Episode 365: Gluten, Gut Health, and Freshly Milled Flour with Sue Becker

Did you know that “enriched” flour adds back only a handful of synthetic nutrients after dozens of natural ones have been stripped away? Host Erin Kerry sits down with Sue Becker, food scientist, author of The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book, and co-owner of The Bread Beckers, to talk about what really happened to our bread. Together, they discuss how white flour replaced home-milled flour in the early 1900s, the nutrient-deficiency diseases that followed, what “enriched” really means, what gluten is and why it’s in wheat, and why Sue believes store-bought bread, not gluten itself, is behind so many gut issues. You’ll also learn why fiber from whole grains feeds the good bacteria in your gut, how those bacteria make B vitamins, vitamin K, and butyrate, and why Sue recommends freshly milled gluten-free grains for people with true celiac disease. Erin also shares what she sees on GI-MAP tests and why, after years of being gluten-free, this conversation has her rethinking bread. Key Topics: * What changed in America’s bread in the late 1800s and early 1900s * The three parts of a wheat kernel: bran, germ, and endosperm * Pellagra, beriberi, and anemia after the rise of white flour * What “enriched” flour really means * Bleaching agents and additives in commercial flour * What gluten is and why it lets bread rise * Gluten-free diets and the gut microbiome * Celiac disease vs. gut issues blamed on gluten * How fiber affects blood sugar, fullness, and energy * Fiber, butyrate, and gut healing * Constipation, diarrhea, and stool health * Why some “whole grain” store breads still fall short * Getting started with a home grain mill and bread machine * Grains in Scripture, from Genesis 1:29 to “the bread of life” Links Mentioned: * The Bread Beckers: breadbeckers.com * Sue’s Healthy Minutes podcast (on all podcast platforms) * “Real Bread: Staff of Life” on The Bread Beckers YouTube channel * The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book by Sue Becker * Sue’s new bread, soups, and stews cookbook * Join Erin’s email list: https://erinbkerry.mykajabi.com/email-list