Rye – nothing for celiac disease
Rye is one of the most well-known types of grain in Germany. It not only serves as animal feed or biomass, but is also used in food production – for example for rye rolls or rye bread. Beer and schnapps are also made from rye. The grains can be further processed into flour, semolina , grist and flakes.
Healthy components of rye
Rye grains contain about:
In addition, there are B and E vitamins as well as folic acid  and pantothenic acid.
effect on health
The high proportion of essential amino acids  in rye and the pentosans it contains are particularly valuable for daily nutrition , as they are said to have a cancer-preventing effect  . A comparison between Finnish and American women showed that the Finns consumed significantly more rye fiber with roughly the same total fiber intake. At the same time, they were much less likely to develop certain types of cancer, such as breast or colon cancer.
The high fiber content in rye stimulates digestion and regulates cholesterol levels.  In addition, rye keeps you full longer than wheat, for example, and is therefore preferable for a figure-conscious diet.
Rye contains gluten
However, rye contains gluten  . Therefore, people with gluten intolerance  (celiac disease) should avoid rye products.Â
In addition, rye is a frequent trigger of hay fever in pollen allergy sufferers. But you can develop a rye allergy not only to the pollen, but also to rye flour . However , such an allergy  is much rarer.
Rye is in bread, schnapps and beer
Healthy rye has lost popularity in recent years. Since the rye protein does not form any gluten, rye bread is less airy and fluffy than other types of bread. At the same time, however, rye binds water and thus allows the bread to dry out more slowly, which makes it the ideal bread for storage. Well-known types of rye bread are pumpernickel and black bread. In general, rye bread is usually darker, more aromatic and stronger than wheat bread.
In addition, rye is also suitable for the production of schnapps: Korn and some high-quality types of vodka are distilled from the grain. Beer can also be brewed from rye mash. However, about half of the world’s rye yield is used as animal feed. A quarter is processed into food, the rest ends up as straw on farms or as biomass in power generation.
Origin and season of rye
Wild rye was already known on the Black Sea as early as 6,600 BC, but only became one of the main types of grain much later. In the Middle Ages, rye gradually developed into the most popular breadfruit. Today, Germany is the second largest rye producer in the world after Russia. Rye is preferably grown on sandy soils and needs a cool but dry climate.
In Germany, mainly the robust winter rye is cultivated, which blooms between May and July. During this time, many people struggle with allergies, because rye pollen is one of the most common triggers of hay fever.