What Is Kamut Wheat? (And Why Is Everyone Eating It?)

Ever heard of Kamut Wheat? Wondered what it is when you see it in a recipe or touted as a superfood? Us, too. Which is why we picked the brain of Bob Quinn, organic farmer and founder of Kamut International. Bob answers our burning “What is Kamut Wheat?” questions — along with giving us the 411 on why this type of wheat may be a better option for those with digestive issues or IBS. (You know how we love talking about digestion and poop!)

Interview With Bob Quinn

What is Kamut Wheat? Kamut is a trademark which we use to market ancient khorasan wheat, which is a near relative of modern durum. The use of the trademark guarantees that the grain has been organically grown, is 100 percent pure ancient khorasan wheat and that it is high in protein and minerals, especially selenium.
What is the difference between modern durum wheat and ancient wheat? Modern wheat has been bred intensively for the last 60 years to increase yield and in the case of bread wheat, to increase loaf volume of the bread and in the case of durum, to increase quality of pasta. All of these changes were designed to make cheap food with little thought or study given to nutrition. These changes have also caused unanticipated negative changes in the nutritional value of the grain, as well as increasing the sensitivities that many people have to modern wheat.
What are the nutritional benefits of eating ancient Kamut Wheat? From our research, we know that Kamut products increase the antioxidant capacity of those eating it, compared to modern wheat in our trial. It is also anti-inflammatory while modern wheat was found to cause or promote inflammation.
What about Kamut Wheat makes it tolerable to individuals with digestive issues/IBS? We do not understand the mode of action at this time, however, we are continuing with our research in this area and expect to have a few more publications this year which will give us more information about this subject. We do know that Kamut brand products have more phenolic compounds and is higher in selenium than modern wheat. Since phenolic compounds and selenium can both be strong antioxidants, this could contribute to the increased antioxidant capacity that we are seeing with the ancient Kamut wheat. We also know that there is a link between the effect of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories on inflammation in general, and we know there is a strong link between inflammation and IBS.
Where can you buy Kamut Wheat? Most Kamut products such as cold and hot cereal, pasta, bread, snacks, flat bread, grain and flour can be found in most health food stores. A complete list of products including most unusual products such as couscous and bulgur along with their manufacturers can be found on our website Kamut.com.
What’s your favorite way to eat Kamut Wheat? My favorite is Kamut sourdough pancakes, which I make at home and eat at least twice a week for breakfast. I also enjoy Kamut Flakes by Arrowhead Mills and Kamut pasta. I also crack whole grain at home and cook it for hot cereal for myself for breakfast at least once a week. I try to eat some kind of Kamut products for nearly every meal and avoid modern wheat as much as possible.
Are there any other ancient grains that you think are worth eating? Although we have not done the research yet to know for sure, I expect most ancient and heritage wheat will have similar benefits as we have seen with Kamut products. We will finish research this fall which should give us more information on this subject.
Anything else you’d like to add? I would like to add two general thoughts in closing. First, I believe is it time to understand how much cheap food in this country is really costing us in terms of poor nutrition and poor health. Second, I hope people will begin to understand that rather than expecting all cures for our ailments to come from some type of pill, food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food.
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food? Yep, we totally dig that! Thanks for making us Kamut Wheat experts, Bob! —Jenn