Gluten Free Wheat? The Science That Could Change Everything Ep. 228

There’s a new buzz in the world of celiac research. Scientists at UC Davis in California are working on gene-editing wheat to remove the parts that trigger an autoimmune response in those of us with celiac disease.

It’s being called “gluten free wheat,” and while that sounds like a dream come true, it’s not that simple.

In this episode, I explain what this research is really about, what it could mean for people with celiac disease, and why this new wheat would still cause problems for anyone with a wheat allergy. We’ll look at both sides — the potential benefits and the reasons to be cautious — so you can understand what’s really happening behind the headlines.

Tune in to learn whether this “gluten free wheat” is the future of gluten free living or just an interesting experiment for now.

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Chapters

• 0:48 A headline that stopped us
• 1:10 What the UC Davis team changed
• 2:36 Early days and safety limits
• 4:46 Hype vs reality for real bread
• 5:26 Wheat allergy is not coeliac
• 7:30 Labelling laws and confusion risks
• 9:06 Stay strict, watch the research
• 9:48 Farming, segregation, and cross-contact
• 11:23 What to do next and how to stay updated

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:24

All right, welcome back to this week's episode. Now, on today's show, I wanted to talk about something that I've I guess seen making the rounds online, and it stopped me mid-scroll the first time I came across this, and it's kind of exciting but also a little bit scary at the same time. So, what it's all about is researchers at UC Davis in the US have found a way to delete the specific gluten proteins in wheat that can trigger reactions for those of us with celiac disease. Now, I know this sounds pretty crazy, but it is exciting. So basically, what they've done is they've taken out the bad bits, as you know, is probably the easiest way of explaining it. And that's, you know, the parts that caused the damage to us and kept the wheat itself intact. Now, before we kind of dive into this too much and start dreaming that we're going to be able to eat bread again, I just want to dive into this a little bit deeper and explain what that means and also share why it could be exciting but also potentially a little bit worrying. So here's what's happened. So these scientists they basically have figured out how to switch off or remove a group of gluten proteins called alpha gliadin. So, as you might know, gliadin is one of the main culprits that trigger the autoimmune reaction in those of us with celiac disease. So they did this by tweaking the genes in the wheat. So they haven't added anything new, but they've deleted certain sections. And apparently it didn't mess up the texture or the baking quality at all when they they made bread out of this new wheat that they've been trialing. So the bread still, you know, rose beautifully and tasted like normal wheat bread, which is kind of incredible to think that that could be an option for us one day. So um, you know, as much as I will admit this is pretty, you know, amazing and exciting because if they've managed to keep the wheat structure and remove some of what harms us, then I do agree that this is a huge step forward in research. You know, it's not about medications and it's not about being on a lifelong prescription or anything like that to take, you know, a tablet or whatever so that we can eat gluten. This is something completely different that, you know, up until now, I've never even really thought would be an option. So I want to just talk about why we need to kind of not get too ahead of ourselves. It is very early days from what I've read and you know, looked at the research. It is still very, very early days. This is still, um, I guess, in research mode. So it's still lab research that's happening, and no one has eaten this wheat in a clinical trial as of yet. So even though they deleted some of the most reactive proteins, there are still others left behind. And what that means for us is it could still trigger a reaction for those of us with celiac disease. So until they can prove that that is safe through human trials and human testing, this is definitely not something any of us with celiac disease should be eating. And I'm sure more and more info is going to come out about it as you know the time goes on and the years go by. But I totally get why people are getting excited about this, and there's so much talk about it online. Because honestly, the thought of being able to eat real bread again without you know that pain and the damage, it's a dream. It is an absolute dream to be able to eat normal sized bread, you know, bread that tastes good, that feels good. It is exciting, but there is a lot more testing that needs to happen before we can even kind of think about that becoming a reality. Like that's as simple as it is. We're not at that stage yet. However, there is that hope and you know, that kind of to look forward to that this could become a reality. Now, when I first learned about this and started, you know, looking at posts and what people were reacting to and talking about, one of the things that was coming up was this is going to be rough on some people. And the reason for that is at the moment, many people rely on gluten-free products that aren't just those of us with celiac disease. So people with wheat allergies. So some people have celiac disease and wheat allergies, so they wouldn't be able to eat this type of wheat because it's still, yes, it might have the potential of not having any gluten in it, but it's still going to be wheat. So there's a risk that, you know, those people are going to miss out on food if there's a big shift towards you know, companies using this type of wheat only and no longer using gluten-free uh grains and and making their foods with those options. So, as you may know, wheat allergy and celiac disease are two completely different things. People that have wheat allergy react very, very differently to wheat compared to what someone with celiac disease will. So a wheat allergy is more of an allergic reaction. So things like uh fives, swelling, even anaphylaxis. So, you know, this new wheat still contains those wheat proteins, just fewer gluten ones. So it wouldn't be safe at all for those people. So that's kind of one of the concerns that I would have for those people. So it's not just people with a wheat allergy. Like I said, many people with celiac disease also have that wheat allergy, so it could shift things for them as well, you know, if people are uh having to face that as well. So, like I said, it could reduce the number of wheat-free products available, um, which are the only safe options for people with wheat allergies. So the other thing is it could also change our labeling. It could, you know, have this potential to have this new shift in labelling laws. Here in Australia, we've got new labelling laws being rolled out that will be in effect as of early next year. And it could just, you know, add another whole bull game to this labeling game that we deal with on a daily basis. So, you know, you might pick up a product that says gluten-free, but it's made from this new modified wheat, and this could be an absolute nightmare for a lot of people. So, you know, for now, this is it's a really positive and exciting step in science, but it doesn't change how we are eating today. So we still need to, you know, obviously make sure we're sticking to a strict gluten-free diet and keep reading labels like our life depends on it because it does. Um, but I actually really love that research like this is happening. It shows, you know, there's progress being made and that scientists are paying attention to celiac disease, and that in itself is a win. So I just hope that it's, you know, it doesn't, I guess it I hope that it just doesn't cause confusion and to have this build-up of hype because you know, a lot of I guess news articles will start to come out and they could be very misleading. So, like I said, it is exciting that there is progress being made. Like this is huge for us with celiac disease if this was to, you know, come into fruition and it was made to be completely safe and gluten-free for us. And it means we are being taken seriously. But we've, you know, we've got to stay smart, we've got to continue, like I said, reading our labels. And please don't believe every headline that says that there is now a safe week for celiacs because people will probably start saying this to you or send you articles. And until there's honestly, you know, that real proof and those clinical trials completed, then you I guess you've got to understand that this is not happening yet. So I'm recording this in October 2025. As of today, these products are not going to, like gluten-free products rather, are not going to contain this wheat. We are probably looking at years down the track, but you know, who's to say that's not an amazing achievement if that happens? Like I said, you know, it's not taking medication, it's an opportunity to change the food that we consume, and it could be perfectly safe. So for now, that is very exciting and it's something to keep an eye on. So I will definitely update you further the more that I hear. But at the moment, that's kind of all I've got to say on that. I guess that's just an insight on what's been happening. Um, like I said, it's not proven yet that it's safe, but it may not be safe. Uh, it may be there might be more changes that they need to make towards, you know, the proteins and the wheat and and how they grow it. There's also information saying that it may not grow in certain areas. They'll also have to be really careful when they harvest that wheat, that it's, you know, not anywhere near any other wheat that is just your standard old wheat. It'll have to be completely separate, completely, you know, safe with the harvesting and equipment and all the rest of it, so that there's no cross contact with other wheat that contains the gluten in it. So, you know, lots to think about, lots to kind of look at and wonder about. And like I said, even changing with labeling is something that may have to be changed as well. So, you know, there's change ahead, obviously. You know, we are not being forgotten. It's exciting, like I said, but yes, lots of things have to be put into place before this is going to happen. So the best thing I could probably suggest is make sure you're subscribed to the show so you don't miss an episode. Uh, if I can update you on this anytime in the near future, I certainly will. And if you're not on my email list, make sure you head over to belindawheelan.com and jump on my weekly email list because I will certainly update you there the more that I hear. But otherwise, I would really love to hear from you. Is this something that you've already heard about or it's exciting for you, or you're scared of by this? Is it something that you know you look forward to seeing? Or are you a bit, you know, just go with the flow, continue eating your gluten-free, and just whatever will be will be. So if you'd like to reach out to me, you can either reply to one of my emails at any stage, or you can send me a DM over at the Healthy Celiac over on Instagram, and I can have a chat with you there. But otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in and checking out this episode. And I look forward to talking with you again on next week's show. Have a great week, and I'll talk to you then. Take care. Bye.