{"id":28,"date":"2007-07-06T18:12:54","date_gmt":"2007-07-06T18:12:54","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2014-05-15T12:39:14","modified_gmt":"2014-05-15T16:39:14","slug":"wheat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.allergy-details.com\/wheat-allergy\/wheat\/","title":{"rendered":"Wheat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wheat<\/h1>\n

\"Wheat\"<\/p>\n

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Note<\/h2>\n
This description is a work in progress. Note in particular that the lists may not be complete, for example synonyms to wheat. I certainly intend to improve and expand on this article as time goes on. Do please add your comments to help add content or correct any inaccuracies that you notice.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Wheat Has a Use<\/h2>\n

As anyone who must eliminate wheat from their diet knows all too well, wheat<\/strong> is a very useful basic ingredient<\/a>. It makes wonderful bread<\/strong><\/a>, mostly because it has such a high gluten<\/a><\/strong> content, which holds everything together and provides such great consistency.<\/p>\n

Wheat has been part of the human diet<\/a><\/strong> for at least 10,000 years, and probably longer. It grows well in temperate climates. It is nutritious, easy to process and store, and is extremely versatile to cook with. For these reasons, it is a staple food<\/a> in many parts of the world, particularly temperate climates.<\/p>\n

The Problem with Wheat<\/h2>\n

The problem<\/strong> with wheat is that it has become a highly refined food – both in terms of genetics (breeding for high-yield, drought- and pest-resistance etc.), and in terms of how it is processed (white flour). The term enriched white flour<\/strong> is a sure sign that too much<\/strong> has been taken out of the original food, so that nutrients must be artificially added back into the food. Highly refined flour can be classified as unhealthy food<\/a> for several reasons. Firstly, it is missing<\/strong> key nutrients<\/a> that were originally found in the whole food.<\/p>\n

The problem with relying on any staple as the primary food<\/a> in your diet<\/a> is that it can lead to developing allergies<\/a> to that food. Wheat is no exception. It is one of the most common food allergens<\/a>. While not a problem for everyone, a significant number of people are allergic to wheat. Probably a large proportion of these people are unaware of their allergy. They may be aware that they are under-performing, but there are also many under-performers who do not realize they may have a food allergy.<\/p>\n

There are other problems with wheat, although some of these are caused by eating too many carbohydrates in general. See the internal links<\/a> section of this article for more information.<\/p>\n

If you are not allergic<\/span> to wheat, or celiac<\/a>, stick to eating whole grain<\/strong> wheat if you want your wheat intake to be healthy<\/a>. You can make fresh flour using the whole grain for baking etc., although this is time-consuming, and you will need to buy a fairly expensive flour mill<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Types of Wheat<\/h2>\n

There are many types and varieties of wheat. Sometimes, the list of ingredients<\/a> will list the type of wheat rather than just saying wheat,<\/em> so it is well worth your while to memorize this list:<\/p>\n