Bonn/Germany and Bologna/Italy, 7 April 2018

Traditionally, wheat-breeding programs aimed to improve grain yield and protein content, as well as baking quality, neglecting nutritional and phytochemical characteristics. However, little attention was paid to the potential impacts on human health. 

The health benefits of ancient wheat

Scientific studies have demonstrated ancient wheat varieties exhibit a higher nutraceutical value than modern varieties. This provides higher health benefits, including the prevention of chronic-degenerative diseases. 

Furthermore, in several human clinical studies the substitution of modern wheat products with ancient wheat products improved metabolic, oxidative and inflammatory profiles of both healthy volunteers and patients suffering from non-infectious chronic diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (Sofi, 2010; Sofi, 2013; Sofi 2014; Whittaker, 2015; Whittaker, 2017; Dinu, 2018 in press).