Has gluten always been in bread? A historical look

December 5, 2025 •

4 min read

Bread has been a human staple for over 14,000 years, with evidence of early flatbreads found in the Jordanian desert. However, the gluten content in these primitive breads was vastly different from what we consume today, as grain cultivation and processing have dramatically evolved.

Quick Summary

The proteins that form gluten have always existed in wheat, but their quantity and nature have changed over millennia. Selective breeding for modern wheat has increased gluten content, altering the bread we eat today compared to ancient varieties.

Key Points

Gluten proteins are not modern: The building blocks of gluten (glutenin and gliadin) have always existed naturally in wheat.
Ancient vs. modern gluten differs: Early grains like einkorn and spelt contained less and different types of gluten compared to modern varieties bred for high gluten content.
Industrialization increased gluten: The Industrial Revolution and mass production led to selective breeding for wheat with higher gluten levels to create fluffier, more consistent bread.
Human adaptation lagged: The rapid increase in gluten consumption over a few centuries has outpaced the evolutionary capacity of some human digestive systems to adapt.
Gluten sensitivity is not new: Conditions like celiac disease were first described almost 2,000 years ago, but the link to gluten was only discovered in the 20th century.
Different grains contain different gluten: The term 'gluten' actually refers to a family of proteins, with different members present in wheat, barley, and rye.
History explains modern sensitivities: The stark contrast between ancient and modern gluten content helps explain the rise in gluten-related health issues today.

From Ancient Grains to Modern Loaves: The Evolution of Bread

Gluten, the protein composite that gives bread its elasticity and chewiness, is not a new addition to our food supply. It has been a natural component of wheat and other related grains, like barley and rye, for as long as humans have cultivated them. However, the idea that the gluten in modern bread is the same as that found in ancient grains is a misconception. The story of gluten is a narrative of human agricultural intervention, from selective breeding to mass industrial processing, that has reshaped the very bread we eat.

The Gluten in Ancient Wheat Varieties

Ancient grains like einkorn, emmer, and spelt—often marketed today as being lower in gluten—are still not gluten-free and contain the proteins that can trigger celiac disease in susceptible individuals. The key difference lies in the quantity and structure of these proteins. Ancient wheats generally contained less gluten and a different protein composition compared to their modern counterparts. Early human farmers, through unintentional or incidental selection, began cultivating wheat with larger grains and tougher, non-shattering ears, making harvesting easier. This early form of artificial selection set the stage for a shift towards grains that could produce a more robust loaf.

Industrialization and the Gluten Boom

The most significant changes to gluten content occurred with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. As societies urbanized and demand for bread increased, new technologies allowed for mass milling and production. This period saw a rise in the consumption of wheat products, especially refined flours. Furthermore, selective breeding accelerated, with farmers deliberately propagating wheat varieties that had higher gluten content. This was done to produce lighter, fluffier, and more consistent loaves that were highly desired by consumers. The modern wheat we are familiar with, Triticum aestivum, is a hexaploid species with a significantly different genetic makeup than ancient diploid varieties like einkorn, a result of thousands of years of evolution and deliberate cultivation. The widespread promotion of grain products during events like the Great Depression and World War II further cemented wheat's dominant role in the modern diet, with consumption levels rising exponentially.

The Ancient vs. Modern Gluten Comparison

To understand the disparity, it is useful to compare ancient and modern grains side-by-side. The following table highlights the major differences influenced by historical and agricultural developments:


Feature	Ancient Grains (e.g., Einkorn, Emmer)	Modern Bread Wheat (T. aestivum)
Gluten Content	Generally lower	Higher, bred for strong baking properties
Protein Composition	Different gliadin and glutenin structures	More complex protein structures, including more active coeliac epitopes
Ploidy	Often diploid or tetraploid	Hexaploid, a result of hybridisation
Kernel Structure	'Hulled' or 'semi-brittle rachis'	'Free-threshing' with a fragile glume, easier to process
Flavor Profile	Often nuttier, with more complex flavors	Blader flavor, often requiring additives for taste
Digestibility	Slower digestion due to lower refining	Faster digestion, potentially causing blood sugar spikes

Historical Consumption and Human Adaptation

While wheat has been a dietary staple for millennia, the human digestive system has not necessarily kept pace with the rapid changes in wheat cultivation. From an evolutionary perspective, the shift from a hunter-gatherer diet to one heavily reliant on high-gluten wheat happened in a relative blink of an eye. This mismatch, combined with a potential genetic predisposition in some individuals, has contributed to the rise in celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. The discovery of the link between gluten and celiac disease was made during a Dutch famine in World War II, when the absence of wheat in the diet led to a marked improvement in the health of affected children.

The Takeaway

So, has gluten always been in bread? The answer is both yes and no. The proteins that form gluten have always been present in the grains used for bread. However, the sheer quantity and nature of that gluten have been significantly altered by thousands of years of selective breeding and, more recently, modern industrial processes. The breads of our ancient ancestors were not the same as the mass-produced, high-gluten loaves of today. This historical perspective is crucial for understanding not only the evolution of our food but also the modern sensitivities and health issues related to gluten consumption. For those interested in the archaeological evidence, a good resource for learning about early grains is the National Institutes of Health.

Conclusion: A Complex History on Your Plate

Ultimately, the journey of gluten in bread is a complex story of agriculture, human ingenuity, and dietary shifts. The fundamental proteins were there from the start, but their concentration and characteristics have changed dramatically. This evolution helps explain why some people today, with digestive systems unaccustomed to such high levels of gluten, may experience health issues. Far from being a recent 'fad,' the discussion around gluten is a testament to the long and winding history of how our food has been shaped over millennia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, evidence suggests that bread-like products made from wild grains and tubers were baked by hunter-gatherers as early as 14,000 years ago, predating the agricultural revolution.

No, only certain grains, including wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and triticale, contain gluten. Grains like rice, oats, and maize are naturally gluten-free, although some may face cross-contamination during processing.

Through selective breeding, modern wheat has been cultivated to contain higher amounts of gluten-forming proteins. This was done to improve baking properties, such as rise and texture, for commercial production.

Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, causing damage to the small intestine. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (or gluten intolerance) can cause similar symptoms but does not lead to the same intestinal damage.

Ancient breads were often dense, unleavened flatbreads made from varieties of wheat like einkorn or emmer, and cooked on hot stones or in ashes. Leavened breads were later developed by the Egyptians.

The earliest forms of bread were likely accidentally discovered. Grinding grains and mixing them with water to form a gruel could have led to thick, flat cakes when left in the sun or baked over a fire.

While symptoms of celiac disease were first described by an ancient Greek physician, the definitive link to gluten was not made until the 1940s by Dutch pediatrician Dr. Willem Karel Dicke, who observed patient improvement during a wartime wheat shortage.