Friday, November 5, 2010

Beyond Gluten Free

Another aspect that may be contributing to the high incidence of gluten intolerance, is modern food preparation methods. Even 100 years ago, bread was still made with a sourdough starter that helped to break down the gluten strands - kind of a "pre-digestion" that happened along with the wild yeast in the starter helping to rise the bread. These starters also helped dissolve phytic acid on the outside of the grain, which can inhibit mineral absorption. Some people think that eating whole grain bread from grain that has not been soaked first can cause tooth decay because of lack of minerals from too much phytic acid. That's why some people who eat healthy have terrible teeth, while others who eat all white flour have perfect teeth!

Eating gluten free allows the digestive tract to heal and close again, resulting in much better health for those who are sensitive. Gluten free sourdough adds another dynamic - neutralizing the phytic acid (of which brown rice has lots!) so that you get the best nutrition possible from the grain. It also helps to grind your flour fresh using a grain grinder, so that the oils (which contain many vitamins) are fresh. For these reasons, storebought GF baked products, though definitely better than eating gluten, are not very high in nutrition.

This is why I'm excited about offering a GF sourdough class in the future!

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