On a self help Facebook page, (with a name very similar to ours but with no connection), I recently saw some folk suggesting that Spelt or even Sourdough Spelt is OK for Coeliacs!
This is, of course, quite wrong as Spelt is simply a form of Wheat and, like other forms of wheat, Spelt contains the gluten protein so it isn’t safe for anyone with coeliac disease.
The idea that Spelt, Spelt flour, and baked goods made with Spelt are safe on the gluten-free diet is one of the oldest gluten-free urban myths that still persists despite the best efforts of many in the gluten-free community to dispel the idea!
Spelt is a form of ancient Wheat but that doesn’t mean Spelt is identical to modern wheat—it’s not. It’s been cultivated in the Near East and elsewhere for at least the past 7,000 years and hasn’t changed all that much since ancient times. Modern wheat, meanwhile, has been bred to maximize the gluten content, which makes the grain more effective in baking and other uses.
So, if you have issues with gluten-containing foods, you’ll want to avoid Spelt altogether or risk being glutened!
