How scientific modifications have turned wheat into a harmful substance.
Hybridization is a process used in an animal or plant breeding that combines different species or varieties. Hence, hybridization differs from genetic modification that uses the DNA of one species to inject into another species.
One famous example comes from the 1950’s when scientists in Brazil thought to breed a new species of bees that would produce more honey in tropical environments. They imported African Honey Bee queens from South Africa. Some of the hybrid bees escaped and established other colonies and grew rapidly. According to National Geographic, the bees produced in great numbers in the Amazon rain forest and led to 1,000 deaths, which is how they developed the name “killer bees”. These killer bees arrived in the US in the 1990’s. Researchers attributed six deaths to the killer bees since their arrival.
Hybridization doesn’t always turn in a bad thing, but when it does, it can become quite dangerous as you can see. This can happen in animals and food. One food to take note of is wheat.
Technologically Advanced Super Wheat
During the Green Revolution in the 1940’s to the 1960’s, wheat went through an aggressive, irradiating and gene mutating technology. The hybridized wheat with multiple chromosomes morphed into wheat that was decreasingly digestible.
There are two dangerous results of the new process of growing wheat. The first problem is the reason for the hybridization process. They wanted more gluten because it essentially makes cooking and baking easier. However, the increased level of gluten, a protein, decreased its digestibility.
Dr. Mark Hyman, in his book called The Blood Sugar Solution, examined the changes in wheat after hybridization.
“This new modern wheat may look like wheat, but it is different in three important ways that all drive obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more. It contains a super starch, amylopectin A, that is super fattening, a form of super gluten that is super inflammatory, and acts like a super drug that is super addictive and makes you crave and eat more.”
The Glut of Gluten
Gluten triggers the over-abundance of the proteins called zonulin, which is responsible for the permeability of tight junctions between cells of the wall of the digestive tract. Too much zonulin production disrupts intestinal barrier function and can lead to a condition called leaky gut. This study was done by Giovanni Barbara and his team at the University of Bologna, Italy.
The second problem with this method of growing wheat is that it is highly sprayed with the dangerous and deadly herbicide Roundup. The active ingredient in this herbicide is glyphosate. According to the US Department of Agriculture, producers treat 99% of durum wheat, 97% of spring wheat, and 61 % of winter wheat with herbicides. Furthermore, if you use bulgur wheat as an alternative, it is made from durum wheat, and therefore is most likely treated with the herbicide as well.
Intestinal Fortitude Found
Many people are intolerant to hybridized wheat, and as a result, they experience mild to moderate gastrointestinal discomfort. However, for at least 1% of the population, it is not just discomfort, but the very serious condition called Celiac disease. People with Celiac disease are not able to tolerate gluten even in small amounts. Certainly, this group of people must be cognizant and diligent about reading labels to determine if a food is safe since so many prepared foods have gluten in various forms.
There are heirloom varieties of wheat that include red fife, farro (emmer), spelt, bulgur and einkorn. All of these varieties, however, are hybridized with the exception of einkorn. It is the only wheat variety that has the normal number of chromosomes – two sets of seven for a total of 14 (increased chromosome number indicates it is hybridized).
Here are six grains* that are gluten free and hybridization free:
1. Amaranth
2. Quinoa
3. Montina
4. Teff
5. Whole grain sorghum
6. Millet
*Oats must be pure and uncontaminated. There is some controversy about whether oats are really gluten free.
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