For thousands of years, bread has been one of the most fundamental foods in human history. Archaeological discoveries suggest that humans have been baking bread for at least 5,000 years, with some primitive flatbreads dating back even further. Yet, in the space of a decade, a veritable epidemic of gluten intolerance seems to have struck our society. How can we explain this sudden phenomenon?
The ancestral method: the secret of slow fermentation
In ancient times, bread making was very simple. Grains were ground into flour, then mixed with water and salt before being left to ferment naturally. This fermentation process was particularly slow, often lasting many hours, or even entire days.
Natural sourdough cultures, rich in wild yeasts and bacteria, broke down a portion of the grains well before the baking stage. This slow process had crucial effects on the final product: it allowed for the partial pre-digesting of gluten proteins and complex carbohydrates. Furthermore, this process significantly reduced the presence of compounds like phytic acid and certain fermentable sugars, often responsible for intestinal discomfort.
The industrialization of our food
Today, bread production has little to do with these traditional methods. The majority of commercial breads are produced through industrial processes designed to maximize speed and profitability.
Instead of waiting hours for natural fermentation, modern dough is prepared and baked in record time. To achieve this, the food industry uses commercial baker's yeast, along with bread improvers, emulsifiers, and chemical preservatives.
Wheat has mutated, and so have our digestive systems.
Manufacturing methods are not the only thing that has evolved: the raw material itself has undergone profound transformations. Modern wheat varieties have been specifically selected and crossbred to produce stronger pasta with much higher gluten levels. While this evolution greatly facilitates industrial cooking processes, it seriously complicates digestion for a growing segment of the population.
Faced with these upheavals, more and more researchers believe that digestive disorders systematically blamed on gluten could actually come from other components of modern wheat or current bread-making methods.
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