Wheat Free Washboard Waffles and Pancakes!

In contrast to most other grain containing food products, the Washboard Waffle & Pancake Mix does not contain any wheat.
For several good reasons...

Wheat is a staple food used to make flour for breads, cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles etc. While wheat is one of the most widely cultivated and produced grain crops (1, 2) and contributes significantly to the populations total carbohydrate consumption and caloric intake (2, 3) it is also one the major allergy causing foods (4-8).

Wheat allergy

Wheat allergy (also called wheat intolerance or gluten intolerance) is one of the most common food allergies (4-8). Even in people who are not allergic or intolerant to gluten (a protein that is in wheat and other cereal grains), ingestion of wheat and wheat based foods, can cause significant chronic symptoms like gastro-intestinal problems, aching joints, depression, eczema, low blood iron levels and others. Wheat allergy can, if ignored, lead to serious health problems that can cause diabetes, bowel cancer, anemia and osteoporosis.

It is notable that the incidence of wheat flour allergy is increasing (8), and it is especially common in children (4-8). Most wheat-sensitive individuals (both children and adults) have not been diagnosed. Thus, if you or you child suffer from bloatedness and gastrointestinal problems, it is wise to cut back on wheat. If that makes you feel better, you know why!

Problems with wheat

Wheat also contains several other allergy causing proteins (9-11) and anti-nutrients (substances that interfere with nutrient absorption and metabolism (12). The major food derived anti-nutrient is called lectin (13, 14), and it is especially common in wheat (12, 15, 16). Because of their binding capabilities, lectins can interfere with the structure and function of a wide variety of cells in the body, especially enterocytes and lymphocytes (15, 17). Lectins can induce dramatic shifts in the bacterial flora of the gut, and interfere with its secretions.

The best studied lectin is wheat germ agglutinin (18). Wheat germ agglutinin is heat stable and resistant to digestive breakdown (19, 20). It has been shown that wheat germ agglutinin can bind to the following tissues and organs: alimentary tract (mouth, stomach, and intestines), pancreas, musculoskeletal system, kidney, skin, nervous and myelin tissues, reproductive organs, and platelets and blood proteins (18). When wheat germ agglutinin (and lectins in general) binds to intestinal cells, they cause damage that interferes with digestive/absorptive activities, stimulate a shift in bacterial flora, and modulate the immune state of the gut (17). It is notable that high wheat diets can cause intestinal damage even in healthy subjects without celiac disease (21), and that these changes resemble the early gastrointestinal damage that is seen in patients with celiac disease (22).

Another harmful effect of wheat germ agglutinin is that they can be absorbed into the blood circulation (23, 24) where they can elicit powerful immunological responses, and negatively modulate the body's hormone balance and metabolism (17, 18). In addition, wheat germ agglutinin facilitates passage of other dietary substances (25), which that can further exacerbate lectin-induced immunological reactions. Thus, wheat has the potential to significantly disrupt health.

Therefore, wheat is more likely to cause an allergic reaction than any other grain, and many people with wheat allergy can tolerate other grains (26-28).

It is notable that the incidence of wheat flour allergy is increasing (8) and it is especially common in children (4-8). Most wheat-sensitive individuals (both children and adults) have not been diagnosed. Thus, if you or you child suffer from bloatedness and gastrointestinal problems, it is wise to cut back on wheat. If that makes you feel better, you know why!

Bottom line

While it is true that whole grain cereals are healthier than refined cereals (for more info, see the section on dietary fiber), wheat fiber does not have any significant cardo-protective or health promoting effects (29-37).

For these reasons, Washboard Waffle & Pancake Mix was scrupulously formulated without wheat, for everyone’s benefit!

Numbers within parentheses refer to references