major points of why European wheat is more digestible than American:
1. Most European wheat is “soft” wheat. It is lower in gluten than American wheat (“hard red”), and what gluten there is, breaks down more easily.
2. American farmers use Roundup on wheat crops to improve crop yield/harvesting. Roundup contains Glyphosate that is linked to the significant increase in gluten sensitives, overall digestion, weight gain among other health issues.
3. Europe more heavily regulates GMO’s, if not bans them.
4. American manufactures use preservatives that cause additional health problems.
I agree with the comments saying being on vacation are shortsighted in talking about why Europeans lose weight/easily digest bread while at home, but gain weight/have digestive issues in eating American bread. The points missing in this article are:
1. European bread is made of “soft” wheat, which has lower gluten than “hard red” American wheat, and what gluten there is, is more easily broken down.
2. American farmers use Roundup on wheat crops (improves yield/harvesting) and it contains Glyphosate, well known to be linked to the significant increase in digestion issues among other health issues.
3. Most European manufacturers of bread do not use preservatives. Europeans are used to shopping more frequently than Americans..
4. Europe more heavily regulates GMO crops, if not bans them outright.
5. Most Americans with digestive issues have no problem consuming wheat products in Europe, even losing weight while eating there, but upon returning to America, they have skin, digestive and weight problems.
Please contact your state representative to ask them to write regulations that ban the use of Roundup, or any product that contains Glyphosate, on food crops, in your state. Glyphosate is creating a host of health problems including an epidemic in diabetes, weight gain, digestion and more.
On top of that, American wheat is not really a true grain product any more, as it’s been so genetically altered over the decades. The current “modern” varieties (planted for yield, not for digestion), covered with layers of pesticides and fungicides that we spray on them mercilessly, don’t play well with human digestive systems.