Developing Wheat that Fights Celiac Disease.

PositionNUTRITION - Clinical report

Researchers have created a new, genetically distinct variety of wheat that is safer for individuals with celiac disease, opening the door for new treatments and healing potential for the staple grain. For the approximately 3,000,000 people in the U.S. who suffer from celiac disease, traditional staples like wheat, bread, and pasta are off the menu.

With celiac, the body's immune system reacts when gluten--the protein that gives breads, pasta, and cereal their chewy, crunchy texture--is eaten, causing nausea, cramps, malnutrition, and other health problems. There is no treatment for celiac, other than avoiding foods made with wheat or ingesting an enzyme supplement with every meal.

Working together, scientists at Washington State University, Clemson University, and partner institutions in Chile, China, and France developed a new genotype of wheat with built-in enzymes designed to break down the proteins that cause the body's immune reaction. Their discovery opens the door to new treatments for celiac and for...

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