Sourdough Process Removing The Gluten From Wheat Flour?

[dannic]

Hello. I am new to the forums and hope this is the right place for this.

My family has been gluten-free for 7 years now. I was in our local hf store and the clerk was so excited to share a new DVD they were selling with me. Apparently a local gal has made a revolutionary breakthrough -- she claims to have a sourdough process that eats the gluten out of gluten-containing grains, rendering it gluten-free. I am highly skeptical; otherwise, wouldn't more people have discovered this over the years? I don't see how the organisms would feed solely on gluten and how they would ensure it being completely gluten-free? Apparently it's working even for some with celiac. Anyway, it would be great if true, but highly improbable, no? But there are some seriously excited gfers in our community over this. I am not willing to experiment on my daughter.

I suppose I'm looking for someone to explain the science behind sourdough...I thought they fed off sugars not proteins. Anyone want to help?

[Adalaide]

This is the study that people like to use to justify celiacs eating sourdough. Open Original Shared Link It was 16 patients, not enough to be conclusive and only 5 of the patients were even given the "sourdough" product which was made with a specialized flour if my memory serves me correctly. I have not jumped in and re-read it this evening. Basically, it is interesting enough to possibly prompt more study on the subject, but certainly does not make sourdough safe.

[LauraTX]

I am just going to throw out the short quick answer here:  No, you cannot eat sourdough made with wheat flour if you have celiac disease.  You are correct that the sourdough cultures don't feed on the gluten. 

[dannic]

Thanks. I feel badly that the hfs is so excited to share this because I feel it's going to give a lot of people a false sense of hope. Or some will get sick. I wasn't willing to use my daughter as a guinea pig.

[Posterboy]

I found this link that summarizes it very well.  Buyer beware.

 

But other articles I read seemed to indicated maybe a NCGS patient might be able to tolerate some well seasoned sourdoughs, ie that had been allowed to grow for 24 hours to help predigest the gluten into smaller more managable peptides by the body (only theory on my part).

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

I wonder the same thing about the Ezikel bread's.  Some of my friends say they can 'eat a little' but still it is possible I suppose that sourdough might have less gluten content if prepared correctly meaning at leat 24 hours of seasonging.

 

I remember when I first starte gluten-free that in the begining I thought I could eat a little but after 6 months I found any wheat of any kind was too much.

 

This might be the same affect here.

 

There is been some talk recently in the media that the fast rising portion of modern breads creates unusally high gluten levels to remain in the bread unlike more traditional methods used today.

 

See the motherjones article for more information

Open Original Shared Link

 

I think I mght be to scared to try.  It is interesting to read abouth though.  They say modern society is killing us?

 

Maybe their are right if we are gluten inloterant.

 

I think I would stick with Udi's.  Great gluten free bread.  The first I tasted that didn't taste lke the box it came in.

 

 

Posterboy,

[LauraTX]

In the studies you link, they even say that the study is not enough to draw the conclusion to support this myth.  A gluten-free diet for a person with Celiac means NO gluten, at all.  Please do not buy into the internet myth because you will end up hurting yourself in the process.  As you said, stick with the gluten-free bread.  If you don't like Udi's as much, try out the King Arthur Flour gluten-free bread mix.  Very good.