Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Research suggests that people with celiac disease tolerate sourdough bread where the dough is fermented with a specialized sourdough starter in accordance with traditional methods.
Buyer beware! Most breads labeled as “sourdough” on the market today are anything but…
These fake sourdough breads typically contain yeast and/or a sweetener.
This is an easy giveaway clue that the bread is a phony and should be avoided if one seeks a traditionally baked loaf.
Baker’s Yeast Is Not Traditional
When baker’s yeast was first introduced in France as an alternative to sourdough starter in the mid-1600s, it was strongly rejected!
The scientist-noblemen of the day knew that it would negatively impact people’s health. When the Faculty of Medicine decided to formally examine the question, they banned its use. (1)
True sourdough bread does not contain baker’s yeast. Instead, a Lactobacilli-based starter culture is used.
In addition, authentic sourdough is baked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.
These methods protect the integrity of the cereal grains and preserve nutritional value.
What’s more, anti-nutrients such as phytic acid are eliminated, and gluten, that very difficult-to-digest plant protein, is significantly broken down.
As a practical bonus, sourdough bread stays fresh longer than yeasted bread.
Despite the initial rejection of baker’s yeast, the convenience aspect of quick-rise yeasted loaves resulted in widespread adoption over the last century.
It is no surprise, then, that the skyrocketing cases of gluten intolerance and celiac disease have risen in lockstep over the decades.
Why did pre-industrialized people groups consume gluten-containing breads with no digestive difficulty whatsoever?
Could it be that the traditional preparation methods were somehow protective?
Sourdough and Celiac
The peer-reviewed Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology researched this very question, publishing a study conducted in Europe that examined how celiacs tolerate true sourdough bread. (2)
Seventeen people suffering from celiac disease were given 2 grams of gluten-containing bread risen with either baker’s yeast or a Lactobacilli culture.
Thirteen of the seventeen participants showed negative changes in intestinal permeability consistent with celiac disease. Four participants did not show any negative changes.
Then, all the study participants were given true sourdough bread fermented with a special Lactobacilli culture able to break down the primary amino acid building block that causes an immune response in people with celiac.
None of the study participants showed any negative changes in their intestinal permeability after consuming the bread baked using 30% wheat flour and a mix of oat, millet, and buckwheat flour.
The researchers’ conclusions were summarized as follows:
These results showed that a bread biotechnology that uses selected lactobacilli, nontoxic flours, and a long fermentation time is a novel tool for decreasing the level of gluten intolerance in humans. (3)
What I find interesting about the study is that even when the people who consumed the wheat bread baked with either baker’s yeast or a normal Lactobacilli culture, four (nearly one-quarter) did not show any negative changes to their baseline values of intestinal permeability.
Did these people consume bread raised with a normal sourdough culture?
If so, perhaps even regular sourdough cultures would be sufficient for some celiacs to consume.
Certainly, most with simple gluten intolerance would find true sourdough bread to be easily consumed with no digestive distress.
It seems that the noblemen in the court of Louis XIV of France had it right all along.
Abandoning the traditional methods of bread preparation in favor of baker’s yeast would have disastrous effects on people’s health.
Little did they know that their wisdom several centuries later would be termed “novel” by scientists in the biotechnology industry!
(1) History of Baker’s Yeast
(2, 3) Study Finds Wheat-based Sourdough Bread Started with Selected Lactobacilli is Tolerated by Celiac Disease Patients
More Information
No-Knead Einkorn Sourdough Bread
The Good Gluten You Can Probably Eat Just Fine
The Real Reason Wheat is Toxic (It’s Not the Gluten)
Those were sensitive to gluten lack the gut bacteria B. lactis, which breaks down and consumes gluten. It’s all about your gut microbiome people…
You should still properly prepare grain foods anyway..
Brittany any sort of inflammation can lead to disease,if your immune system is being constantly compromised by a reaction to gluten it cannot be expected to fight cancer,infections,viruses etc it will be a slow slip into joint pain IBS in my husbands case MS weight gain etc I strongly suggest you read Paleo solution by Rob Wolf,wheat Belly by Dr William Davis and Grain Brain by Dr David Purlmutter it is a very serious condition Gluten intolerance not to be taken lightly
I don’t know about celiac but my partner is sensitive to standard bread, as I think we all are really, but has no reaction at all to the home made sourdough.
Hayley Wade
Allison Bearden
My husband either has a wheat allergy or is gluten intolerant. I just ordered 5 lb of eikhorn wheat berries and I’m going to make a sourdough starter from it then try making a long-ferment sourdough bread from the freshly ground flour. That’s the way bread is SUPPOSED to be made. I am so excited and hope that he will have NO reaction to it!
You’re a great woman to do that for him!
Hi
I have recently been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. My husband and I have been doing everything to keep me off the strong drugs. But my Naturopath has had me on a diet of no gluten, sugary, dairy or grains for about 4 weeks. My hands are better but noticed they got inflamed from bread the other day. So I am still testing the other things by seeing how my hands are after introducing a food type per day and working out if any other food groups.
I am only 50 and it could also be hormones and pre menopausal that has triggered it. But my husband is not suppose to have yeast beer only wheat beer. He is lactose intolerant as well We both love our bread so I would love to know how your sourdough turned out and if you would like to share and send me the recipe for the culture and sourdough.
How is your husband going as well.
Bye for now
Kind regards
Tatjana
Sourdough still stuffs my sinuses up.
I just bought Purbread gluten neutralized sourdough bread with an actual sourdough starter. I also got a instant sinus reaction, but it went away as fast as it appeared. I didn’t get headache on left side like I usually do when I encounter wheat. I am hoping this is the answer. I didn’t gain weight or have grain belly, so time shall tell.
Kiki Oosterbroek – Sourdough is much better for us!
Deena Di Meglio Ellson you may like to read this.
Rebekkah you mean for celiac people or people in general? I’ve never heard of gluten causing these things in a “normal” person. I have a gluten sensitivity which is a new thing to me, just recently figured out the source of my stomach problems so your comment are interesting to me.
It’s not worth it, if you have celiac disease. One crumb is enough to trigger a reaction. I’m not going to risk my kid getting cancer, thanks. Because that’s what happens when you allow traces of gluten. Cancer. Or diabetes. Or neurological problems. Not even going there.