emmer
Grains
Is emmer high in gos?
Is emmer high or low in gos? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.
Related checkers
Compare emmer across criteria
Sensitivity notes
Why gos food checker matters
Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are carbohydrates found mainly in legumes and some vegetables. They're a FODMAP that can ferment in the gut, causing bloating and discomfort in sensitive people.
- Canned and rinsed legumes are lower in GOS than dried
- Start with smaller portions and build up tolerance
- Some people find beano-type enzymes helpful
- Firm tofu is lower in GOS than silken tofu
- Sprouted legumes may be better tolerated
Sensitivities
What emmer contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where emmer fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about emmer
Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) is one of the eight founder crops of Neolithic agriculture, domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around ten thousand years ago and the ancestor of every durum wheat grown today. It is also, quietly, one of the three grains sold in Italy as farro: emmer is farro medio, which is why a bag labelled farro tells you almost nothing about which grain is actually in it. For a trigger journal emmer is unusually clean chemistry with one very loud exception. Histamine, salicylate, oxalate, tyramine, free glutamate and nickel all sit low. Gluten and fructans sit at the very top. So emmer is not a safer wheat, it is a wheat with a short list of reasons it might bother you, and both of them are the classic ones.
Watch for
- Top gluten grade.Emmer has 28 chromosomes against modern bread wheat's 42, but a simpler genome is still a wheat genome: it is unsafe in coeliac disease and in wheat allergy
- Top fructan grade, so the chewy grain salad portion that makes emmer worth cooking is also a large FODMAP dose
- Poor for low fermentation and SIBO plans, and it holds its bran, so it ferments slowly and low in the gut
- The label problem: farro can be einkorn (farro piccolo), emmer (farro medio) or spelt (farro grande), and the three do not carry identical grades.Log what the packet actually names
- Because emmer grades low on histamine, salicylate, oxalate and nickel, a reaction to it points fairly cleanly at gluten or fructans rather than anything else
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GOS Guide
Everything you need to know about gos sensitivity and smart food choices.
Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are carbohydrates found mainly in legumes and some vegetables. They're a FODMAP that can ferment in the gut, causing bloating and discomfort in sensitive people.
Sensitivity varies widely. What triggers one person may be fine for another. Track your reactions to find your personal threshold.
These foods are generally well-tolerated for GOS sensitivity:
View all safe options
These foods have moderate levels and may be tolerated in small amounts:
These foods are high in gos and may trigger symptoms:
View full list
If you're sensitive to GOS, consider these strategies:
- 1Canned and rinsed legumes are lower in GOS than dried
- 2Start with smaller portions and build up tolerance
- 3Some people find beano-type enzymes helpful
- 4Firm tofu is lower in GOS than silken tofu
- 5Sprouted legumes may be better tolerated
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
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Get the AppFAQ
Is emmer high in GOS?
GOS: moderate signal - portion size matters.
Can I still eat emmer if I'm sensitive to GOS?
Try smaller portions and space it out.
What else should I check?
Check FODMAPs, Fructans, and Gluten next for a fuller picture.