Gluten is a protein found in many grains, such as wheat, rye, barley, and spelt. It’s made up of two proteins called gliadin and glutenin. Humans have eaten these grains for centuries, which offered great nutritional value and sustenance in years past. However, the invention of the modern steel roller mill in the 1870’s replaced the old stone grinding method and changed the way grains were processed. Although the new method was fast, efficient, more cost-effective, and grains stored for longer periods of time, the process stripped the grains of many vital nutrients.

To make matters worse, in the 1950's and 60's a movement called “the green revolution,“ started by Norman Borlaug, industrialized this process even further in an effort to increase grain production and feed our growing and hungry population. Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, credited for saving 1 billion lives through the modernization of irrigation systems, hybridization of seeds, and addition of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But looking back, this may not have been such a good thing as these processes made the grains even less nutritious and toxic to the human body. These were no longer the seeds and grains that the human body could recognize, and they continue to be culprits in many chronic digestive, inflammatory and autoimmune illnesses. The incidence of celiac disease, an autoimmune illness related to gluten, has increased exponentially over the last 50 years, largely due to the industrialization of agriculture.