October 2025 Research: Bread

I like bread, a lot.  Seriously, I could give up chocolate, sugar, and ice cream all before I gave up bread. Yet, I eat bread, on rare wonderful occasions, these days as I attempt to eat as "healthy" as I can and strive to keep my body as "healthy" as possible with all the age-related changes to my endocrine and other systems! I also limit pasta, cakes, pies, and even cereals made of that essence-of-life-for-me ingredient: wheat.  

Yet, given a piece of that better-than-life fresh baked bread at Panera's or a bowl of deliziosa pasta in Italy, I become as weak as the butter or parmesan atop the wheat goodness. 

Interestingly, during a trip to Europe, I threw caution to the wind and consumed pasta, pizza (and wine) every single day and did not gain an ounce.  "It's probably all the walking," I thought, until this morning.

An article in the times  suggests that in Europe, bread and pasta are different because wheat is different.  "Wheat growers in the United States sometimes apply glyphosate — an herbicide used to kill weeds, and in some cases to dry out the wheat itself — to the crop just before harvest!" This leaves residue that might be a factor.  Why aren't we researching and talking about this, Mr. Kennedy?  Why is it important to people in Europe and not here?  Is there research we should know about?   

In addition, the bread making process overseas is different. "During fermentation, microbes such as yeast and bacteria break down some of the gluten in the dough. The longer the fermentation time, the less gluten remains." Is this a factor in all the gluten sensitivities?  

I'm going to have to do some research on my own, sigh, because I am pretty confident I cannot count on the Health Department. Stay tuned.