Farmers funding research looking at its possibility
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
Not everyone has an iron stomach and can eat whatever they want without consequence.
Going for the extra hot sauce on your chicken wings might leave you with heartburn.
Cabbage, apricots and cauliflower are among some foods that could make you feel bloated after eating too much of them.
For those who eat wheat and don’t feel the greatest afterwards, farmers in Kansas are getting involved in trying to find out not only why that is but also what can be done about it.
The Kansas Wheat Commission is providing around $200,000 for the first two years of a project aimed at developing new varieties of wheat. Perfect timing it seems, as the gluten-free industry is one worth nearly a billion dollars in the United States.
The project will look deep into wheat’s DNA makeup and look for exactly what can cause a reaction for people who suffer from celiac disease – a disease in which even the smallest amount of gluten intake can damage the small intestine to the point where it can compromise the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients over time.
“If you know you are producing a crop that is not tolerated well by people, then it’s the right thing to do,” Chris Miller told the Associated Press. Miller is the project’s lead researcher and senior director of research for Engrain, a Kansas company that makes products to enhance the nutrition and appearance of products made by the milling and cereal industry.
The project hopes to examine different varieties and relatives of wheat – some dating back to the 1900s to try and find one that may have been put aside by farmers.
Research started in July at the Wheat Innovation Center in Manhattan, Kansas and is still in the beginning stages.
Join the conversation and tell us if you’d be willing to grow a type of gluten-free wheat in your wheat crop?
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