The differences between hybrid and heirloom wheat strains compared to genetically modified, or GMO wheat approved by the FDA. Which are safe to eat and what to avoid!
The bestselling book Wheat Belly, by William Davis MD, resulted in many people believing that genetically modified (GMO) wheat is already present in the food supply.
While it is true that scientists around the world are testing GMO wheat including the United States, a drought-tolerant variety is only being cultivated in South America at this time. (1-4)
The warnings against wheat in Wheat Belly are specifically in reference to hybrid wheat strains. This is very different from genetic modification.
However, GMO wheat is definitely on the horizon in the United States and coming at us very quickly with the recent FDA approval of Argentina’s drought-resistant strain. (5, 9)
Let’s examine the differences between hybridized and GMO wheat and what to know to eat wheat safely in the changing landscape ahead.
Hybrid Wheat
Most of the wheat in the world is hybridized.
The only non-hybrid exception is einkorn wheat, which is in the same natural state it was many millennia ago. It is, in fact, the first and most ancient cereal grain known to humanity.
Contrary to popular belief, all other heirloom or “heritage” wheat varieties are hybridized.
Familiar examples include spelt, kamut, red fife, and white sonora, among many others.
Be aware that food propaganda from mainstream media has intentionally conflated the terms “GMO” and “hybrid”. (6)
Thus, it is critically important to understand the scientific distinctions between the two.
Hybrid Plant Cultivation
When hybridizing a plant, farmers select for one or more natural DNA characteristics during cultivation.
This encourages the development of a strain that is, for example, sweeter, larger, or more resistant to drought.
Hybridization never involves tampering with DNA by mixing it with an unrelated species.
Thus, hybridization can occur either spontaneously in nature or via careful cultivation by farmers.
Genetic Modification
By comparison, genetic modification mixes the DNA of different species.
One of the earliest attempts at GMO wheat was the creation of triticale, a forced and unnatural cross of wheat and rye. Triticale seeds are sterile.
Since then, DNA mixing has gone even further off the deep end, involving the mixing of plant, animal, insect, or even microbial DNA!
In short, genetic modification is a completely unnatural, “Frankenfood” approach to cultivation.
In my opinion, it is an abomination.
Beyond the moral issues of risking planetary health through the introduction of unnatural, invasive species, there are significant health risks to humans who consume GMO foods.
Genetically modified foods trigger a massive inflammatory effect in the body. They should be avoided at all costs.
Hybrid vs GMO Wheat
Applying these differences to a practical level, hybridization of plants has been practiced for centuries by farmers.
In fact, most of the plant foods we consume every day are hybridized in some form or fashion.
As mentioned earlier, hybridization occurs through the selection of desirable and inheritable characteristics that are either dominant or recessive genetic traits.
It can also happen spontaneously in nature due to environmental stress of some kind.
In the case of wheat, strains that are high in gluten have been favored in recent decades given that they are more desirable in food processing.
High-gluten hybrid wheat holds together better for massive food production and shipping purposes.
The result is that modern wheat is much higher in gluten than nonhybridized strains (einkorn) or even hybridized heirloom varieties such as spelt.
How did modern wheat get so high in gluten?
The reason is because modern wheat was artificially hybridized using radiation during the “Green Revolution” of the 1950s and 1960s.
This suspect process produced hybrid strains in a lab that perhaps would not have been possible using traditional cultivation practices. (7, 8)
Is Hybrid Wheat Healthy?
So far, we’ve established that GMO wheat is not the same as hybrid varieties.
GMO wheat is not safe to eat. If and when it makes its debut into the food supply, avoid it like the plague!
What about hybrid wheat? Can this be consumed safely?
My opinion is that heirloom wheat varieties that are natural hybrids using ancient cultivation techniques would be safe to eat.
This is assuming that your digestive system is in good shape and you can eat it without any autoimmune or inflammatory symptoms.
Sourcing Wheat Varieties Safely
Modern wheat is another issue entirely. This type of hybridized wheat was created using radiation-induced mutagenesis.
Irradiated wheat is the type of wheat in processed foods and the form most people have issues with.
Although I can digest modern wheat without symptoms, I choose to avoid it in favor of heirloom varieties or (best choice), einkorn (here’s the source I suggest).
These varieties are more nutritious and put less of a strain on the digestive system.
If you choose to eat modern wheat because it is less expensive, I would suggest, at the very least, to always buy organic.
This is because modern wheat crops are desiccated with herbicides containing glyphosate right before harvest.
This virtually guarantees a heavy residue in the wheat flour ground from these kernels.
Glyphosate (Roundup) destroys gut flora. In addition, it contributes in a massive way to the development of autoimmune issues including cancer.
Another tip. Whatever form of wheat you eat, sprouting, soaking or sour leavening grains as practiced by traditional societies is still a critical step. This careful preparation breaks down gluten into more digestible form and allows better nutrient assimilation with less strain on digestion.
(1) The World’s First Drought Resistant GMO Wheat is Here
(2) GM Wheat that Repels Aphids Grown by British Scientists
(3) Brazil approves GMO wheat on food supply fears
(4) GMO Wheat Being Tested in Two States
(5) GMO wheat gets OK from U.S. FDA
(6) Farmers may have been accidentally making GMOs for millennia
(7) Wheat mutagenesis by combining recurrent irradiation, hybridization and DH-technology
(8) History and Overview of the Green Revolution
(9) GMO wheat in the US? It’s getting closer
Sarah,
Again I am asking you to tell us how you “know” the statements you have made about wheat specifically you said:
“Switching to processed foods that don’t contain wheat is not going to move the ball forward to better health in the slightest”
How do you know that – where is the evidence or are you just guessing. I’m not trying to be smart just want to know where the proof is?????
Although I don’t agree with most of the article, I DO believe that “Switching to processed foods that don’t contain wheat is not going to move the ball forward to better health in the slightest”…. We should eliminate processed foods completely.
I’ve been on the Dukan Diet for 8 months and there are no processed foods on that program. I can’t imagine going back on. “Gluten-Free” processed foods does not necessarily = Healthy.
I am discouraged by the negative side that Weston Pricers (for lack of a better word) have decided to take on the Paleo/Primal folks. I actually look for advice from both sides of the spectrum. I am discouraged by AnnMarie of Cheeseslave since she found Matt. I know that each of you has your side of the story. But what is right for you and Ann Marie is not right for me at this point. I agree that gut issues are a big part of the story. But until then grains are not working for me. I think we all need to be on the same page that there are two sides to every story. Paleo should NOT be coming down on Pricers and Pricers should not come down on Paleo. All of us want to help others heal. What works for one doesn’t work for another. You made very valid points but I think the tone turned folks off perhaps. You did make a valid point that GM wheat and hybrid wheat are two different things. And I thank you for that. I was not aware of that issue but that is not why I stopped eating wheat. I personally have blood sugar issues that I am hoping GAPS will address some because I really hope to be able to have a slice of sourdough every once in awhile without issues but for right now it ain’t happenin’! But the bigger thing is that you, Ann Marie and Paleo bloggers have taught me a bunch and I continue to grow and heal every day by the wisdom of both sides.
Really disagree with this article. If anyone reads Wheat Belly and thinks GM then they did not really read the book. The author makes it crystal clear what he is talking about. It is also a WONDERFUL book with hard data to back the claims and the info about why hybridization is so bad in wheat as opposed to other foods is very eye opening. This book was the last straw for me and I ended up cutting all grains out of my diet. NEVER felt better in my life. I attend CrossFit classes daily and I am bench pressing and squatting with the boys now – who also will not touch grains BTW. I am constantly amazed at how my body is changing for the better. I went from properly prepared grains and fermented to no grains. The first thing I noticed was I was no longer bloated. In fact I didn’t know what it felt like to NOT be bloated until 3-4 days off of grains.
I see no reason on this planet to re-introduce them at any point… there would be no reason to (healthwise) in my mind unless I just wanted to taste/enjoy them again.
This is a well-written article. I was once on Dr Davis’ blog and he and others were using GM and hybridized wheat terms in such a way that it would confuse a reader into thinking GM wheat IS the same as hybridized wheat. I have never read his book and I’m still looking for a review that doesn’t come from anyone who pushes Paleo. I think many people feel good on Paleo at first, but that it’s detrimental to health in the long run. I think being on Paleo and eating too low carb wrecked my health.
I would rather do the GAPS diet for a short time and heal my gut, than have to cut wheat and all grains out of my diet.
There’s a review of Wheat Belly on the Weston A. Price Foundation site: http://www.westonaprice.org/thumbs-up-reviews/wheat-belly-by-william-davis
I haven’t yet read Wheat Belly (it’s on my list), but I am of the opinion that modern wheat strains definitely aren’t the same as they used to be, hybrid or not. And I think that’s a big issue for many people. One of the problems is that wheat has been changed to contain a much higher gluten content than its historical ancestor, and our bodies simply aren’t designed to deal with that much gluten – not to mention that it is found in many processed foods on the market. It’s true that some seem to do fine on grains, properly prepared – as I’ve heard this from various people. But I also agree that you certainly can’t digest anything well, including grains, if you don’t heal your gut properly first. I think that’s where many people want to take a short cut and not do a healing protocol like GAPS. They think if they just prepare them properly, they don’t have to worry about anything else.
I have been on GAPS since last May and I think it has done wonders for me, but I have also stopped most of my supplements besides FCLO and traded digestive enzymes and liquid minerals I was taking, which weren’t working, for the Loomis Enzymes and Best Process liquid Trace Minerals. I feel doubtful that I’ll personally ever be able to eat grains again the way I used to (3-5 times daily), and I don’t want to go back to eating them that often. From what I’ve read, I really do believe we can get all the nutrients found in grains from other foods such as legumes, nuts, animal products, and vegetables and fruits. I’m not necessarily an advocate of the Paleo or Primal diets, but I think those philosophies offer some important ideas about healthy eating. I think if Dr. Price were alive today, he wouldn’t be so keen on encouraging people to eat as many grains as we do today – even if they are sprouted, soaked, or fermented – due to the way grains are as compared to the historical past. The populations he visited definitely weren’t eating wheat with such high gluten content, and I think that’s a significant problem.
My family doesn’t want to do GAPS, and so I have to just live with the fact that they aren’t digesting their food properly. My husband tried to do it at my suggestion, but only made it for a few weeks. So I do the best I can and when they want grains, I try to offer them soaked, sprouted, and fermented varieties as often as possible.
I’m reading Wheat Belly now, and this post doesn’t really address the voluminous scientific evidence of problems caused by modern dwarf wheat strains documented in the book. I hope it’s clear to readers that Dr. Davis does *not* claim wheat is the product of high-tech gene splicing techniques and is therefore not GMO. He also says too many carbohydrates are a large part of the obesity problem, but this is independent of the problems caused by wheat specifically, and it’s not limited to gastrointestinal disturbances nor is it completely cured by soaking, sprouting, and culturing wheat or other gluten grains. It’s also not only about gluten. It’s not only about celiac disease. I won’t attempt to summarize the book’s contents here in a short comment, but I encourage those who are curious or have concerns to actually read Wheat Belly and not just blogposts dismissing it. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, borrow a copy and read chapters 6 and 7, which get into the science more than the earlier chapters. The book is written in a very accessible, sometimes humorous, popular style, but it is backed up by lots of references.
PleAse tell us “how” you know wheat isn’t the problem – where exactly do you get your facts? pLEASE
I love the Wheat Belly book. It makes so much sense and has been my answer to finally getting rid of that little bit of excess fat in the waist area. Hormonal balance, thyroid issues, I have addressed them all, and finally this book made me see that even though I was eating low sugar, I was still spiking my blood sugar with wheat. Gluten free starches also spike the blood sugar like sucrose does, and having switched to making breads with those blends as of late, I had not realized that it was also doing my belly fat no good until I read this book. It was a total revelation. The pounds have come off fast. What seems to be the confusion here is that his point is that wheat is now so high in starch due to hybridization that it spikes the blood sugar which causes weight gain. Any amount of healing the gut will not solve the insulin spike that certain foods create, sugar and wheat being very high on the glycemic index. Healing the gut will help with digestive issues, but Wheat Belly addresses a totally different aspect of wheat and why it should be avoided. I just want to encourage everyone to read this book, b/c it has nothing to do with digestive or gut issues at all and is a book like no other, in my opinion. Also, anything that spikes the blood sugar creates addiction, so for me, getting off wheat and even GF starches has been easy since now I do not crave them anymore since I have avoided them for some time. So if you cannot imagine a world without grains, you may be surprised that you will not miss them over time since the insulin spike has vanished which creates addition. And coconut and almond flour is very fun and interesting to bake with. Wheat Belly is a very well written book.
Nickole
Do you still think the best way to eat wheat is soaked in water and whey or ACV? I am prepapring to teach a “Soaking Your Wheat” class and had remembered reading this on your blog a while back:
“In addition, Rami told me that soaking whole or sprouted grains in buttermilk, clabbered milk, yogurt or kefir does not seem to reduce phytic acid content significantly.”
Yes, I soaked a big batch of waffles in filtered water and lemon juice just yesterday and made about 20 large waffles for breakfast this morning and will freeze the rest for fast breakfasts the rest of the week 🙂 My husband who is most sensitive to gluten in our family finds that when I soak the wheat this way it produces no symptoms for him at all.
Sarah, they are working on a Perennial wheat at MSU that is supposed to be higher in nutrients. The benefits of a Perennial wheat products are numerous for the environment. What are your thoughts about this.
Haven’t heard of this Anna .. will have to read up on it. Thanks for the tip.
your link is incorrect but i found the article, the FDA is controlled by Monsanto – Monsanto people are on the board of the FDA!!! this says it all!
Excellent post … Thanks for the clarification!