Bad news for bread lovers! A new study has found that certain proteins in wheat (hint: not gluten) may aggravate symptoms of people who suffer from inflammatory conditions, like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. These proteins, called amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are also linked to non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the scientists concluded.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany, determined that the ATIs found in wheat cause an immune response in the gut that can spread to and affect the kidneys, lymph nodes, spleen, and brain.
If the researchers’ conclusion is confirmed with future studies, the condition “non-celiac gluten sensitivity” might need to be renamed, the lead researcher Professor Detlef Schuppan stated, since it’s possible the ATIs are causing the sensitivity rather than gluten itself.