Madeleine Hull
Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world, with world trade in wheat exceeding that of all other crops combined. Wheat is a staple food for millions of people and has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years, beginning in southeast Turkey. Wheat is used in a diverse range of traditional and modern processed foods, and its unique viscoelastic and adhesive properties of gluten proteins facilitate the production of processed foods. Wheat is a major source of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, dietary fibre, and phytochemicals. However, in recent years, with gluten intolerance on the rise, wheat has received some negative attention.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When was wheat first cultivated? | 10,000 years ago |
| Where was wheat first cultivated? | Southeast Turkey |
| What was wheat first called? | Einkorn (Triticum monococcum) |
| What is the genetic description of Einkorn? | A diploid, containing two sets of chromosomes |
| What was another early variety of wheat? | Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) |
| What is the difference between Einkorn and Emmer wheat? | Einkorn is a wild species, while Emmer is a hybrid of two wild types of grass |
| What is the most common use of wheat? | Milling wheat for flour |
| When did milling wheat for flour become common? | 12th century |
| When did wheat become the UK's most significant crop for human consumption? | 19th century |
| What are the modern uses of wheat? | Bread, rolls, crackers, biscuits, pancakes, pasta, pies, pastries, pizza, cakes, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, breakfast cereals, gravy, porridge, muesli, semolina, beer, vodka, boza, and more |
| What is the protein content of wheat? | 13% |
| What is the water content of raw red winter wheat? | 13% |
| What is the global production of wheat? | 771 million tonnes in 2021 |
| Which countries are the largest exporters of wheat? | Russia, the United States, Canada, and France |
| Which countries are the largest importers of wheat? | Indonesia, Egypt, and Turkey |
| How much land is used to grow wheat worldwide? | 220.7 million hectares or 545 million acres |
| What are the health concerns associated with modern wheat? | Autoimmune issues, eating disorders, allergies, coeliac disease, gluten intolerance |
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What You'll Learn
Wheat's global spread
Wheat is the most widely consumed grain in the world and has been cultivated for over 10,000 years. It is believed that wheat cultivation began in the Fertile Crescent and spread to the UK around 5,000 years ago. During the Bronze Age in the British Isles, wheat straw (thatch) was used for roofing. Wheat was also a staple food for sailors and soldiers for centuries in the form of biscuits.
Wheat spread from the Middle East to Europe and the Americas through the Columbian exchange. In the 19th century, wheat became central to agriculture in the worldwide British Empire, and it remains important in Australia, Canada, and India. In the 1860s, the United States significantly expanded its wheat production, flooding the world market and lowering prices. This, along with the expansion of potato farming, improved the nutritional welfare of the poor.
Today, wheat is grown on more land than any other food crop, with 220.7 million hectares or 545 million acres cultivated worldwide in 2021. The top wheat exporters are Russia, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the European Union, while the top importers are Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Brazil, and Spain.
Wheat is a staple food for billions of people, particularly in the least developed countries. It is a significant source of calories, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Wheat is used in a wide variety of foods, including bread, rolls, crackers, biscuits, pancakes, pasta, pies, pastries, pizza, cakes, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, breakfast cereals, gravy, porridge, muesli, semolina, beer, vodka, and boza.
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Health effects of modern wheat
Wheat has been cultivated for over 10,000 years, and it is one of the world's most popular cereal grains. It is a staple food in Western Europe and a significant source of energy, protein, dietary fibre, minerals, B vitamins, and phytochemicals. However, the health effects of modern wheat have been a subject of debate and concern.
The Negative Health Effects of Modern Wheat
The intensive selection and breeding of wheat for increased yield and processing quality have led to concerns about potential negative impacts on human nutrition and health. Here are some of the specific concerns and their effects:
- Reduced Nutritional Content: The focus on yield and specific traits like high starch and gluten proteins has resulted in a decrease in other beneficial components. Studies indicate that modern wheat may have lower levels of certain minerals, vitamins, and beneficial phytochemicals compared to ancient wheat varieties. This reduction in mineral content includes elements such as iron, zinc, and magnesium.
- Adverse Reactions and Intolerances: The increase in gluten content and changes in gluten protein composition are believed to contribute to adverse reactions and intolerances to wheat-based foods. Some people experience digestive issues, with symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to severe conditions like coeliac disease. Coeliac disease affects about 1% of the population in developed countries, and a strict gluten-free diet is the only known effective treatment. Additionally, wheat contains small amounts of soluble fibres or fructans, which can trigger digestive symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Impact on Blood Sugar Levels: Wheat, particularly white and whole wheat, ranks high on the glycemic index (GI). This can cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels after meals, making it unsuitable for people with diabetes or blood sugar management issues.
- Homogeneity and Disease Susceptibility: The genetic homogeneity of modern wheat varieties makes them highly susceptible to diseases. The lack of genetic diversity reduces their ability to adapt to new or evolving diseases, requiring constant intervention by breeders to address this vulnerability.
- Environmental and Agricultural Concerns: Modern wheat is often grown using chemical fertilisers, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides, which can have negative impacts on soil health and the environment. Additionally, these varieties are designed for a specific growing system reliant on external inputs, making them less suitable for organic farming practices.
The Role of Gluten
Gluten, a family of proteins found in wheat, plays a crucial role in the elasticity and stickiness of wheat dough, making it valuable for bread-making and the production of diverse processed foods. However, gluten intolerance or sensitivity has become increasingly common, leading to a rise in gluten-free diets and products. While some people may have genuine gluten intolerance or coeliac disease, others may have a sensitivity to other aspects of modern wheat or simply seek a healthier lifestyle.
In conclusion, while wheat is a significant source of nutrition for humans, the intensive breeding and industrial processing of modern wheat varieties have raised concerns about potential negative health effects. Further studies and a more holistic approach to understanding the impact of modern wheat on human health are warranted.
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Ancient wheat varieties
Wheat has been cultivated for over 10,000 years, with its origins in the Fertile Crescent. It arrived in the UK around 5,000 years ago, and wheat straw (thatch) was used for roofing in the Bronze Age. However, milling wheat for flour only became common in the 12th century.
Ancient grains are those that were first domesticated at the dawn of agriculture. Einkorn, emmer (including khorasan and durum), and spelt are ancient grains in the wheat family. Spelt is native to Southern Europe and is about 2,000 years younger than emmer, from which it originates. It gave rise to common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). Khorasan, also known as the Prophet's Wheat or the Pharaoh's Wheat, is another variety of emmer that originated over 4,000 years ago. It is commercially grown as Kamut® in the US.
Other heritage wheat varieties that pre-date the 1880s include Lammas, Fulcaster, Lancaster Red, Red Fife, Marquis, Rouge de Bordeaux, and Turkey Red. These varieties are open-pollinated, resulting in genetic variation among generations. They boast exceptional flavour and baking properties and remain largely unaltered by modern genetic modification.
The Green Revolution in the mid-20th century significantly impacted wheat cultivation. It introduced high-yielding, hybridized grains, and semi-dwarf crops that produced significantly higher grain volumes. However, the use of nitrogen fertilisers, herbicides, and fungicides necessary for these modern wheat varieties has impacted soil health and reduced genetic diversity, making modern wheat highly susceptible to diseases like yellow rust.
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Wheat's role in the British diet
Wheat has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years, beginning in the Fertile Crescent and arriving in the UK around 5,000 years ago. In the British Isles, wheat straw (thatch) was used for roofing in the Bronze Age, and remained in common use until the late 19th century.
White wheat bread was historically a high-status food, but during the nineteenth century, it became an item of mass consumption in Britain, displacing oats, barley, and rye from diets in the North of the country. It became "a sign of a high degree of culture". Wheat was the UK's most significant crop grown for human consumption by the turn of the 19th century.
In the 19th century, wheat became a central agricultural endeavour in the worldwide British Empire, and remains of great importance in Australia, Canada, and India. In the 20th century, the UK's wheat imports were mostly from Canada. However, after the UK's entry into the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1964, tariffs were imposed on the import of Canadian wheat, and the use of British wheat increased.
Today, wheat is a major ingredient in many baked foods, such as bread, rolls, crackers, biscuits, pancakes, pasta, pies, pastries, pizza, cakes, cookies, and muffins. It is also used in breakfast cereals, semolina, and drinks such as beer and vodka. Wheat is an important source of carbohydrates and vegetable proteins, with a protein content of about 13%. When eaten as a whole grain, wheat is a source of multiple nutrients and dietary fibre.
However, in recent years, with gluten intolerance on the rise, wheat has been receiving some negative attention. Coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, gluten ataxia, and dermatitis herpetiformis are some disorders that can be triggered by gluten, which comprises most of the protein in wheat.
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Wheat's importance in the global diet
Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world and is consumed by billions of people. It is a staple food for millions, and its global production is expected to grow through the middle of the 21st century. Wheat is grown on more land than any other food crop, and world trade in wheat is greater than that of all other crops combined.
Wheat is a staple food in many parts of the world, particularly in the least developed countries where wheat products are primary foods. It is a major source of carbohydrates, providing 80% starch, and is the leading source of vegetable proteins in human food, with a protein content of about 13%. It is also a source of vitamins (especially B vitamins), dietary fibre, and phytochemicals. Wheat is also used in the production of beer, vodka, and other drinks.
The success of wheat as a crop is due to its gluten content, which forms a viscoelastic dough that can be transformed into a wide variety of staple foods, such as bread, rolls, crackers, biscuits, pancakes, pasta, pies, pastries, pizza, cakes, cookies, and muffins. The ancient varieties of wheat, Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt, played an important role as a source of food and became the ancestors of the modern varieties currently grown worldwide. The success of wheat as a crop is also due to its ability to be stored for long periods without decaying.
However, wheat has also been linked to various health issues, such as gluten intolerance and coeliac disease, which affects about 1% of the general population in developed countries. The rise in gluten intolerance has led to an increasing demand for gluten-free products, with people removing wheat from their diets. Additionally, the modern wheat crop has been developed quickly and may not have been adequately tested for its potential side effects.
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Frequently asked questions
Wheat has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years, with its origins traced back to southeast Turkey.
Wheat was first used as a source of food, with ancient varieties like Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt being the ancestors of modern wheat varieties.
Milling wheat for flour only became common in the 12th century. Wheat berries can be ground into flour or, using hard durum wheat, can be ground into semolina, germinated and dried to create malt, or crushed into cracked wheat.
Wheat is used in a diverse range of traditional and modern processed foods. It is a major ingredient in baked goods like bread, pastries, and cakes, as well as breakfast cereals, pasta, and beer.
Wheat is a significant source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins (including B vitamins), dietary fiber, and phytochemicals. It is also an important source of vegetable proteins and provides essential amino acids.
