The wheat has a moment. Not a fashionable sour taste beginner, but the underground that fungi brings to you – literally. Meanwhile, new research suggests that for many people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gluten may not be the dietary villain it makes.
On the one hand, scientists have discovered that wheat roots are inoculated with a fungus called soil Rhizobacterium It can make zinc and iron more abundant, and the two nutrients are insufficient for billions of people. On the other hand, a separate double-blind clinical trial conducted in Canada showed that many IBS patients who think gluten triggers their symptoms may respond more to expected than actual wheat or gluten.
Secret ingredients: underground fungi
Australian researchers tested eight bread wheat varieties to understand their response to inoculation with amniotic mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. result? Larger cereals and more bioavailable zinc and iron, especially when certain parts of the cereal are crucial to human nutrition.
- Fungal-treated wheat has high zinc levels in the cereal nuclear dragon layer
- Even with increased phosphorus, fungal plants retain phytic acid (an antinutrient)
- Zinc bioavailability doubles in some varieties, such as Gladius and Trojan
Plants are notorious for their minerals in the gut, so they are difficult to absorb. While helping plants absorb more phosphorus, the fungus does not improve plant levels to some extent as they are worried about. In fact, in some high fertilizer scenarios, fungi seem to be reduce Plant content. This means more good stuff (zinc and iron) will attract your blood, not just bread.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the bread…
Although fungi are upgrading wheat’s nutritional certificates, McMaster University researchers quietly uncover one of the biggest PR issues in wheat: gluten.
In a carefully controlled crossover trial, 28 IBS patients who thought they were gluten-sensitive were given the same cereals, made of wheat, gluten, or neither (fake). The results are surprising: Symptoms of flares are the same as those after gluten or wheat.
Nearly 40% of people report worsening symptoms after wheat or gluten. However, the same is true of 29% after the fake bar, which does not contain gluten or wheat at all. Adverse events are common, but are nearly identical in all three groups, suggesting that the Nocebo effect (negative expectations produce symptoms) plays the leading role.
Bottom line: More bread, less luggage
This pairing of research provides a rare win-win: it can make wheat more nutritious without sacrificing yield, and gluten may not deserve all the shadows. Of course, for part of IBS patients, gluten or elimination of wheat may still be helpful. But for others, bread may not be the enemy, it may be part of the solution.
Whether your concerns are nutritional deficiencies or digestive discomfort, science has some good news: your daily bread may be smarter and gentler than you think.
Journal Reference:
Nguyen TD, Johnson Aat, Lombi E, etc. Arcrum fungal inoculation increases the bioavailability of zinc and iron in wheat pellets. Plant-environmental interactions. Published on July 23, 2025. DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.70051
Seiler CL, Rueda GH, Miranda PM, etc. Effects of gluten and wheat on symptoms and behaviors in adults with IBS: A randomized, double-blind, sham-operated cross-border trial. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03664531
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