IS GLUTEN IN EUROPE BETTER THAN GLUTEN IN THE UNITED STATES?

You’ve probably heard people say “I get so bloated when I eat gluten in the U.S. but not when I’m travelling in Europe.” Or “I can’t eat gluten in the states but when I traveled through Italy I ate all the gluten and had zero digestive issues.” Many people believe that wheat grown in the U.S. has a higher gluten content, is genetically modified and more herbicides (specifically glyphosate) are used in its production. I was definitely one of those people.

Celiac and all things gluten free are topics that are personal and dear to my heart because I have had the experience of living the celiac gluten-free life for over a decade. These statements have caused so many individuals so much confusion (myself included) that I wanted to dive in and take a look into what is actually fact and what is just a rumor.

First of all, I think that a very important thing to point out is that Europe has about the same prevalence of celiac disease as the United States and a study done in 2018 showed that the prevalence in Europe was actually higher than in North America.  Also, celiac disease is most common among people of northern European descent and over the past few decades, the incidence of celiac disease has increased in many Western countries not just the United States.

A recent trip to Italy made me really think about this topic. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get gluten-free food in Europe.  Many restaurants had dedicated gluten-free menus and kitchens and the amount of gluten-free products available was astounding to me and I live in southern California.  It made me wonder if the gluten in Europe is so much better than the gluten in the U.S. then why are there so many gluten-free options in a European country such as Italy and why do they have such an active Italian Celiac Association (AIC)?  

Turns out that the rate of celiac disease among Italians is rising. Studies have found that what used to affect about 1% of the population now affects 1.6%. Having celiac is taken so seriously there that after you get diagnosed you receive vouchers to buy specifically produced gluten-free foods, up to 140 euros per month. That’s $150 per month! Why do we not have this in the America?

WHO HAS PROBLEMS EATING GLUTEN?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Typically, people who have problems eating gluten are those who have celiac, non-celiac gluten sensitivity or a wheat allergy.  These three conditions are very different but are often used interchangeably.

Celiac Disease - an autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people that’s triggered by consuming gluten and results in damage to the small intestine.

Gluten Sensitivity aka gluten intolerance (gluten sensitivity is medically more accurate way to refer to the condition) is a term that has been coined to describe individuals who have symptoms when they eat gluten similar to those with celiac disease, but don’t have the same antibodies and small intestine damage seen in celiac.

Wheat Allergy is an allergic reaction to foods containing wheat and may include responses such as asthma, rashes and anaphylaxis. Although an allergic reaction to wheat affects the immune system to respond it DOES NOT trigger the immune system to attack the villi and damage the small intestine as celiac autoimmune disease reaction does.

Please remember people with celiac disease should avoid ALL sources of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats, regardless of where the gluten comes from. NO amount of gluten is safe when you have an autoimmune condition such as celiac.

NOT ALL WHEAT IS CREATED EQUAL

There are seven major classes of wheat grown and marketed in the U.S. Hard wheat (which accounts for about 60% of U.S. production) and soft wheat (which accounts for the rest of the production).  Hard wheat has a relatively higher content of gluten than its softer wheat counterpart. In Europe, most of the wheat grown tends to be soft wheat and contains less protein and therefore has lower gluten content than its American counterpart.

Another key difference is that the herbicide glyphosate (which is the main ingredient in Roundup) is used on American wheat crops more widely than on European wheat crops. Glyphosate is effective at killing bacteria, but the residue that winds up in food products kills not only pathogenic bacteria but also beneficial bacteria, disrupting the body's microbiome and potentially increasing the risk of celiac and gluten sensitivity.

As for the issue of GMOs, GMO wheat is not available commercially in the United States, so it would be highly unlikely that it would be a cause of increased celiac disease and gluten-related conditions as it is just not available in our food system but contaminations have been reported although they are rare.

What surprised me the most is how much wheat the EU imports from the U.S.  The U.S. imports very little wheat while Europe imports about 1.1 million tons of American wheat each year.  So you will most likely be exposed to both hard and soft wheat while traveling in Europe as well as wheat that has been treated with glyphosate.

Knowing that the amount of people suffering from celiac is similar between the U.S and Europe, neither region has genetically modified wheat and that glyphosate is used in the EU as well as in the U.S. why are so many people feeling better eating gluten in Europe?

Having been born and raised in Poland and travelling throughout Europe I have noticed the following differences that can play a big role in our overall gut health and may give some insight to this phenomenon.

1.     People in Europe take time to eat. They sit down with their families and friends at mealtimes and generally find food pleasurable. To go is more of a rarity than a norm and having an espresso in a ceramic cup even at the busiest central station in Rome is absolutely a given and you wouldn’t dare ask for it as a take away. When you rush through your meals and do not chew properly you impair your body’s ability to digest properly. How you eat is as important as what you eat.

2.     There are less food additives and chemicals in European food and the food tends to be whole and less processed and what you are eating is in season and not flown in from another continent. I have never seen fresh berries in winter months from Chile being sold in Poland or tomatoes past their summer ripeness.

Here are some food additives that are banned in the EU but are legal in the U.S.

• Titanium dioxide (also known as E171)

• Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) (E443)

• Potassium bromate (E924)

• Azodicarbonamide (E927a) 

• Propylparaben (E217)

4.     Americans eat more processed foods that are high in omega 6 and are highly inflammatory. Italy as well as many of the other Mediterranean countries use olive oil which is high in omega 3s and anti-inflammatory.

5.     You’re on vacation and your stress levels are low which can do wonders for your digestion and gut health in general not matter where you are. The gut-brian axis is a real thing and your vagus nerve has the ability to send signals when you are stressed from your brain to your gut to halt all digestion when it is in the fight or flight mode leaving you feeling all kids of digestive distress.