Interest in reevaluating ancient wheat varieties in baking has stemmed from the opinions of some nutritionists who argue that modern wheat varieties, developed through genetic breeding over thousands of years of cultivation, contain chemical compounds responsible for a range of gastrointestinal problems associated with gluten intolerance. Furthermore, they claim that the number of individuals with various wheat intolerances is actually much larger than what is recorded by modern medical systems in the realm of celiac disease. These opinions are controversial, as a significant portion of the scientific community vehemently disputes them, and the studies and claims accumulated in this ongoing debate do not currently converge towards a clear direction.
We know with certainty that our ancestors systematically pursued certain traits when improving grains, such as productivity, stem strength to prevent lodging, reduced cohesion between endosperm and bran for easier milling and sifting, and the absence of awns. However, all these modifications have a genetic basis, and each gene involves the expression of metabolic pathways that lead to the creation of new chemical compounds. The way these new compounds interact with our bodies is indeed an interesting topic of discussion, especially since we do not yet have a significant inventory of them. For instance, Nature recently published a study by two researchers from Israel and the United States who investigated how conventional wheat breeding affected the content of benzoxazinoids in modern wheat compared to ancient varieties. Benzoxazinoids are natural antibiotics found in wheat that protect it from potential infections. When consumed, these compounds can also exhibit antimicrobial activity in the human body, protecting it from infections or interacting with the intestinal microbiome in specific ways. Their study did not necessarily show that wheat domestication and breeding resulted in a unilateral action leading to the disappearance or reduction of these compounds. On the contrary, it demonstrated that the domestication effect caused a decrease or loss of certain metabolites, while simultaneously overexpressing and increasing the abundance of other metabolites with similar effects.
Why is this important? Because it proves that we can find resources in ancient wheat varieties to improve the nutritional and functional value of this cereal. As we compile an inventory of the metabolites lost through domestication, we will be able to reintroduce a whole constellation of phytoactive principles into modern wheat that we have lost while chasing after wheat varieties that expressed phenotypic traits of interest.
The interaction between these compounds and our bodies is subtle enough to not be fully understood at the biochemical level but evident enough to be observed in cohort studies. Earlier this year, a group of Italians managed to convince 29 nuns (my admiration goes out to them, as I haven’t even managed to convince one so far) to consume only food made from refined flour derived from modern wheat varieties for 30 days, followed by another 30 days of consuming food made from whole grain flour from ancient varieties. Various hematological, chemical, fecal microbiota, and metabolomic parameters were evaluated for the nuns at the beginning of the first diet, at the end of it, and after the second diet. The results showed that at the end of the period of consuming food from ancient grains, there was a significant reduction in serum iron, ferritin, creatinine, sodium, potassium, magnesium, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, and folic acid. Additionally, the abundance of cultivable enterococci, lactic acid bacteria, and total anaerobes increased. The ability of the intestinal microbiome to metabolize carbohydrates also increased after the period of consuming ancient grain products. Several volatile organic compounds also increased after a month of consuming a diet enriched with ancient cereals.
Other less fortunate Italians, who were obliged to do office work evaluating literature data on the toxicity of ancient wheat varieties for celiac patients, arrived at the following conclusions earlier this year: „Although EU Directive 828/2014 states that celiac subjects should avoid wheat (e.g., Triticum species, spelt, and Kamut), rye, and barley, recent studies emphasize the presence of variability, in terms of immunostimulatory epitopes, between ancient and modern grains. Minor cereals (such as oats) and ancient cereals have received considerable attention as alternatives for formulating gluten-free products. However, their toxicity for celiac patients is still debated. Some ancient wheat varieties seem to be less toxic for celiac patients. For example, T. monococcum appears to contain fewer toxic peptides, and its prolamins are more susceptible to gastrointestinal digestion. Although some ancient wheat varieties, such as T. monococcum, Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta, and Kamut, are characterized by a reduction in vitro toxicity, studies presented in the literature highlight the presence of immunostimulatory epitopes. Therefore, these varieties are currently considered toxic for celiac patients. Some of these varieties, with a reduced capacity to activate the immune response, could be useful in reducing the incidence of celiac disease, but further studies are needed to confirm this.”
After witnessing the Italians enchanting 29 nuns, American researchers created their own experiment, American Pie-style, by involving 10 female beagles and feeding them with ancient grains (other than wheat), including rice, amaranth, white millet, quinoa, and oat groats. The results were similar to those of the nuns: „Beagles fed with amaranth or oat groats had higher fecal concentrations (P<0.05) of short-chain fatty acids, such as propionate and butyrate, than those treated with rice. The inclusion of ancient cereals appears to beneficially alter fecal microbial populations, with increases in the relative abundances of butyrogenic bacteria (i.e., members of the Lachnospiraceae family) observed for oat groats and reductions in Fusobacteriaceae for both amaranth and oat groats compared to rice.” The authors concluded that the accumulated data from the study „suggest that ancient grains can be included up to 40% in the diet, resulting in beneficial effects on overall health without negatively affecting the digestibility of nutrients.
Another group of Italian researchers analyzed the effect of consuming bread made from a local ancient wheat variety (Verna) on inflammatory parameters and cardio-metabolic risk factors in 17 clinically healthy subjects. They consumed bread made from the ancient wheat variety for 4 weeks in two different forms: with sourdough or with yeast. The consumption of bread from the ancient wheat variety led to a significant improvement in LDL cholesterol levels, regardless of how the bread was prepared (with sourdough or yeast). However, preparing the dough with yeast resulted in a higher postprandial glucose response compared to preparing the dough with sourdough.
Beyond the amusing or not-so-amusing aspect of how the scientists I mentioned here chose to investigate the relevance of ancient grains for a healthy diet, what I want you to take away from this article is that globally, the reevaluation of ancient grains from a nutritional perspective is indeed generating strong interest. Extensive research is being funded, and the industry is leaning towards including these grains in the regular offerings of products accessible to all consumers.
