Health Matrix: Should I Worry About Bread?
At some point, we’ve all been made to feel guilty about eating bread. But just how much should we worry about it? Last week, Professor Steven Kaplan told us about the moment bread went bad. We all know hyper-processed white bread is not good for the gut but are there some loaves that are better than others? What can we look out for when hunting for the perfect loaf? For top tricks avoiding supermarket bread fakery, check out our latest feature with the Sourdough School ‘bread anarchist’, Vanessa Kimbell.
In the meantime, we’ve put our key questions to two leading experts on bread nutrition in our latest health matrix:
Is bread fattening?
Is sourdough really as healthy as everyone says?
Is bread ‘bad’?
Here’s the deep dive with our trio of experts…
PROFESSOR WALTER WILLETT
Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard
DR STEPHEN JONES
Director of the Bread Lab at Washington State University
In a word: is bread bad for you?
WALTER WILLETT: As usual, this depends greatly on the type of bread. The standard bread made from refined white flour, even if “enriched”, is mostly starch that is rapidly converted to blood sugar with a good bit of sodium (bread is the largest source of salt in the US diet). In contrast, coarsely ground whole grain bread has quite a bit of nutritional value, including minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. However, it usually still contains a hefty dose of salt and is more rapidly converted to blood sugar than intact whole grains such as steel cut oats or wheat berries.
STEPHEN JONES: Yes and no. Yes: A kernel of wheat and whole wheat flour is about 10% fiber. No: White flour has 0% fiber. Yes: Whole wheat flour is a great source of micronutrients. No: white flour is not a good source of anything other than starch. No: A minimally fermented white bread with non-food ingredients is a mess health-wise. White flour is essentially starch and gluten. Add 15 to 25 non-food ingredients like preservatives and dough conditioners and…yuck.
How and when did bread get a bad reputation? And is it at all justified?
WALTER WILLETT: I think the bad reputation was been well earned because until fairly recently the large majority of bread in the US was made from refined starch.
STEPHEN JONES: When super white became the norm, the inter-war years and post war 1950s till today.
Is bread fattening?
WALTER WILLETT: It can certainly be fattening, especially when made from refined starch, because it will leave us hungry again after just a few hours.
STEPHEN JONES: White bread can be I would think. Refined starch and gluten with a bunch of sugar and non-food and no fiber…
What are the least and most healthy types of bread? What should you look out for when buying a loaf?
WALTER WILLETT: The first ingredient should be a whole grain, such as whole wheat for whole oats. Ideally, it should include no other grains than whole grains. “Enriched wheat flour” really means depleted, refined starch with some vitamins added back; this is best to avoid.
STEPHEN JONES: Least: white bread with sweeteners and non-food. Most: Long ferment 100% whole grain with no non-food.
Is sourdough especially healthy - and how do you know you’re getting a proper sourdough?
WALTER WILLETT: If this is not made from whole grain, it would still be best to avoid. I don’t think there is good evidence that being sourdough is necessarily healthier.
STEPHEN JONES: Sourdough can be if it is a long ferment and whole wheat. The long ferment can break down the phytic acid and make the micronutrients more bio-available. Time also reduces the strength of the gluten which may make the bread easier to digest.
Is there any evidence it’s artificial fertilisers and pesticides which have caused increased celiac issues - not the bread itself?
WALTER WILLETT: No.
STEPHEN JONES: Not sure but would not be surprised.
What type of bread do you eat and how often?
WALTER WILLETT: I always aim for 100% whole grain breads, but still try to keep my bread intake low because unmilled whole grains will be better, and I can avoid the extra salt that I don’t need. On most days I don’t eat bread.
STEPHEN JONES: I eat 100% whole wheat sourdough every morning as toast with peanut butter, salt and jam. I try not to eat non-food with my food so my bread is scratch baked by either me or members of our lab. All the pastries, breads, crusts, batters and other grain products are 100% whole grain. It’s not that big of a deal. People need to get over their fear of whole grain and reject dry crumbly baked products. They can and should be delicious.
