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7 Reasons I Use Einkorn Flour
Most ancient species of wheat
I have been consuming einkorn wheat for many years now and have converted much of my diet to exclusively using einkorn flour. I have noticed some changes in my health and have found einkorn flour makes my life a lot easier in regards to making foods my family can enjoy and consume. I use einkorn flour to make my favorite tortillas, bagels, pizza, breads, cookies, pasta and other baked goods that don't need fermentation since the gluten is different, and I love the results. In fact, my body thrives on einkorn. I have more energy, no energy crashes, and less cravings for sweets or unhealthy foods. Here are seven reasons I consume einkorn flour and make so many things with it. It's why so many ancient people called it the staff of life before we changed it and almost made it go extinct.
Einkorn is the best wheat and for good reason!
7 Reasons I Use Einkorn Flour
Phytic Acid 50% Less In Einkorn
Phytic acid, or phytate, is found in plant seeds. It serves as the main storage form of phosphorus in the seeds. It impairs the absorption of iron, zinc, and calcium and may promote mineral deficiencies in the body. [1] It is often referred to as an anti-nutrient. It is locked up in the grains. Phytic acid in grain needs to be neutralized in order for the minerals to be absorbed by the human body. When you naturally ferment or sprout bread, you eliminate all phytic acid. About 90% of the phytic acid remains in bread made with instant yeasts unless it is sprouted or bread made with a sourdough culture. Einkorn flour does contain phytic acid; however, einkorn has about 50% less phytic acid than modern wheat, and it also contains more phytase, an enzyme that breaks down phytic acid making it much easier for the body to absorb the powerful vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, magnesium, B6, and more in einkorn flour.
Nutrition From Einkorn Wheat
Einkorn is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than modern wheat. It has about 30% more protein and 30% less starch than flour made from modern wheat. It is also richer in carotenoids, the natural red, yellow, or orange pigments that are found in many vegetables and fruits. Carotenoids have the medical properties that help in preventing serious diseases. Einkorn also has 30% more phosphorous, manganese, zinc, B6, magnesium, and potassium when compared to modern forms of wheat. Einkorn has a nutty flavor, silky texture, and a buttery yellow color. You can use it in baked goods like crackers, cookies, and pasta.
Better For Those With Gluten Intolerance
Einkorn has some unique properties that make it better for those with allergies to wheat. Modern wheat has been crossed with two different goat grasses. Goat grasses contain the D genome, which is the source of most gluten intolerance. Einkorn does not contain this troublesome D genome, only the A genome, and most testing for gluten intolerance is based on the D genome. And while einkorn does contain gluten, it is a different type of gluten and allows for easier digestion and nutrient absorption. All wheat that we consume today is descended from einkorn wheat which has about 14 chromosomes as compared to other kinds of wheat which have 28 to 42 chromosomes. This is important since some studies show that ancient wheat, with its fewer chromosomes, has lower levels of gliadins. Gliadins are proteins that can cause sensitivities in those who struggle with gluten.
The founder of Jovial Foods helped to bring einkorn wheat back from being almost extinct. It was close to extinction a few years ago because it's difficult to harvest and mill, and it has one-fifth the yields of modern wheat.
The founder has an incredible story about her daughter's severe wheat allergy. She thrived on einkorn, and the story is in her book Einkorn: Recipes for Nature's Original Wheat: A Cookbook. She also posted about it here: https://jovialfoods.com/blog/why-einkorn/
We have also seen many more people experience the same thing when they eat einkon, and their symptoms of gluten intolerance are no longer present. It has become a mainstay in my diet since I feel so wonderful when I eat einkorn rather than other wheats.
Helps With Blood Sugar And Diabetes
Studies have found that ancient wheat decreases cell production relating to glucose and fat metabolism, and einkorn also helps prevent or delay diabetes development while improving digestion and nutrient absorption. It was also found to help with overall gut health. Consumption of einkorn bread led to enrichment in short-chain fatty acid producers (e.g., Blautia, Faecalibacterium, and Oscillospira) in the gut microbiota which creates a higher metabolic diversity. [2,3,4,5]
One cup of whole grain wheat flour has about 87 grams of carbohydrates. One cup of whole grain einkorn flour has about 51 grams of carbs. So, there is quite a difference. It has the most protein of any grain, and einkorn does not spike the blood sugar as quickly as modern wheat. [2]
Dr. Davis wrote this in his book Wheat Belly after testing himself on einkorn bread, “Blood sugar at the start: 84 mg/dl. Blood sugar after consuming einkorn bread: 110 mg/dl.” Regular wheat bread “sugar at the start: 84 mg/dl. Blood sugar after consuming conventional bread: 167 mg/dl.”
“I was impressed with the difference in responses to the ancient wheat and the modern wheat in my whole wheat bread. Surely something odd was going on here. My personal experience, of course, does not qualify as a clinical trial. But it raises some questions about the potential differences that span a distance of ten thousand years: ancient wheat that predates the changes introduced by human genetic intervention versus modern wheat.”
~ Dr. Davis
Einkorn and Short Chain Fatty Acids
Einkorn wheat's high protein content and bioactive compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, fructans, tocols, carotenoids, and phytosterols make einkorn flour a good candidate to provide healthier foods for our guts. Einkorn helps to feed the friendly bacteria in our guts that produce short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids are produced when the friendly gut bacteria ferment the fibers in einkorn flour and become the main source of energy for the cells lining your colon. Short-chain fatty acids may also play an important role in keeping us healthy and preventing disease. They may reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases, IBS, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other conditions.
Learn more about short-chain fatty acids:
Einkorn Feeds Bifidobacteria And Lactobacilli
Einkorn flour contains prebiotics that feed important species of bacteria in our gut. These prebiotics found in einkorn directly impact the bifidobacteria and lactobacilli bacteria in our gut causing them to grow and multiply. Research indicates that including einkorn in the diet could support a greater diversity of health-promoting bacteria. In addition, this increase in specific species of intestinal bacteria helps maintain the intestinal mucosa that feeds akkermansia that is responsible for keeping the gut lining healthy.
Einkorn - Less Exposure To Dangerous Chemicals
Much of the wheat today is sprayed with high levels of herbicides and pesticides. Hazardous substances like glyphosate are added to the wheat during and after harvest.
I get my wheat from Jovial Foods, and the flour isn't bleached, bromated, or drenched in weed killer. In fact, it’s USDA Organic certified and certified as free of glyphosate by The Detox Project. I have found almost all the einkorn flours and grains I purchase to be organic and free from pesticides. I buy the einkorn flour, grains, and pasta - and I even learned to make my own pasta. Just this week, I made einkorn bagels and pizza with only 2 ingredients - Kefir (or yogurt) and einkorn flour. I'll link the recipes soon! It is so easy and so good!
Here is a list of places where you can get einkorn flour, pasta, and grains.
Listen To My Podcast
I have been consuming einkorn wheat for many years and have converted much of my diet to exclusively using einkorn flour. I have noticed some changes in my health and have found einkorn flour makes my life a lot easier in regards to making foods my family can enjoy and consume. Tune in to learn more.
References I talked about:
Listen To My Podcast
It took me a long time to discover why my daughter struggled with gluten. I discovered that it wasn't the bread, but what we've done to the bread and our guts, that was wreaking such havoc on our lives. Listen to gain understanding as to why our bread can be better than ever before.
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