Page 50 - Summer2014

The three this to happen to their children and other family varieties, rye, and barley (and maybe oats) con-

heritage wheat members while not realizing that this may truly tain gluten, let’s look a little closer at the actual
create a life-long inability to enjoy wheat prod-
structure of grains so we can better understand
varieties that ucts. the differences that make these heritage grains
are slowly Katherine Czapp, in her article (http:// so valuable to our health.
being brought preview.tinyurl.com/nn52agl) titled “Our Daily Somewhere in our own history, we dis-
Bread,” notes that her father, Vasili, diagnosed covered the value of the concentrated source
back into use with full-blown celiac disease, could eventually of nutrients in every ancestral grain or wheat.
are einkorn, eat whole grain sourdough bread, slow-fermented Properly prepared (by soaking, sprouting and
emmer, and in traditional Russian fashion, with no digestive dehydrating, or leavening with wild yeasts), the
issues. It is crucial to note that this occurred nutrients stored within the grains were freed to
some forms after nearly two years of very concerted effort be used by our own bodies, and use them we did,

of spelt. to restore his gut health. While this success may supplementing the other foods that had nourished
not be possible for everyone, this should certainly us for thousands of years: animal-sourced foods
offer a more sensible direction for us to pursue and other plants.
what may be more sensible than going through Every kernel of grain has protein, fats,
the challenging exercise of making gluten-free carbohydrate, and fiber, stored neatly in a pack-
baked goods from substances like almond, po- age protected by a fibrous outer layer called the
tato, tapioca, and bean flours, which may or may hull. The bran is the outer layer of the grain.
not be necessary for a short period of time while Next is the endosperm. The heart of the grain is
you re-introduce your digestive tract to the high- the germ. The bran (14.5 percent of the kernel’s
vitamin, mineral, and fiber-endowed heritage mass) is made of protein, fiber, starch, fat, and
grains such as einkorn, emmer, spelt and even many B vitamins (all these are lost, of course,
some heritage organic whole wheat or one of our when grain is milled, removing the bran). The
more modern organic whole wheat breeds that relatively high fat level in bran means that the
are grown without chemical treatments. grain—once hulled—can quickly go rancid (a
good reason to store whole grains in a cool place
ANCESTRAL GRAINS: POSSIBLE CURE TO and use them quickly once ground).
THE GLUTEN-FREE CRAZE The endosperm is the largest part of the
Landrace, heritage and ancestral grains are kernel, with 83 percent of its total mass; in wheat,
best defined as those that originated in one of this is the part of the grain that, once the bran
their native countries such as Iran, Syria, Turkey, and germ have been removed, is milled into
or Russia, and have gratefully made their way white flour. The endosperm nourishes the germ
through history without a complete change in it wraps around until the seed has taken root and
their make-up. The three that are now slowly started to grow into a new plant. While it is rich
being brought back into use are einkorn, emmer, in starch, it also contains about 75 percent of the
and some forms of spelt. Organic whole wheat protein plus iron and B complex vitamins.
varieties are best defined as wheat which may Finally, the germ, the smallest part of the
or may not be landrace grains, as not all grains wheat kernel (2.5 percent of the whole), also
that have had an evolution from landrace grains contains numerous B complex vitamins and
to our modern wheat varieties are to be avoided. vitamin E. About 8 percent of the protein found
What is of critical importance for those of us in wheat is in the germ.
following an ancestral diet is that our sources of Minerals found in grain can include calcium,
whole wheat are grown organically without the iron, phosphorus (bound up as phytic acid),
use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper,
iodine, chlorine, sodium, and silicon. One bonus
A CLOSER LOOK AT ANCIENT GRAINS supplied by wheat is betaine, a substance that
Now that we all “know” that even heritage protects our cells against stress, and stimulates
grains (which include einkorn, emmer, spelt, the body's production of vitamin B .
12
and triticum landrace) and organic whole wheat
50 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2014 Wise Traditions

137720_text.indd 50 7/1/14 11:41 AM