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One woman I talked with on the phone said that she had been diagnosed by
an allergist as allergic to (among many other things, poor woman):

whole wheat
highly acidic foods, like tomatoes and berries
white sugar

But, she was not allergic to whole spelt, or, strangely enough, *white*
wheat flour.  So she is likely allergic to something in the bran or germ
in wheat that is significantly different in spelt.  Interesting, isn't it?

Another woman I know who eats spelt doesn't have allergies to wheat per
se, but has chronic yeast infections, and avoids eating foods with high
amounts of sugar, and avoids wheat.  She's having a hard time finding a
doctor who can interpret her empirical evidence, but it seems that eating
spelt greatly reduces her symptoms, while eating wheat products can
really bring her down.

So although spelt and wheat are extremely close genetically, their
physiologies are different enough that eating spelt as a wheat
alternative can be beneficial for some people.

And since someone else was wondering, I am not a celiac, nor do I have
any diagnosed food allergies.  I am a baker, and am interested in
providing alternative products to those of our customers who need them,
and those who simply enjoy a change of pace.  I originally wanted to
start producing gluten-free products for our bakery, but after reading
many posts here, I have decided that the best way to go gluten-free would
be to have two kitchens - there is simply too much opportunity for
gluten-contamination the way we are set up now.  Many celiacs seem to be
*extremely* sensitive, and I wouldn't want to put those people at risk.


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Tanya Heikkinen
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