My research may surprise you. It surprised me! I have read several sources that claim GMO wheat does not exist in our food supply. I’m not arguing in this post that it does. But I pose the question:
Why are so many people having problems eating wheat? Why is wheat so high on the glycemic scale so that it causes a sugar high and an insulin rush?
(I don’t claim to know the answer to this question, but I must ask.)
According to About.com, there is an increase in Celiac Disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but it’s not caused by GMO wheat. The question was this: Is genetically modified wheat causing increases in gluten issues? The answer given, in part, was this:
No, genetically modified wheat is not to blame for the hikes in celiac and gluten sensitivity … for the simple reason that GMO wheat simply isn’t being grown commercially (yet).
Bloomberg BusinessWeek article by Justin Bachman titled, Genetically Modified Wheat Isn’t Supposed to Exist. So What Is It Doing in Oregon? Article says:
Genetically modified wheat hasn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and unlike corn and soy and other so-called GMO foods, there isn’t supposed to be any genetically modified wheat in the U.S. food supply at all.
Quoting Huffingtonpost.com May 30, 2013, headline: Japan Cancels GMO Wheat Order After Concerns Over U.S. Grain Developed By Monsanto:
The USDA said there was no sign that genetically engineered wheat had entered the commercial market, but grain traders warned the discovery could hurt export prospects for U.S. wheat.
According to website Radiantly Healthy, an article titled The Trouble with Wheat #2 – The Glycemic Index and the Insulin Cop says:
[W]hite bread has a glycemic index of about 72-75 which means it gets into your blood at about 72% of the speed of pure glucose.
I quote William Davis, MD, from Chapter 2 of his Wheat Belly book:
Wheat strains have been hybridized, crossbred, and introgressed* to make the wheat plant resistant to environmental conditions, such as drought, or pathogens, such as fungi. But most of all, genetic changes have been induced to increase yield per acre.
Dr. Davis continues:
Changes in genetic code have altered the amber waves of grain of yesteryear into the eighteen-inch-tall high-production “dwarf” wheat of today.
I tried to get a photo of GMO wheat, but my antivirus program zapped it. Yikes!
Is Dr. Davis right?
After reading the book, I was convinced he was right, so I quit eating wheat. My health has turned around dramatically. I’m glad I did it. I’m not the only one who has experienced improvement in health. Steve and I have friends that have eliminated wheat and had better health.
Dr. Davis reports many instances of improved health experienced by his patents. I cannot verify those accounts, but my personal experience has made a profound impression on me. I won’t be eating wheat.
HAS OUR WHEAT BEEN GENETICALLY MODIFIED?
I don’t know.
I don’t believe scientists wanted to make wheat dangerous for us. I think they had good intentions. I hope they will try their best to make wheat a healthy grain for humans.
IS GMO WHEAT IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY?
I don’t know.
Resources:
*Miriamwebster.com – Introgression – definition – the entry or introduction of a gene from one gene complex into another (as by hybridization)
BOOK: Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health, by William Davis, MD.
GMO Answers – What is a GMO –
Bloomberg BusinessWeek – Companies and Industries, article by Justin Bachman, May 30, 2013
Radiantly Healthy – The Trouble with Wheat #2 – The Glycemic Index and the Insulin Cop
About.com – Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity –
Cah4el's Blog 
Very interesting. Thank you for your research and reporting.
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You are welcome. I appreciate your visit and comment. Blessings to you, Jim…
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There’s a lot we don’t know, isn’t there?
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Amen to that, Patti. The truth on some issues is hard to find. On this issue, I am baffled. GMO or not?
I know I’m allergic to wheat and many others are, also. Celiac is an autoimmune disease, and the tendency to get it is apparently inherited, another mystery. There is non-celiac gluten sensitivity, too. I don’t have a clue which one I have, but I’m voting for non-celiac.
Thanks for your visit. Blessings to you, dear friend…
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I wouldn’t be surprised if GMO wheat is in our food supply. Just because it hasn’t been approved by the FDA doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Something has changed somewhere in our food or genetics because it is becoming more widespread – creating quite the marketing opportunity for companies pushing ‘gluten-free’ options at premium prices.
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I agree with you. It’s possible that the wheat in our food supply has been modified again. Wheat has undergone many changes over the years both by nature and by human beings. The way wheat baked goods cause sugar to to surge in our bodies is good enough reason to eat less wheat.
You are right about the high prices on gluten-free options. I had to pay over $25.00 for a 5-pound bag of gluten-free wheat flour, and I had a 30% off coupon. Ha! But I had to pay $12 just to have it delivered by FedEx. I’ve bought some gluten-free flour locally. I’m trying it out. We had pancakes today. They were good!
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