NORTH FRANKLIN, Conn. (PRNewswire) — After learning about her daughter's gluten sensitivity, jovial Foods founder, Carla Bartolucci was determined to find a solution that did not involve cutting wheat out of her life completely. Her extensive research led to the discovery of a nearly extinct ancient grain called einkorn. Her family embarked on their very own private clinical study, with their daughter Giulia as the patient. To her astonishment, Carla found that by replacing modern wheat and spelt with einkorn, her daughter's symptoms completely subsided.
"After witnessing our daughter's dramatic improvement, my husband and I knew we had to make einkorn available to others," Carla said. "I gratefully accepted this as my life's mission."
People with celiac disease represent 1 percent of the population in America, that's about 1 in every 33 people, whereas nearly 18 million Americans or six times that amount, suffer from gluten sensitivity. Carla's daughter's symptoms included skin rashes, asthma, hair loss, sinusitis, headaches and mood swings. When Giulia's test for celiac disease came up negative, an Italian doctor suggested she might be able to tolerate ancient varieties of wheat and that's when the couple discovered einkorn.
Einkorn is nature's original wheat and the only wheat to never have been hybridized, resulting in a different chromosome count than any other wheat. Less than five years ago einkorn, a wheat that has been around for over 10,000 years, was on its way to extinction. That is until Carla and her husband, Rodolfo, worked with researchers and farmers in Italy in an effort to replenish the seeds of this ancient grain. In 2009, the couple started by planting just 50 acres of einkorn wheat. Today, they have become the largest growers of einkorn in the world.
Einkorn has 30 percent more protein and 15 percent less starch than modern wheat, along with more b Vitamins, essential dietary and trace minerals. Einkorn is a nutritious and delicious wheat that lacks the high molecular weight proteins that people have trouble digesting. Gluten free foods can be high in starches and contain unhealthy ingredients, making einkorn a much healthier choice for those that cannot eat modern wheat and who are now eating gluten free. However, it is important to note that einkorn does contain gluten and is not suitable for individuals with celiac disease.
Carla and Rodolfo have been able to achieve national distribution for their company's einkorn products, which are marketed under the jovial trademark and include whole grain pasta, wheat berries, flour, and cookies.
https://jovialfoods.com/einkorn/
About Jovial Foods:
Carla Bartolucci and her Italian-born husband Rodolfo first began their work in the natural products industry in 1995, when they began distributing the bionaturae brand of organic foods. The mission of their new brand, jovial, is to change the future of farming by creating consumer demand for ancient and heirloom varieties of food. The jovial brand also specializes in the production of certified organic, artisan-crafted gluten free foods.