Coming Soon? Super Bread from Turned-On Wheat Genes

Here's good news on the nutrition front ... that is, if you're not on a strict low-carb diet and do not fear genetically modified food.

It seems that scientists in California have discovered how to "unlock" a gene in domestic wheat seeds that increases the plant's nutritional value. Called Gpc-B1 (can't they come up with sexier names for these things?), this gene can increase the iron, zinc and protein levels in the wheat kernels.

Wheat Bread

The scientists, who are associated with the Agricultural Research Service's Western Regional Research Center, based in Albany, California, hope their discovery will lead to improving the health of millions of malnourished people around the world. It could also improve the health of people in developed countries such as the U.S. where people generally are already getting their caloric needs met.

The scientists discovered Gpc-B1 in a wild type of wheat that grows in the Middle East, then they figured out that the gene controlled the level of iron, zinc and protein in the plant. Next they discovered that cultivated wheat has this same gene, only it is nonworking--"turned off." By sticking a cloned copy of the gene into cultivated wheat seeds, they found they could boost those critical nutrients by anywhere from 10 to 15 percent.

Pretty soon, some farmers could be growing wheat varieties that incorporate the cloned Gpc-B1 gene. But it's too soon to know when you'll be able to buy a loaf of bread made from naturally nutrition-enhanced wheat.

My diet already includes a wide range of 100-percent whole wheat breadstuffs, from cereal to pita pockets to tortillas to sandwich loafs. I am not one who can easily give up bread, but at least I know that my bread choices are near the top, nutritionally speaking. I look forward to being able to buy bread that is even better for me and my family, thanks to this breakthrough on the genetic front.

Coming Soon? Super Bread from Turned-On Wheat Genes

Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah's article where she reveals her source for the most mouth-watering secret restaurant recipes in America: http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html

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