Wheat Varieties

The United States grows approximately 60% red wheat, while many European countries predominantly use white wheat. Red wheat has much higher gluten content than European white wheat, producing greater gut irritation and immune reactivity. Three structural differences in how wheat is grown, treated, and enriched on each side of the Atlantic explain the divergent physiological responses. The symptomatic differences travelers observe between American and European wheat consumption are explained by regulatory and agricultural differences, not individual sensitivity.