Some people may conflate “gluten-free” with “healthy eating” (or “gluten-free” with “organic”), which may contribute to some of the confusion. Sprouted bread is considered healthy, and so is the gluten-free diet—and so the two must go together, right? Not exactly.
Are Sprouted Grains Gluten-Free?
Jane Anderson is a medical journalist and an expert in celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and the gluten-free diet.
Updated on July 26, 2020
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Rumors have circulated for more than a decade that sprouted grains—i.e., grains that have germinated—are gluten-free, especially when used in certain types of bread, even if they start out containing gluten. Despite these rumors, however, this just isn’t true.
Some people may conflate “gluten-free” with “healthy eating” (or “gluten-free” with “organic”), which may contribute to some of the confusion. Sprouted bread is considered healthy, and so is the gluten-free diet—and so the two must go together, right? Not exactly.
Sprouted Grains vs. Gluten-Free
Gluten is a protein that grass plants store in their seeds, which we know as their grains. When a seed germinates, it begins to use up some of the gluten in order to nourish the growing plant. But plenty of gluten still remains in the sprouts. This means that there is still gluten in sprouted wheat bread—more than enough to render any bread made from the sprouted wheat most definitely not gluten-free.
Sprouted grains are definitely not gluten-free if the grains in question are wheat, barley, rye, or close relatives of those grains.
Ezekiel Bread
Ezekiel 4:9 bread, offered in several different varieties by manufacturer Food for Life, was inspired by the Bible verse that states in part: “Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it.”
As you can see, the Bible verse in question mentions three different types of gluten-containing grains: wheat, barley, and spelt. And sure enough, Ezekiel 4:9 bread contains organic, sprouted versions of all three of these, along with sprouted millet, sprouted lentils, and sprouted soybeans.
Ezekiel bread contains organic wheat gluten, which means that it is most definitely not gluten-free.
Food for Life also makes other products that are gluten-free, including a wide variety of both sprouted and un-sprouted gluten-free bread. Just make sure you don’t pick up the wrong bread, since many supermarkets display all the products together in their frozen food aisle.
Other Gluten-Free Grains
Gluten-free grains, such as buckwheat and millet, should be safe when sprouted and used in bread and other products. Just make sure that they’re not combined with gluten-containing grains, as they are in Ezekiel 4:9 bread.
A Word From Verywell
If a bread lists “sprouted wheat” on its ingredients—or any of the names for various forms of wheat, including Kamut, spelt, Einkorn, and bulgur—you need to avoid that bread if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
The same goes for breads or other products containing sprouted rye or sprouted barley, both of which also are gluten-containing grains. Always read ingredient labels carefully to ensure you stay safe.
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
- Celiac Disease Foundation. Sources of Gluten.
By Jane Anderson
Jane Anderson is a medical journalist and an expert in celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and the gluten-free diet.
The Gluten in Ezekiel Bread
Ezekiel sprouted grain bread products, made by Food For Life, are flourless breads. Because the grain used to produce them is not ground, sprouted grain breads usually still contain gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, barley and spelt. Food for Life does make gluten-free products, but Ezekiel bread, muffins and tortillas are not among them.
Significance
If you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, you must avoid wheat, barley and rye because they contain gluten, a protein that disturbs your digestive tract. For the gluten intolerant, symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea and fatigue are uncomfortable, but not permanently damaging. If you have celiac disease, eating even trace amounts of gluten sets off an autoimmune response that destroys the villi in your small intestine — leading to malnutrition and potentially cancer, osteoporosis and other autoimmune conditions in the long run. The claim that Ezekiel bread is flourless could be confusing if you avoid gluten.
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About Ezekiel Bread
Ezekiel bread contains wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt. Unlike traditional wheat or white bread that is made from kernels of grain ground into flour, Ezekiel bread uses these grains after they have sprouted — or started the germination process. Because it combines legumes and grains in its dough, Ezekiel bread contains more amino acids than traditional breads. More amino acids means the sprouted bread has more protein, especially valuable to vegetarians. Ezekiel bread is a whole-grain product and counts toward the minimum three 1 oz. servings the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends you consume every day.
Gluten-Free Products
Food for Life makes gluten-free breads, English muffins and tortillas. These are sold with a label that clearly states they are gluten-free. If you must eat gluten-free but would like to consume sprouted grains, the company also makes a yeast-, wheat- and gluten-free corn tortilla that includes sprouted corn as the main ingredient.
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