Europeans have been living off of carbs, specifically pasta, breads and pastries for a very long time. When you visit certain countries, like Italy, it’s shocking to see such a huge portion of their daily diet being pasta, yet 90% of the population is thin, fit and no where near obese! It certainly does raise a few eyebrows. How could an entire nation of people, living off daily pasta, NOT be grossly overweight?! One huge factor is activity level and how much Europeans walk per day. Based on how most cities are laid out and the fact that urban dwellers don’t typically drive, walking 10-25K steps per day is pretty typical. Americans, outside of NYC or urban living, don’t even get close to that number daily without conscious effort. But, I don’t think that’s the main factor in how Europeans stay so thin eating so many carb rich foods. The real difference is the quality of grain and how it’s produced.
So, what are the main differences between European and US grains?
Gluten Levels are Higher in the US than Europe
The majority of the wheat grown in the US is red wheat, which is higher in protein and gluten. In contrast Europe grows mostly soft wheat, which is lower in gluten and protein. Gluten provides no essential nutrients for the human body. But the bigger challenge is the human enzyme protease can’t completely break down gluten when we’re digesting it. Most people can handle undigested gluten without any issues, unless you have Celiac disease (which can cause damage in the small intestine). But even for the average person with no intolerance, struggling with the undigested portion of your massive plate of pasta often results in being bloated (inflammation), tired and sluggish. The infamous “food coma” that we’ve all experienced in our lifetime is NOT normal. That’s our digestion system exerting all possible energy to break down your food. Plus, some inflammation setting in for what the body can’t break down. This is one of the main reasons why when American’s visit Europe, they don’t feel bloated or sluggish after a massive and delicious plate of pasta (which is often very surprising for most of us).
Glyophosphate Levels
Seeds in Italy, and several other countries in Europe, have banned the use of glyophsphate (ingredient in Roundup pesticide) on their foods. Roundup, owned by Bayer (previously Monsanto in 2018), is one of the largest and most heavily used pesticide companies in the world. I’m happy that the US has finally started to ban this nasty substance at a state level. Here’s a more comprehensive list of the states and countries that have laws in place against its use - https://www.carlsonattorneys.com/news-and-update/banning-roundup
Studies have shown exposure to this herbicide promotes gut dysbiosis, a reduction in your gut bacteria and is attributed to triggering irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease. Glyophsyphate exposure can also vastly affect your mental health and mood by triggering anxiety and depression. Your gut bacteria is responsible for producing serotonin and melatonin, so if your gut is off balance, so is your mood! Paying an extra 0.70 cents for something that’s organic is critical to maintaining your gut health, and pasta and bread is no exception to this rule.
Soil Quality
Most of the wheat grown in the US comes from Washington, North Dakota and Kansas. The soil in these regions are sulfur deficient which causes a higher amount of gliadin proteins to form in the grain. The higher the gliadin (in the gluten), the more reactive our bodies are to the gluten response, according to science. This is one of the biggest factors in how an identical wheat plant grown in the US versus EU could be so different. Obviously, there’s not much we can do about the soil quality, but we can be more selective in our food choices and buy pastas that are from Italy if we can.
These 3 main factors contribute the most to how different pastas and breads are in Europe. Luckily most US grocery stores sell imported pastas from Italy. There’s also plenty of plant based and alternative pastas and flours now, not to mention plenty of gluten free options that have flourished in the last 5 years (including flours, pre-made breads, bagels, waffles etc.). Lot's of options to help add some variety and keep things new and different for dinner!
As always, try to be smart about your food purchases. The popultiations purchases have POWER. What we choose to spend our money on affects the market and how companies produce and manufacture food. So always take a conscientious approach to your food purchases!
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