Are spelt, buckwheat and freekeh healthier than wheat?

BHF dietitian Victoria Taylor says:

Spelt and freekeh, along with buckwheat, quinoa, millet, teff and amaranth (which are technically seeds, but eaten as grains) are sometimes known as ‘ancient grains’. There is no official definition, but this generally refers to wholegrains that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

They are usually high in fibre and contain a range of nutrients, and have been linked to health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart and circulatory diseases.

Many of these grains are gluten-free. This can be useful if you have an allergy or intolerance to gluten, but for most of us there’s no health advantage to avoiding gluten. If you do need to avoid gluten, make sure you know which grains are gluten-free: spelt, for example, is closely related to wheat and does contain gluten. It’s also worth being aware that many products made with ancient grains often include wheat flour, so may not be gluten-free, and may not contain as much of the ancient grains as you might think.

As wholegrains, ancient grains are more nutritious than the refined grains in white bread, rice and pasta, and may be higher in nutrients than wholegrain wheat or rice. But it’s not worth focusing too much on ancient grains, especially as they can be more expensive. Any wholegrain is better than a refined carbohydrate, and swapping white bread for wholemeal, or standard pasta or rice for wholegrain, is an easier way to make a positive change to your diet.

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