Is Einkorn Gluten Free?
If you’re asking yourself whether Einkorn contains gluten, the answer is “Yes, it absolutely does!”…but I have a secret to tell you. And I should probably disclose that this is not something your “everyday family doctor” is going to tell you. Here’s the secret: not all wheat gluten is created equal.
I like to explain by comparing sucanat and aspartame sweeteners. Imagine pouring a perfectly sweetened blueberry syrup over your hot-off-the-stove pancakes for your morning breakfast. If that syrup is made from natural sucanat sweetener or aspartame, it’s going to taste great either way. However, inside your body, the aspartame is killing brain cells while the sucanat is an unmodified substance that most people’s body can process naturally, without any damage to the body.
Einkorn has an entirely different genetic makeup than modern wheat. Modern wheats have been hybridized through years and years and millions and millions of $$$ in research. The goal of hybridization has been to increase yields, fight against plant disease, pests, weather conditions, etc. and many are starting to wonder if this long history of hybridization is the explanation for the rising number of people with a high intolerance to gluten.
I’m not saying I have all the answers…that’s why I have this website and it’s why I am researching the history and nutritional properties of Einkorn.
Einkorn differs from modern wheat in 3 important ways, all of which may contribute to gluten intolerance:
- Most modern wheat is a hybrid of many different grains and grasses.
- Einkorn has a 14 chromosomes , whereas modern wheat has a 42 chromosomes which changes the gluten structure
- Einkorn is considered more nutritious than modern wheat, based on the higher level of protein, essential fatty acids, phosphorous, potassium, pyridoxine, and beta-carotene.
Is it any wonder that so many people today are plagued with allergies and even extreme sickness as a result of eating modern wheat?
Anyway, getting back to the original question of whether Einkorn flour contains gluten. Most people ask this question because they would like to start eating bread again. I hope my answer gives you some hope.
Additionally, I have met some doctors who are working with suffers of celiac and gluten intolerance to see if they can safely eat specific, tested sources of Einkorn. These patients are going through a healing regimen first to get to this point and the initial results are very promising.
Stay tuned…I think we’re on to something here.
122 thoughts on “Is Einkorn Gluten Free?”
My family has been gluten free for several years – we are not celiac, just gluten intolerant.
However, I ran across some bloggers using Einkhorn and so I read everything I could find on it.I started cooking with Einkhorn two months ago- I do use a starter, and make sourdough bread, pizza, cookies, biscuits, etc. The flavor of this wheat is fantastic, and it has not caused ill effects like regular wheat. My adult son was very skeptical, but he has had no problems with Einkhorn, either.
Another piece of info I found is that the U.S. routinely sprays its wheat with Roundup before harvesting, because it makes it easier on the machines harvesting it!! Also barley and several other crops. The pesticides in our foods are not helping any, either.
I can’t wait for the dbl-blinded, placebo-controlled study to begin, which may begin to sort out the fact from the fiction on this. Everyone is waiting for the definitive answer. It would have HUGE implications to our public health policy for years to come.
Anywhere we can find the results or published testing of the testing mentioned? Thanks! Great info.
So where can I buy seeds to plant my 30 Acres?
I would love to know as well.
Yeah, as a bread enthusiast who makes bread at home, I came here to find out more about einkorn flour because I read that it contains more minerals than modern flour because of the modifications made to dwarf wheat.
But, you had to ruin everything with the “aspartame is killing brain cells” nonsense. I mean, seriously, do you even science? There’s no evidence to back up that nonsense claim and all you’re doing is pandering to the part of your clientele that swallows the pseudo-science BS whole. I don’t – I actually care about science and I care about facts.
The fact is that when digested, aspartame breaks down into three compounds, two of which occur naturally in the body and a third that gets metabolized perfectly naturally and is not harmful to humans – and the amount you get from aspartame sweetened drinks is miniscule, in fact you get more of it by drinking natural fruit juice. That said, none of the quantities are large enough to be toxic.
Yes, I agree. Thanks for trying to set the record straight. Pseudo-science is the REAL harm.
Aspartame may or may not kill brain cells, I have no idea. But I DO know that for some people, my daughter and me included, it causes an INSTANT migraine.
Same here! -Right along with MSG, corn syrup, and other “pseudo foods”. I haven’t figured out all the science yet, but I don’t have a problem figuring out when something makes me sick! If it makes me sick, I’m not going to wait for all the scientific data to explain the “whys and wherefores”. I’m going to pay attention to my body’s signals and avoid it, while I continue searching. Eventually, the data comes out.
I have gotten some rather amazing explanations from Dr. D’adamo’s website on blood types. I decided to give the blood type diet a try, and my low blood sugar problems have almost completely disappeared and I’m finally beginning to lose weight. It appears at least for my blood type, that wheat gluten was a big problem. I would love to try the Einkorn flour, since I miss whole wheat bread.
I went off wheat 15 years ago. Up to that time I would get really bad head colds about 3 times a year, had trouble clearing my ears when flying, and was addicted to wheat goodies pretty much as Wheat Belly describes it. Since stopping wheat I haven’t been sick a day, I lost 20 pounds, my blood chemistry looks great (probably from eliminating refined sugar), and all the other symptoms disappeared. I did get sick once and the metal spaciness returned until I found out I was eating granola with wheat germ. I stopped and the symptoms when away.
Last week I tried sprouted Einkorn wheat. So far no reaction. Maybe this is it. This is not a gluten sensitivity. It’s just wheat. I’m trying a second batch today and my fingers are crossed.
has anyone gotten themselves a flour mill?…and grind your own flour?….KitchenAid has a good one you can run off your KitchenAid Stand Mixer….
Just don’t think that you can run it for more than 20 minutes, as you might wear out the motor on your KitchenAid Stand Mixer…after 20 mins. let it rest 20 mins., before continuing…I bought one early this year, and after my birthday in September am going to try making my own flour for breadmaking…I am diabetic and have to watch my carb and sugar intakes.
I am celiac and recently traveled to France and Belgium. I attempted to eat a little of their delicious breads and had no problems. I continued to eat bread products daily with no problems at all. In the USA, if I eat anything with wheat I have an immediate reaction. I wonder if my lack of a reaction in France and Belgium could be due to their possible use of Einkorn wheat.
I’d like to know more about this, too. I’m am not diagnosed celiac but am allergic to gluten but just returned from England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. I just couldn’t help myself with the croissants, but I expected my usual instant stuffiness and difficulty breathing. BUT I had no reaction. So of course I ate more: croissants, bread, Belgian waffles, etc. No stuffiness or difficulty breathing. That’s why I’ve been searching the web since I got back and why I’m on this site.
It sounds from my other reading that Einkorn is only grown in limited areas and is not high yielding. So it seems unlikely to me that all of the bread products I ate were made with this costly kind of wheat. What else is different about European wheat?
Depending on where you were visiting in Europe, it may be. They may have used a different name such as farro piccolo. Learn about common names for einkorn here: https://www.einkorn.com/other-names-for-einkorn/
Many European bakeries also use traditional sourdough leavening and a long rise which makes wheat much easier to digest.
I would love to know if you ever found any more information on this. I have read other posts from people who had no reaction to eating wheat-based products in Europe. I think it may partially be due to the way the wheat in the US is harvested. The use of chemicals to kill it just before harvest so that it dries faster. That, in addition to the type of wheat grown, is enough to cause problems for anyone.
Hi Elizabeth,
No, bread and other wheat- based products which you can buy in bakeries in France are not made with einkorn. Einkorn (petit épeautre) is not at all common and won’t be found outside of organic shops. I’m French and am reading this article and its comments to learn more about einkorn. I’ve discovered i was sensitive to gluten (or modern wheat) by chance whilst I had been critical beforehand of the “gluten free trend”. I’ve noticed that einkorn didn’t seem to cause me the same problems, hence my research.
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