Special Diets Gluten-Free Grains Is Spelt Safe to Eat on a Gluten-Free Diet? By Jane Anderson Reviewed by Reviewed by Mia Syn, MS, RDN on December 16, 2020 instagram Mia Syn, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a master of science in human nutrition. She is also the host of Good Food Friday on ABC News 4. Learn about our Review Board Mia Syn, MS, RDN on December 16, 2020 Print Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Despite what you might hear from that bakery owner and others, spelt is, in fact, a form of wheat. Like other forms of wheat, spelt contains the gluten protein, and therefore, isn't safe for those of us who have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. 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. The myth is one that persists despite the best efforts of many in the gluten-free community. Therefore, a little bit of background on spelt's pedigree is in order. Spelt Is a Form of Ancient Wheat Modern wheat goes by a variety of scientific names. All those names begin with Triticum, which means wheat. Triticum aestivum, also known as bread wheat or common wheat, is the variety cultivated by the vast majority of farmers worldwide. The grain spelt is called Triticum spelta under its scientific classification. The Triticum gives it away immediately: spelt is a form of wheat. 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. How Will Spelt's Gluten Make You Sick? Spelt doesn't contain quite as much gluten as modern wheat, and it's actually a slightly different type of gluten. Nonetheless, if you have issues with gluten-containing foods, you'll want to avoid spelt, or you'll risk getting sick (many people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity have reported getting ill after mistakenly eating something with spelt in it). Choose a food made with gluten-free flour instead. We're not just relying on anecdotal information about the propensity of spelt to gluten you, either. Medical researchers have looked at whether people with celiac disease will react to foods with spelt, and the answer is, yes, they will. In one foundational study, published back in 1995, German scientists examined the genetic structure of spelt's gliadin protein (one of the components of gluten), comparing it to the gliadin found in modern wheat. They found some differences but concluded that people with celiac disease would react to spelt just as they react to modern wheat. A second study, performed in 2007 in Italy, took two different lines of cells and mixed them in the laboratory with extracts of four types of wheat, including modern wheat, spelt, Einkorn wheat and farro wheat. The cells reacted badly to the modern wheat and the spelt, while the Einkorn and farro wheat didn't seem to lead to negative effects. Based on the results of these studies and many others, it looks like spelt is pretty likely to lead to a glutening. Therefore, you'll want to steer clear, even when your local bakery owner argues mistakenly that it's a healthy, safe alternative to wheat. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Following a gluten-free diet can be challenging. We're here to help. Sign up and receive our free recipe guide for delicious gluten-free meals! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources 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. Beyond Celiac. Are Ancient Grains Gluten-Free?. Packa D, Załuski D, Graban Ł, et al. An Evaluation of Spelt Crosses for Breeding New Varieties of Spring Spelt. Agronomy. 2019; 9(4),167. doi:10.3390/agronomy9040167 Beyond Celiac. Intro to Gluten-Free Flours. Forssell F, Wieser H. [Spelt wheat and coeliac disease]. Z Lebensm Unters Forsch. 1995;201(1):35-9. doi:10.1007/bf01193198 Vincentini O, Maialetti F, Gazza L, et al. Environmental factors of celiac disease: cytotoxicity of hulled wheat species Triticum monococcum, T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum and T. aestivum ssp. spelta. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007;22(11):1816-22. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1746.2006.04680.x Escarnot E, Gofflot S, Sinnaeve G, Dubois B, Bertin P, Mingeot D. Reactivity of gluten proteins from spelt and bread wheat accessions towards A1 and G12 antibodies in the framework of celiac disease. Food Chem. 2018;268:522-532. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.06.094