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The article says wheat has 5x the human genome. I assume that means it’s very high in protein. Isn’t that what most of the world needs, as opposed to mostly c

The article says wheat has 5x the human genome. I assume that means it’s very high in protein. Isn’t that what most of the world needs, as opposed to mostly carbohydrates?

code_duck 8y ago
High in protein compared to what? Is wheat better than millet, sorghum, quinoa, teff, oats, corn, and rice, or is it just a European tradition to base cuisine on wheat? I’m not an agricultural or genetic expert and I have no idea what relation genome complexity has to proteins or how that makes it useful to humans. Overall wheat is not very high in protein... it’s a crop grown for carbohydrates. If you were trying to fulfill your daily protein needs from wheat, you’d fall quite short. I suppose it complements more adequate sources. The protein it does have - gluten - isn’t especially digestible compared to alternatives like corn or rice, though it does have a texture that people find pleasant or useful in baking. Crops like lentils and soy are what you grow if you want to grow protein.
- 3x 8y ago
  Wheat has a decent protein-to-carbohydrate ratio and you can make seitan from it, which is a great alternative to tofu / tempeh and other legume-based protein sources.
  - code_duck 8y ago
    Sure, seitan (aka wheat gluten) is a protein source. How many other grains have a decent protein to carbohydrate ratio though, and are more easily digestible, and don’t cause crippling autoimmune disease or digestive dysfunction in 1-5% of people? You can get concentrated protein from any grain with similar nutritional benefits. Personally, my sensitivity to gluten has just about ruined my life - right now, my life is on hold and I am staying in a hotel in Rochester while obtaining treatment from the Mayo Clinic’s celiac specialists. Not sure that anyone can say that about quinoa or millet.
tejtm 8y ago
no, it means nothing of that sort, it just means the DNA is five times longer, not that there are five time as many genes encoding five times as many proteins. It is more like there is more DNA padding around the genes as a protection from virus which tend to jump limited distances along a genome. sorry for leading with a negative, I know it can come across more strongly than I intend.

The article says wheat has 5x the human genome. I assume that means it’s very high in protein. Isn’t that what most of the world needs, as opposed to mostly carbohydrates?

code_duck 8y ago

High in protein compared to what? Is wheat better than millet, sorghum, quinoa, teff, oats, corn, and rice, or is it just a European tradition to base cuisine on wheat? I’m not an agricultural or genetic expert and I have no idea what relation genome complexity has to proteins or how that makes it useful to humans. Overall wheat is not very high in protein... it’s a crop grown for carbohydrates. If you were trying to fulfill your daily protein needs from wheat, you’d fall quite short. I suppose it complements more adequate sources. The protein it does have - gluten - isn’t especially digestible compared to alternatives like corn or rice, though it does have a texture that people find pleasant or useful in baking. Crops like lentils and soy are what you grow if you want to grow protein.

3x 8y ago
Wheat has a decent protein-to-carbohydrate ratio and you can make seitan from it, which is a great alternative to tofu / tempeh and other legume-based protein sources.
- code_duck 8y ago
  Sure, seitan (aka wheat gluten) is a protein source. How many other grains have a decent protein to carbohydrate ratio though, and are more easily digestible, and don’t cause crippling autoimmune disease or digestive dysfunction in 1-5% of people? You can get concentrated protein from any grain with similar nutritional benefits. Personally, my sensitivity to gluten has just about ruined my life - right now, my life is on hold and I am staying in a hotel in Rochester while obtaining treatment from the Mayo Clinic’s celiac specialists. Not sure that anyone can say that about quinoa or millet.

tejtm 8y ago

no, it means nothing of that sort, it just means the DNA is five times longer, not that there are five time as many genes encoding five times as many proteins. It is more like there is more DNA padding around the genes as a protection from virus which tend to jump limited distances along a genome. sorry for leading with a negative, I know it can come across more strongly than I intend.